Bill Knauf Leads New Non-Profit

The Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority Sept. 16 announced that industry leader Bill Knauf, who currently serves as Vice President of Business Development at Monmouth Park in New Jersey, will head the new non-profit entity that will chart the future of Thoroughbred racing and wagering operations in Maryland.

Following a national search, Knauf was chosen to serve as the inaugural President and General Manager of The Maryland Jockey Club Inc., the new 501(c)(4) organization. Knauf was on site at Laurel Park Sept. 24 and said he plans to be at Laurel regularly through the fall as he prepares to officially begin his new job at the first of the year. He currently serves as a consultant to the MTROA.

“Maryland racing has a storied history, and the passion of everyone from horsemen to fans runs deep,” Knauf said. “I look forward to helping drive the evolution of Pimlico Race Course and the Preakness. I’d like to thank Chairman Greg Cross, Executive Director Marc Broady, Acting Chief Executive Officer Corey Johnsen and the MTROA Board for this exciting and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I also thank Dennis Drazin, Chairman of Monmouth Park, and the great leadership team I worked with for the last 26 years. Monmouth will always remain special to me.”

In 2007, Knauf was the primary contact with the Breeders’ Cup for the 2007 two-day championship event at Monmouth. Most recently, he was directly involved in the presentation of the Haskell Stakes, one of the nation’s top 3-year-old races which drew more than 38,000 fans this year.

A native of Schenectady, N.Y., and a graduate of Tufts University and the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program, Knauf began working at Monmouth in 1998 and has held a variety of positions with increasing responsibility. He now oversees all operational areas as well as the sports book for a facility that is a premier racetrack and entertainment destination in the Northeast.

Knauf will become a key leadership figure overseeing newly revised racing operations in Maryland—part of a historic $400 million investment in facilities approved by the Maryland General Assembly and Gov. Wes Moore. In his new role, Knauf also will develop and implement plans for catering, entertainment, events and more at Pimlico, helping fulfill a plan intended to create a hub of economic activity in Baltimore’s Park Heights community.

Maryland racing will be conducted at Laurel Park until renovations at Pimlico are complete. However, the 2025 Preakness Stakes--the 150th running of the race--will be held at Pimlico, and the 2026 event will be held at Laurel.

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