LAUREL, MD. 07-16-13---The Maryland Jockey Club unveiled the 2013 Laurel Park fall schedule today after reaching agreement with both the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association and Maryland Horse Breeders Association. The schedule was approved by the Maryland Racing Commission earlier this afternoon at its monthly meeting.

After a 14-week break, which will include ten live days of racing at Timonium during the State Fair in late August and early September, live racing will resume at the major tracks after Labor Day. Racing will take place four days a week through the end of the year on a Wednesday through Saturday schedule, holidays excluded.

The 59-day fall meeting, which begins September 19 and concludes December 31, includes 31 stakes races, worth more than $3.3 million.

Headlining the stand will be the 28th running of the Jim McKay Maryland Million Day for the offspring of Maryland-based stallions on Saturday, Oct. 19 and the Fall Festival of Racing on Saturday, Sept. 21. That card will feature five stakes races on the turf as well as the $350,000 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash and the Jameela Stakes for Maryland-breds.

“All of the stakes races will occur on six Saturday afternoons, which we feel will help our profile on the simulcast signal,” said Maryland Jockey Club president Tom Chuckas.  “Kicking off the meet on opening weekend with five turf stakes and the De Francis Dash will get us off to a great start.”

The stakes races will take place on September 21 (seven stakes), October 19 (nine), November 9 (four), November 16 (four), December 7 (four) and December 28 (three).

Maryland Million officials have eliminated two stakes races from the program (Turf Sprint and Oaks) but will still run 11 races on the card, replacing those with a pair of $50,000 maiden races on the turf. In addition, the purses of the Turf and Ladies have been increased from $100,000 to $125,000.