Horse racing returns to Laurel Park after colt euthanized, track tested

BALTIMORE -- Horse racing returned to Laurel Park on Saturday following a brief suspension in the wake of two injured horses—with one that had to be euthanized on the track.

Animal rights activists went to the park to protest the resumption of racing.

"These horses are dying unnecessarily and it needs to end," Jennifer Sully, a board member of Horse Racing Wrongs, said.

The Maryland Thoroughbred Horseman's Association was initially concerned about the track, but experts have examined it and deemed it safe. 

"It was very disappointing to hear that racing was going to continue because it's not just the surface. It's not the sand, the turf, or any of those culprits," activist Bailey Chapman said. "It's racing itself that's the problem."

People who live near the track say they don't have a problem with the horse racing profession as long as the horses are treated ethically. 

"They should have veterinarian care not associated with the track but associated with the state to say, 'Well, this animal needs rest. You've raced it three days in a row. You can't do that anymore,'" Russell Roberts said.

Since getting the green light to resume racing, the Maryland Jockey Club has reiterated its position on maintaining track safety and adhering to "industry standard best practices for horses and riders."