Live horse racing suspended at Laurel Race Track after multiple horses are euthanized

LAUREL, Md. — Live horse racing at the Laurel Race Track in Maryland has been suspended after two horses suffered injuries on the track and had to be put down. Now, the Maryland Racing Commission wants safety concerns addressed before any racing can resume. 

"We cannot afford to get this wrong," said Maryland Horse Racing Commission Chairman Michael Algeo. "We have to get it right." 

After two horses had to be euthanized due to injuries sustained at Laural Race Track, events were scrapped. The horses were euthanized on the heels of eight horse deaths in Laural last year, raising more questions about the track's surface. 

Officials are frantically searching for solutions to a safety problem on the eve of the 2023 Triple Crown.

"Cooperation, communication, and compromise, and without that, we all fail," said Algeo.

The Maryland Racing Commission says it wants to aim for zero deaths on the racetracks, approving a request to authorize Former Maryland Track Superintendent John Passero to examine the Laural dirt surface and make recommendations in a report to the board. 

"There are various conditions relating to that including good faith consultation on the part of the Maryland jockey club, Maryland Thoroughbred and Horsemen Association and then we'll develop some action plans based upon our conversations," Algeo said. 

Once the Maryland Racing Commission receives the report, it will consider resuming live racing at Laurel, a move that Algeo says requires compromise and adjustments in the interest of safety. 

"We should not be here today dealing with this, we should be getting ready to celebrate a triple crown," he said.