Maryland Horse Breeders Association

Three horses, all Grade I winners, have been selected for induction into the Maryland Thoroughbred Hall of Fame in 2024: Alma North, Richard's Kid, and Shine Again. A committee of Maryland racing industry members coordinated by the Maryland Horse Breeders Association and Maryland Racing Media Association were responsible for the vote. The newest inductees will be celebrated during a ceremony after the fourth race on opening day of the Timonium race meet on Friday, Aug. 23. "This year's inductees are indicative of the reach of our great Maryland-bred horses and...

Eight horses have been named finalists for induction into the Maryland Thoroughbred Hall of Fame in 2024. The finalists are: Alma North, Caveat, Eightofasttocatch, Heros Reward, Post Boy, Richard's Kid, Shine Again, and Smart Angle. To be considered, a horse must have been bred in Maryland and be retired for at least five years. The horses selected to enter the Hall of Fame will be announced with a special ceremony Aug. 23 during live racing at the Maryland State Fair in Timonium. The Maryland Thoroughbred Hall of Fame was created...

David and JoAnn Hayden's Dark Hollow Farm came away victorious in three of the four classes at the 90th annual Maryland Horse Breeders Association's Yearling Show held Sunday at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium. Dark Hollow Farm's colt by The Factor, co-bred and owned with Ellen Charles of Hillwood Stable, was awarded the grand champion trophy by this year's judge, longtime bloodstock agent Rick Abbot. The Haydens have now won 19 classes (solely or in partnership), since 1989 with grand champions in 2009 and 2014. A total of 59...

Bloodstock agent Rick Abbott has been named the judge for the 90th annual Maryland Horse Breeders Association Yearling Show to be held July 21 at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium. With his wife Dixie, Abbott operated Charlton Bloodstock for nearly 40 years, selling yearlings, weanlings and broodmares at the major sales around the country. Charlton, headquartered in Pennsylvania, was one of the region's top consignors for decades. In addition to selling horses for clients, Charlton became a busy breeding farm, boarding and foaling mares and, early on, even standing...

Five open seats on the Board of Directors for the Maryland Horse Breeders Association (MHBA) have been filled, with four of the positions filled by returning members and one by a new member. Returning to the board are veterinarian Brooke Bowman, DVM; owner-breeder Michael Horning; Country Life Farm and Merryland Farm co-owner Josh Pons; and Northview Stallion Station's general manager David Wade. Trainer Phil Schoenthal is joining the MHBA Board for the first time. The five elected will serve for the next three years and will join current directors William...

The winners of the seventh annual Renaissance Awards, hosted by the Maryland Horse Breeders Association and the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, will be announced each morning at 10:00 a.m. on Maryland Thoroughbred social media platforms beginning Feb. 26 and continuing through Saturday, Mar. 2. Awards will be given for the top Maryland owner, trainer, jockey, dirt horses, turf horses, claimer, Maryland stallion, broodmare and breeder and champion Maryland-breds of 2023. Special awards will be presented to Pimlico and Laurel Park Backstretch Employees of the Year.   The announcement schedule is...

Maryland was one of the breakout states in the American Horse Council's report on the economic impact of the national horse industry, released on Jan. 31. The total economic impact of the industry grew 38% between 2017 and 2022, from $2.1 billion to $2.9 billion. In addition, the industry's direct contribution to Maryland's GDP grew by 40.5% between 2017 and 2022. The industry is responsible for 28,434 jobs, and horse industry wages total more than $1.24 billion. The survey, conducted in 2023 by the American Horse Council, determined that Maryland...

The Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen Association, Maryland Horse Breeders Association, and 1/ST RACING have announced a one-year deal to continue live horse racing in Maryland until December 31, 2024. The deal ensures that the GI Preakness S. will be run at Pimlico in May and provides for ongoing racing operations throughout 2024. "We are pleased to come to terms on a one-year extension to the 2012 agreement with The Stronach Group, 1/ST RACING and Maryland Jockey Club and appreciate the work by all that went into finalizing this deal," said David...

The Maryland Horse Breeders Association has selected three incumbents and one new member to its 2023 Board of Directors. Incumbents returning to the board are Henry S. "Tim" Clark III, Charles C. Fenwick, Jr. and Thomas J. Rooney. William K. Boniface, who has previously served five separate terms on the board, returns. Lisa Hofstetter joins the board for the first time. The five elected members join current directors George Adams, Amy Burk, Michael J. Harrison DVM, Michael Horning, Christine Holden, Ann B. Jackson, Grace Merryman, Kent A. Murray, Gina Robb...

Tuesday's Maryland Racing Commission (MRC) meeting yielded the news that the state's horsemen, breeders, and the operator of Pimlico Race Course and Laurel Park have agreed on yet another six-month extension agreement to keep racing going after a 10-year deal expired at the end of 2022. The placeholder agreement will go into effect for the final six months of 2023, and it follows a similar six-month extension reached earlier this year that is set to sunset June 30. The eventual goal is to come up with a longer-term contract. Mike...

Ned Allard will judge the upcoming Maryland Horse Breeders' Association's 89th Yearling Show. Open to all yearlings eligible for Maryland-bred registration, the show will be held July 23 at the Maryland State Fairgrounds' Horse Show Ring in Timonium. A native of Tenafly, N.J, Allard got his start in the business working for trainer George Handy in New England in the late 1950s. In 1970, he opened his own stable at the now-defunct Lincoln Downs in Rhode Island. Among the notable horses trained by Allard is racing Hall of Famer Mom's...

A few hours after the Maryland Jockey Club (MJC), which operates Laurel Park, put out a statement in which it said it had concluded "that there were no issues with the track and that it is safe to race and train," the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (MTHA) and the Maryland Horse Breeders' Association sent a joint email to Maryland Racing Commission Chairman Michael Algeo calling into question the safety of the track and calling the current situation a "catastrophic emergency." There have been off-and-on concerns about the main track at...