©Lena McBean
Racetracks in Maryland
Pimlico Race Course, Baltimore
Home to the Preakness Stakes - where horses like Secretariat, Seabiscuit and War Admiral made their names. Each Spring, Marylanders gather for the second leg of the Triple Crown in thoroughbred horse racing. You have to see it in person to appreciate it!
Laurel Park, Laurel
Laurel Park has live racing, simulcast events, first class dining and a grandstand perfect for a family picnic. And each year it hosts Maryland Million, a celebration of the Maryland Thoroughbreds, some of the finest horses on Earth. Come enjoy the spectacle!
Maryland State Fair, Timonium
The Maryland State Fair has been home to live Thoroughbred horse racing since 1879 and is the last fair east of the Mississippi to continue this tradition. Timonium Racetrack's seven days of live racing on their 5/8th mile oval track is simulcast during the entire 13-day run of the Fair and hosts year-round simulcasting in the OTB facility. More than 500,000 fairgoers per year have the opportunity to get up close to the action in the Grandstand or along the rail, wager on races, and learn about the equine industry in the Horseland Tent, during Back Stretch Tours, and at 4-H and Open Class horse shows. The racing tradition and fun continues at Timonium, also known as the "Big T!"
Beyond the Track
Maryland Steeplechase Racing
Maryland hosts several steeplechase race meets, ranging from informal point-to-points to the historic Maryland Hunt Cup, and is also home to the sport’s national governing body, the National Steeplechase Association.
Here's a list of the upcoming races in 2025. There's probably one near you!
Sun., March 30 | Green Spring Valley Hounds Point-to-Point
Sat., April 5 | Elkridge-Harford Point-to-Point
Sat., April 12 | My Lady's Manor
Sun., April 13 | Mount Harmon Wicomico Hunt Point-to-Point
Sat., April 19 | Grand National Steeplechase
Sat., April 26 | Maryland Hunt Cup
Sun., May 18 | Potomac Hunt Races
Fair Hill Training Center
One of the nation’s leading training centers in Cecil County, Fair Hill is home to some 700 Thoroughbred racehorses and has helped produce two winners of the Kentucky Derby.