Off-Turf races receive purse boost
Maryland Million eligible horses earn bonuses
Jockey J G Torrealba wins three races
Trainer Hugh McMahon wins three races

LAUREL, MD— The Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association (MTHA), in coordination with The Maryland Jockey Club (TMJC), has approved an increase in minimum purse payouts for all finishing positions, further supporting horsemen throughout the Maryland racing circuit.

The MTHA Board of Directors approved the measure on March 19 after a recommendation from the MTHA Purse Committee, which includes representatives from the TMJC.

The changes took effect starting with races on March 21 at Laurel Park and will remain in place through the summer meet, which ends on June 28. The structure will then be reviewed to decide if it should continue.

Under the new payment schedule:

Fourth place will receive 5% of the purse or $1,000, whichever is greater.

Fifth place will earn 3% of the purse or $1,000, whichever is greater.

Sixth place will get 2% of the purse or $1,000, whichever is higher.

Seventh place through last place will receive at least $1,000.

This change ensures more participants receive significant purse payouts, especially in larger fields, and demonstrates the ongoing dedication of both the MTHA and TMJC to support owners and trainers at all levels.

According to current projections, the revised structure is expected to allocate about $1 million annually from the Purse Dedication Account toward increased payouts.

Off-Turf races receive purse boost:

In a continued partnership to grow field size and boost wagering appeal, the MTHA, in collaboration with TMJC, has approved a specific purse adjustment for turf races moved to the main track.

The measure, approved by the MTHA Board of Directors on March 19 following a recommendation from the MTHA Purse Committee— which includes representatives from TMJC—will take effect with the start of the Laurel Park spring meet on Friday, April 10.

Under the program, races taken off the turf that have seven or more betting interests will receive a 20% purse increase. The initiative will remain in effect through June 28, 2026, and will be reevaluated for continuation before the Laurel fall meet begins in September.

Under the new framework, qualifying races that switch from turf to dirt but still have a large enough field will receive significant purse increases. For example:

A $47,000 maiden special weight would rise to $56,400.

A $24,000 lifetime claiming race would rise to $28,800.

During discussions, it was highlighted that maintaining larger fields in off-the-turf scenarios has a direct and significant impact on pari-mutuel handle. Data consistently shows that races with seven or more betting interests generate substantially higher wagering activity compared to those with smaller fields.

This collaborative effort between the MTHA and TMJC aims to better align incentives, encourage participation when races are moved off the turf, and support a more competitive and appealing racing product at Laurel Park.

*Maryland Million eligible horses earn bonuses

On Sunday, Laurel Park hosted two $12,500 starter allowance races that offered bonuses for horses eligible for the Maryland Million program.

Mirroring the popular Jim McKay Maryland Million program held each fall, first preference for entries was given to Maryland Million-eligible horses, with second preference going to registered Maryland Breds.

Maryland Million awarded bonuses to all eligible starters. The bonuses were $5,000 for the top finisher, $2,000 for second place, $1,000 for third, and $500 for the remaining competitors.

Runner-up Anita Beer received a $5,000 bonus as the top finisher in the fifth race, a six-furlong event for fillies and mares that started for a claiming price of $12,500 or less on March 22, 2025. A 5-year-old mare by Friesan Fire out of Distinct Affair, by With Distinction, Anita Beer is a homebred owned by Matt Spencer and Kelly Cox, and is trained by Kenny Cox.

In the sixth race, the older male division, favored Freeze the Fire ($3.20) was a dominant winner, earning the $5,000 top bonus in the process. A multiple stakes-placed 6-year-old gelding by Friesan Fire out of Scenario Analysis, by Exchange Rate, Freeze the Fire was bred by Carl Lanier, is owned by Gracie Mae Stables, and is trained by John Salzman Jr.

Maryland-bred maiden winners Tea Rose and Lost My Shoe each earned a 5% bonus on Sunday. The bonus program, which started on March 1, rewards Maryland Million-eligible horses that win maiden races within the state. Only horses sired by Maryland Million stallions, conceived in Maryland, and fully nominated and certified for the Maryland Million program qualify. Stallions must have been nominated in the year the horse was conceived.

Tea Rose ($8.20) is a 6-year-old mare sired by Great Notion out of Rose’s Last, by Toccet. She was bred by Jerome Burdick, owned by both Jerome and Barbara Burdick, and trained by W. Thomas McMahon.

Debut winner Lost My Shoe ($38.60) is a 3-year-old gelding by Engage out of One More Shoe, by Giacomo. Bred by Northview Stallion Station, Lost My Shoe is owned and trained by John Worsley.

*Jockey J.G. Torrealba wins three races

Jockey J. G. Torrealba had a very successful Sunday afternoon at Laurel Park.

A native of Venezuela, Torrealba rode a natural triple. In the fourth race, he won aboard Holy Synchronicity ($13.20) for trainer Rudy Sanchez-Salomon. Thirty-four minutes later, Torrealba scored a front-running win on On a Proud Note ($3.20). In the sixth race, he was aboard Freeze the Fire.

Torrealba won the Laurel Park spring riding title in 2024 and was a finalist that year for the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Apprentice Rider. That season, Torrealba rode 146 winners, and his mounts earned $5,300,194.

*Trainer Hugh McMahon wins three races

Hugh McMahon trained three winners on Sunday.

Ecumenical ($15) rallied strongly in the final sixteenth to win the opener under jockey Yedsit Hazlewood. The trainer-jockey team won again two races later with late-running Hay Chief ($13.20).

McMahon finished his big day with Spencer Tiara ($3.60), who led from start to finish under jockey Sheldon Russell in the seventh race.

A native of Doncaster, England, McMahon won both Laurel Park meet titles in 2013 and tied with three other trainers for top honors at the 2014 fall stand.

McMahon’s best season was 2013, with career-high wins (166) and earnings ($3,981,505). His starters have earned over $1 million annually since 2011.

McMahon, 58, has won 18 stakes races, including Passage East's victory in Laurel Park’s Barbara Fritchie Stakes earlier this year.

Around the track:

Earlier in the afternoon, Hazlewood was named Maryland’s champion jockey of 2025 at the Renaissance Awards luncheon.

Jose Vargas rode two winners. After Tea Rose’s dominant maiden win, Vargas took the eighth race aboard Straight to Water ($6.60).

Live racing resumes Friday with an eight-race card. The first post is at 12:00 pm ET. Additionally, Laurel Park offers two “Value Pick 5” wagers, each with a low 12% takeout rate.

The free “Laurel Park Handicapping Guide” is available on every race day. It provides picks, analysis, trainer stats, trip notes, horses to watch, track bias info, and more from The Maryland Jockey Club’s team of handicappers. Friday’s guide is released on Thursday evening. Click here to view it.

Reserve your spot for our weekly “Bubbly Brunch Sundays.” Relax with friends over delicious brunch favorites and bottomless mimosas at our vibrant Stone Bar Restaurant and Bar. Sunday Brunch starts at 11:00 am ET. Learn more here.

Never miss a second of the action on the Laurel Park YouTube channel. Click here to watch full pan and head-on replays.

Watch “Today at the Races,” the Maryland Jockey Club’s morning handicapping show every racing day at 11 am ET on the Maryland Jockey Club X account. Click here to watch.