What we didn’t know then — but do now — is that those would be the final Maryland turf races of 2020.

Appropriately enough, the official word came on the overnight for today’s racing card. That is, the overnight for Friday the 13th.

It was a simple message: “Turf is over for the season,” it said in all caps.

Prior to today’s overnight, the track had attempted to card turf races as extras but had repeatedly been foiled. A wet week this week proved to be the death knell for turf racing in Maryland in 2020.

For the record, the leading turf winner in Maryland this year was Fiya, who won all three times he raced on the Laurel lawn, including a score in the Maryland Million Turf Sprint.

The final Laurel turf winner of 2020 was Beltway Bob, who won a starter handicap to conclude Maryland Million day.