LAUREL, MD. 07-15-08---The Laurel Park summer meeting was approved this afternoon at the monthly Maryland Racing Commission meeting. After an eight-week break, live racing will return to Maryland on Friday, August 8. The 10-day summer meeting will include twilight racing (3:30 p.m. post time) on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

The meet will include a pair of $50,000 state-bred stakes races for three-year-olds: Twixt Stakes (Saturday, August 9) and Humphrey S. Finney (Saturday, August 16). First post for the weekend dates is 1:10 p.m.

Laurel Park will offer free admission for the weekday cards during the stand. Other attractions for fans attending the twilight cards will be a promotion called Twilight 2’s, which will include 2 for 1 draft beer, $2 frozen drinks (daiquiris and margaritas), $2 slice of pizza and 2 for $22 dining specials.

At the conclusion of the stand, live racing shifts to Timonium for the seven-day state fair meet. The 17-week Laurel fall meeting begins after the Labor Day holiday.