Tim Salzman, longtime Maryland trainer, passes at age 54

Tim Salzman, the Maryland-based trainer from a well-established family of trainers, passed away February 7 after battling a long illness. He was 54.

Salzman, son of John Salzman Sr. and brother of John Salzman Jr., began training in 2003 and was one-for-one that year, Through November 2025, he had amassed 425 wins, 404 seconds and 406 thirds for total earnings in excess of $10 million.

In addition to winning his first start as a trainer, he won the last three races of his career when the popular turf runner Where’s Ray won consecutive starter allowance events at Laurel Park, two in October and one in November.

“For those of you who know my brother Timmy, he fought cancer for a long time and he didn’t give in, but he couldn’t answer the bell for the last round,” John Jr. said in a message notifying the backstretch community at Laurel. “The dear Lord stopped the fight. Rest in peace brother, I love you.”

The message drew numerous responses of condolence from the Maryland backstretch community.

Tim Salzman trained the Cloverleaf Farms homebred filly Bsharpsonata, a winner of almost $600,000, for most of her racing career. She won five stakes for Salzman including two Grade II events, the Forward Gal and the Davona Dale at Gulfstream, as a 3-year-old.

A maiden special weight winner in her first career start at Delaware Park the previous year, Bsharpsonata went on to finish second in the Grade I Ashland Stakes at Keeneland and fifth in the Grade I Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs under Salzman’s tutelage.

Another of his top runners was the turf sprinter Sensible Lady, who has a stakes named for her at Laurel. She began her career as a 2-year-old racing on the dirt at Timonium and Charles Town with success, but as a 3- and 4-year-old Salzman switched her to the turf.

Sensible Lady won six stakes, including The Very One at Pimlico in 2012-13 and the Coronation Cup at Saratoga. She won the Buckland Stakes at Colonial Downs in her final start with Salzman and later retired with more than $436,000 in earnings.

The Salzman-trained Kosmo’s Buddy, a filly who defeated males in the 2008 Maryland Million Turf Sprint at Laurel Park, was a multiple stakes-placed winner of almost $300,000 in her career and won all of her races under Salzman’s care. As a broodmare in 2015 she produced the Maryland-bred colt Knicks Go, who went on to be honored as national Horse of the Year in 2021. He also was recognized as Maryland-bred Horse of the Year in 2018, 2020 and 2021 and also earned divisional honors in his home state.

John Sr., who began his career as a trainer in 1978, stepped away from training in May 2025. He trained the talented filly Xtra Heat, who won 25 of 36 starts, was champion 3-year-old fillly of 2021, and in 2015 was inducted in the Racing Hall of Fame. The family of trainers thus far has won a combined total of more than 1,500 races.

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