Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association

Northview Stallion Station Joins As Partner With Beyond The Wire

Details: 03 Dec

Northview Stallion Station, located in Chesapeake City, Md., has partnered with Beyond The Wire to provide financial assistance for “sanctuary” horses—retired Thoroughbred racehorses that cannot move on to second careers. It is a major step forward for Maryland’s Thoroughbred aftercare program.

Northview, which stands nine stallions including Great Notion, the current leading stallion in Maryland, was launched in 1989 by the late Richard Golden, Dr. Tom Bowman, and the late Allaire DuPont. For the past few years, Golden’s son, Michael, has overseen operations at the farm. David Wade, General Manager of Northview, said Michael Golden has had a passion for retired racehorses and was looking for mechanism to generate financial support for them.

Aftercare Funding Initiative Beginning Jan. 1

Details: 03 Dec

The Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association Board of Directors recently approved an initiative designed to increase funding for the Beyond The Wire aftercare program.

Effective Jan. 1, 2022, pending review from the Maryland Racing Commission, there will be an assessment of 1.5% on the price of a claimed horse at Maryland racetracks. For example, the new owner or ownership group that claims a horse for $10,000 would pay a $150 assessment that would be used to support racehorses accepted by Beyond The Wire.

December 2021 Newsletter Available

Details: 02 Dec

The December 2021 edition of the Horsemen's Newsletter is now online and available for download. To view this edition click here

The Horsemen's Newsletter is published monthly by the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association and is mailed to licensed owners and trainers in the state of Maryland.

450 free Thanksgiving dinners served at Laurel, Pimlico

Details: 25 Nov

About 450 backstretch workers and trainers, along with some members of the Maryland Jockey Club staff, were treated to a free full Thanksgiving dinner at Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course on Thursday, Nov. 25.

The tradition of providing Thanksgiving dinner sponsored by the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association and provided by the Paz family began decades ago in Maryland. This year's meal featured turkey along with stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beens and corn. The MJC, which distributes apple and pumpkin pies to patrons during the Thanksgiving Day racing program, provided free full pies of choice for those who visited the two track kitchens for meals.

The dinners were served from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The MJC each year also offers a free Christmas Day breakfast at Laurel and Pimlico in partnership with the Paz family, which operates both track kitchens.

Fidelity First initial sponsor of new groom recognition program

Details: 24 Nov

Fidelity First Home Mortgage, based in Annapolis, Md., is the initial sponsor for a new groom recognition program that begins Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 25, at Laurel Park.

The Maryland Jockey Club is partnering with the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association to implement a Best Turned Out Award to honor the unsung heroes of racing. For each race on every live racing day beginning Nov. 25, the groom of the best turned out horse will be awarded a $25 gift card and recognized on television and simulcast broadcasts and by track announcer Dave Rodman. On Thanksgiving Day, winners will be awarded a $100 gift card provided by sponsor Fidelity First.

Dan Eubanks, a longtime Thoroughbred owner in Maryland and President of Fidelity First, said the company was happy to help launch the new program.

New corticosteroid regulation now in effect

Details: 24 Nov

The Maryland Racing Commission's equine drug-testing laboratory is now employing limit of detection—the lowest level a lab can confidently determine that a substance is in a sample—for five corticosteroids. The updated regulation took effect Nov. 1.

The five corticosteroids are dexamethasone, prednisolone, betamethasone, isoflupredone and triamcinolone. The current 14-day stand-down period for intra-articular injections
will remain in place under 2019 model rules approved by the Association of Racing Commissioners International and Racing Medication and Testing Consortium.

The MRC Equine Health, Safety and Welfare Advisory Committee discussed the proposed changes during a Sept. 8 meeting as a result of several dexamethasone positives and
reports the corticosteroid was being regularly administered by some veterinarians at 48 hours before a race at a lower dose rather than the RMTC-recommended 72-hour withdrawal time at the regular dose.

The MRC approved the regulation, which went through an emergency approval process, later in September.