Maryland is a state rich in horse racing tradition and opportunity. There are five racetracks contesting live cards within the state, including both thoroughbred and standardbred tracks. Often referred to as the cradle of American racing, Maryland is home to the Preakness Stakes, the second leg of thoroughbred racing’s triple crown. Laurel Park plays host to the Maryland Million. There’s world-class harness racing each year at Rosecroft Raceway. Ocean Downs also offers live standardbred racing, while Timonium Downs holds live thoroughbred racing cards every summer on the grounds of the Maryland State Fair. Rosecroft Raceway plays host to the Maryland Sire Stakes, showcasing the best Maryland-bred standardbreds.
NYRA Bets, AmWager, TwinSpires, TVG, and DRF Bets are top horse racing betting sites and apps available to Maryland horse players. Use codes and promotions for bonuses.
Maryland Horse Betting Sites/Apps
- TVG
- AmWager
- TwinSpires
- NYRA Bets
- 1/ST BET
- DRF Bets
Maryland Best Horse Racing Betting Bonuses
- 250DMTCBetting on Arabian races ais not allowed in Maryland
- BET200Check TwinSpires.com for updates as state availability and promotions may change.
- AmWager Maryland: Some restriction apply
- SPA250
Maryland Horse Betting Promos
| Horse Racing Sites | Betting Offfers |
| TVG online | Get up to $200, and get a $25 Bonus for every friend you refer |
| 1/ST BET Maryland | $100 sign-up bonus, up-to-date news about upcoming races |
| NYRA Bets | $200 deposit match, odds boosters, swap positions quickly for Exacta, Tri & Supers |
First Bet Maryland
1/ST BET is owned by the Stronach family, which also operates Pimlico. The 1/ST BET’s new players can choose from among three signup bonus options. They can get a $20 match for their first $20 wagered, a $100 match for their first $500 wagered, or a $10 match per $100 up to a total match of $500. At least a horse racing bettor in Maryland would need to wager $5,000 to max out the latter offer. They have 90 days to fulfill the bonus requirements of each offer.
Betting Features: Rewards points every Tuesday and other weekly offers.
TwinSpires Maryland
TwinSpires offers a $200 signup bonus to new customers. The $200 bonus cash is credited instantly after $500 in completed wagers are played.
Betting Features: Live races and highlights of previous races both on the website and the app, 15% boost on a winning Trifecta bet every Tuesday.
NYRA Bets Maryland
Newcomers to NYRA Bets receive a $25 free bet, as well as a 50 percent matching first deposit bonus up to a maximum of $200. After customer wagers $400 in first 30 days. Then $200 wagering credit deposited to the account.
Betting Features: Free live video streaming (HD live and replay) on Thoroughbred, Harness and Quarter horse racing and race replays nationwide, free handicapping tips, swap positions quickly for Exacta, Tri & Supers.
TVG Maryland
Get up to $200 Back If your first single-horse win bet doesn’t win. TVG also fees on your first deposit of $50 or more.
Betting Features: TVG Expert Picks for everyday, Free Past Performances Program, Money Back Special on select races.
Popular Online Horse Bet Types & Races
Straight wagers offered at Maryland race tracks start with a win bet. Pick the winner of the race – that’s it. With a place wager, a bettor wins if their horse is first or second. A show bet entitles a payout if the horse played comes in among the top three.
Then there are exotic wagers. An exacta entails picking the top two finishers in order. Trifectas must nail down the top three finishers. Quinellas are similar to exactas, except the top two finishers can come home in either order. Superfectas call upon the bettor to identify the top four finishers in a race.
A double requires selecting the winners of successive races. Furthering this concept, Pick 3s, Pick 4s, Pick 5s and Pick 6s require selecting winners of that many races in a row correctly.
Boxing an exacta, trifecta or superfecta enables the horses included in the wager to finish in any order among the designated places required to win the bet. Wheeling or keying these types of wager means designating one horse to finish in a specific position in the bet, thus keying that horse, then wheeling other horses into the available finishing positions around the keyed horse.
Major US Horse Betting Events That You Can Bet On In Maryland
| Date | Event | Location | Recommended Sites |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4-05 | 2024 Kentucky Derby Betting Offers & Best Bets | 700 Central Ave, Louisville, KY, 40208 | TVG |
| 18-05 | 2024 Preakness Stakes Betting Promos & Offers | 5201 Park Heights Ave, Baltimore, MD 21215 | AmWager |
| 7-06 | The Best 2024 Belmont Stakes Betting Offers & Promotions | 2150 Hempstead Turnpike, Elmont, NY 11003 | AmWager |
Held on the third Thursday in May, the Preakness is contested at a length of 1 3/16th miles. It is the bubble race in the Triple Crown, determining whether there will be a bid for the coveted three-race titel in June at the Belmont Stakes. The run for the Black Eyed Susans was first contested in 1873. Past winners include Secretariat, Man o’ War, Northern Dancer, Seattle Slew, Citation and American Pharoah.
Since 1919, the Black Eyed Susan Stakes, a Grade II thoroughbred event for three-year-old fillies run over a distance of 1⅛ miles, has been held at Pimlico.
The Maryland Million is held in October. To be eligible for the Maryland Million Classic, a horse must be sired by a stallion who stands in Maryland. There have been several two-time winners of the race, but only Eighttofasttocatch captured the Maryland Million on three occasions.
Rosecroft Raceway plays host to the Maryland Sire Stakes, showcasing the best Maryland-bred standardbreds.
Maryland Horse Racing Betting Legal Overview
Horse racing in Maryland has been around longer than the United States. The Maryland Jockey Club was founded in 1743. That was 33 years prior to the American Revolution.
Legendary thoroughbred Man o’ War was bred in Berlin, Maryland. Standardbreds have raced at Rosecroft in the state capital of Fort Washington since 1949. The first racing at Pimlico Race Course took place in 1970.
Maryland Racetracks
Pimlico Race Course – Hayward and Winner Aves, Baltimore, MD 21215. Offering live thoroughbred racing every May.
Laurel Park – Rt 198 and Racetrack Rd, Laurel, MD 20724. Offering live thoroughbred racing from January-May, June-August, and September-December.
Rosecroft Raceway – 6336 Rosecroft Dr, Fort Washington, MD 20744. Offering live standardbred racing from January-May.
Ocean Downs – 10218 Racetrack Rd, Berlin, MD 21811. Offering live standardbred racing from June-August.
Timonium Downs – 2200 York Rd, Lutherville-Timonium, MD 21093, USA. Offering live thoroughbred racing from August-September.
Maryland Online Horse Betting FAQs
Pimlico and Laurel Park offer both simulcast and off-track betting to horse players in Maryland. Rosecroft Raceway offers simulcasting and live streaming. Ocean Downs provides simulcasting.
The Maryland Jockey Club offers live streaming of racing from Pimlico and Laurel Park. Maryland horse bettors are also able to live stream races via 1/ST Bet, NYRA Bets, DRF Bets, and TwinSpires.
18 for pari-mutuel horse wagering.
AmWager, 1/ST Bet, NYRA Bets, DRF Bets, and TwinSpires are the top horse wagering platforms in Free State.
