On Labor Day weekend, the organizer of the Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill in Elkton, Md., is bringing thoroughbred flat racing back to its turf track after a five-year absence.
There is no charge to attend the races Aug. 30. Gates & parking lots open at 11 a.m., with the first race at 1 p.m. at the Fair Hill Special Event Zone.
The turf course is across the road from the Fair Hill Training Center, the base for such top trainers as Graham Motion, Arnaud Delacour, Michael Stidham, Elizabeth Merryman, Keri Brion, Brittany Rusell and Michael Matz.
The Fair Hill Races date back more than eight decades to when William du Pont Jr. built a turf course and started hosting racing on property had purchased in the 1920s and ’30s. Known previously as the Fair Hill Races, the Races at Fair Hill have a country atmosphere, but offer parimutuel betting.
The race to the finish in 2016. (Scott Wykoff photo)
The infrastructure modernization project at the Fair Hill Special Event Zone included construction of a sand-based turf course of Kentucky bluegrass with a state-of-the-art irrigation system, the first course of its kind in Maryland.
The one-mile turf track is planted with dense Kentucky bluegrass, which recovers quickly after horses run on it. The track is engineered with modern drainage, a state-of-the-art irrigation system and root zone systems to support consistency and durability during high-performance use.
The Maryland 5-Star three-day event will hold its fifth renewal Oct. 16-19.The 2024 edition generated more than $15 million in direct spending for the state economy, more than $530,000 in local tax receipts, and $23.5 million in total business sales in the state.
Fair Hill is home to Cecil County Breeders, the National Steeplechase Association and Fair Hill International, the nonprofit that helps manage equestrian events at the site. The natural resource management area also offers a number of opportunities for youth and families, including the Cecil County Fair, 4-H programs and Pony Club activities.
The Races at Fair Hill is produced by the Sport & Entertainment Corporation of Maryland, a 501c3 tax exempt and affiliated foundation of the Maryland Sports Commission and a division of the Maryland Stadium Authority.