FEBRUARY 11, 2020 GUINNESS OPEN GATE BREWERY Evening Schedule 5:00 – 6:00 COCKTAILS 6:00 – 9:00 AWARDS / DINNER
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FEBRUARY 11, 2020 GUINNESS OPEN GATE BREWERY EVENING SCHEDULE 5:00 – 6:00 COCKTAILS 6:00 – 9:00 AWARDS / DINNER ABOUT THE TROPHIES When the best of Maryland racing and breeding is celebrated this evening at the third annual Renaissance Awards, the recipients will be handed a trophy – a striking bronze of an exquisite Thoroughbred head – specifically created by artist Peggy Kauffman. Kauffman (left), an accomplished horsewoman, has been a portrait artist of more than 30 years who works in bronze sculpture and pastel painting. In addition to her portraiture, she has created trophies that are presented at Fair Hill Races, and for horse show events in New York. MHBA Executive Director Cricket Goodall had seen the work of Kauffman on display at a benefit and reached out to her about creating a Renaissance Awards trophy. 1 The bronze is approximately 11 inches long, 3 ⁄2 inches wide and 1 8 ⁄2 inches high, though a 2-inch base adds to its height. Kauffman has her bronzes cast at New Arts Foundry in Baltimore, which uses the lost wax casing process. It can take months from the time a piece of art in its clay form arrives at the foundry until the bronze is finished. Design and size are among the factors. Kauffman, who made the six-hour trip to Baltimore from her home in Millerton, N.Y., to oversee much of the process, launched her career as an artist by first going to art school in New York before taking courses at the Maryland Institute College of Art, but noted her main education was “when I worked and rode for a (show) horse dealer in New York state for years.” She had competed professionally with show and event horses. While she no longer rides, Kauffman has owned off-the-track Thoroughbreds, one a son of Affirmed. “I’ve always been partial to them – that’s what I grew up with and always had,” she said. “When you work for a horse dealer for that length of time and see all the horses coming in, you know exactly how a horse is put together to make it most suitable for a certain discipline–who would be a dressage horse, an event horse. that is the mainstay of my education.” A Celebration of Maryland Racing THE RENAISSANCE AWARDS CHARITIES Proceeds from Renaissance Awards ticket sales go to support the work of Beyond The Wire, the Maryland Racing Media Association and the Maryland Horse Industry Foundation. Beyond The Wire, Maryland’s Thoroughbred aftercare program, was launched in May 2017 and since then almost 250 horses have gone through the program. Beyond The Wire receives dedicated funding from the Maryland MARYLAND THOROUGHBRED AFTERCARE Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, Maryland Horse Breeders Association, Maryland Jockey Club, racehorse owners and jockeys. The program works with Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance-accredited farms to re-home and train horses for second careers. MRMA was organized in 1937 under the name “Maryland Racing Writers’ Association” and today includes professionals involved in disseminating information about horse racing in various forms of media—print, digital, photography, radio and television. The organization presents awards each year to recognize excellence in the racing and breeding industry in Maryland and is one of several industry groups that combine to provide educational scholarships each year. The MHIF was chartered in 1988 by the MHBA to serve the various educational and charitable needs of Maryland’s horse industry, along with maintaining and expanding the Maryland Horse reference library. Since 2016, the MHIF has launched three educational programs: the Maryland Thoroughbred Career Program, Work Experience Program, and the Career Exploration Series. The programs give equine-inclined youth insights and inroads to the variety of job opportunities within Maryland’s horse industry. Ultimately, the MHIF partners with individuals and organizations to provide experiences that attract and retain high quality individuals who will lead the Maryland horse industry into the future. The MHIF is nonprofit and tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; contributions and gifts are fully tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. MARYLAND HORSE BREEDERS ASSOCIATION Since 1929 YOUR HOSTS FOR THE EVENING This year’s Renaissance Awards program will be co-hosted by Dave Rodman and Ashley Mailloux. Rodman, the “Voice of Maryland Racing,” has been the full-time announcer at Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course since 1991. He has called the Maryland Jockey Club’s marquee events: the Preakness Stakes, Black-Eyed Susan Stakes, Pimlico Special, Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash and the Maryland Million program held each fall. Rodman also served as announcer at Colonial Downs from 1997-2014, when the MJC and Virginia track had an operating agreement. With 39 years of announcing experience, the native of New Orleans served as announcer at Jefferson Downs (1981-1984), Louisiana Downs (1985- 1991), and has called races at Fair Grounds Race Course and Evangeline Downs. Beyond the announcer’s booth, his duties have included on-air racing analyst, hosting race replay shows, emcee of live telecasts of the Preakness post-position draw, and he assisted the media relations department in various Preakness-related diplomatic duties. Mailloux first fell in love with horse racing as a toddler while attending the races with her parents at Fort Erie Race Track in Canada. She soon found herself traveling to different tracks across North America and so far, has visited more than 40. Originally from Buffalo, N.Y., Mailloux attended Transylvania University in Kentucky and completed her B.A. in Mathematics in 2016. Two years later she graduated with a Master of Science in Applied Mathematics from the University of Dayton. During that time, she assisted several trainers who shipped in to Churchill Downs and Keeneland and was featured as a guest handicapper. In the summer of 2018, she started as the racing analyst for Fort Erie while working a full-time job outside of racing. Mailloux has worked for the MJC for several stakes weekends, including the 2019 Preakness, and for HRRN for the Queen’s Plate and Breeders’ Cup. Mailloux has been part of the coverage team on TVG for the Maryland Million and has provided analysis and post-race interviews for major Standardbred racing events. A Celebration of Maryland Racing PIMLICO BACKSTRETCH EMPLOyee OF THE YeaR URIZAR VELAZQUEZ Urizar “Uri” Velazquez, who assists trainer Brandon McFarlane with his shedrow, was selected the MTHA Backstretch Employee of the Year at Pimlico Race Course for 2019. Velazquez, a 27-year-old native of Mexico, began working with Thoroughbreds for Mark Casse in Florida as a teenager and landed his first exercise- riding job with top consignor Eddie Woods. He later worked as an exercise rider for Sagamore Farm and then trainer Dane Kobiskie in Maryland. Velazquez won his first race as a jockey at Laurel Park in August 2018 and a few more races at the Maryland State Fair at Timonium before suffering an injury that has kept him from riding. Velazquez, who hopes to eventually ride again, has a passion not only for horses but in assisting those on the backstretch in times of need and, being bilingual, makes himself available as a translator. LAUREL BACKSTRETCH EMPLOyee OF THE YeaR TROY SINGH Troy Singh, who has served as assistant trainer in the Claudio Gonzalez barn for the past four years, was selected the MTHA Backstretch Employee of the Year at Laurel Park. Singh, a 38-year-old native of Guyana, took an interesting path to his job – he was a racehorse owner who became so interested in being around the horses that he went to work for Gonzalez, whom he met at Monmouth Park when Gonzalez claimed a horse for him. Singh owned 12 horses trained by Gonzalez at the Bowie Training Center before it closed. One of his horses, Never Stop Looking, won the Fire Plug Stakes at Laurel in 2015. Singh, who is proud of the fact the Gonzalez barn topped the Maryland trainer standings by wins again in 2019, ensures the operation runs smoothly by overseeing grooms and other employees, and handling the paperwork. MARYLAND HORSE BREEDERS ASSOCIATION Since 1929 MARYLAND-BRED 2YO MALE FINALISTS LADDIE LIAM Golden Lad—Buffgirl, by Quiet American Foaled at Dark Hollow Farm, Upperco Breeder: Hillwood Stables Owner: Joseph E. Besecker Trainer: Hugh I. McMahon Laddie Liam broke his maiden in his second start in September, which set the stage for a strong fall at Laurel Park. He followed up with a third in the Maryland Million Nursery Stakes and then completed his season with an allowance victory and an impressive win in the Maryland Juvenile Futurity. He earned $128,556 in five starts in 2019. MONDAY MORNING QB Imagining—How My Heart Works, by Not For Love Foaled at Dance Forth at Roland Farm, Warwick Breeder: Bowman and Higgins Stable and Cary Frommer Owner: Cash is King LLC and LC Racing LLC Trainer: Robert E. Reid Jr. Monday Morning Qb left an impression in only three starts in 2019. After finishing second in his debut at Parx Racing in October, he easily won his second start at Parx and then shipped to Laurel Park for the Heft Stakes in December. The Maryland-bred won the open stakes by three- quarters of a length to end the year with $105,000 in earnings. OURNATIONONPARADE Cal Nation—Parade of Colors, by Leading the Parade Foaled at Country Life Farm, Bel Air Breeder: John E. Williamson III Owner: Reeves Thoroughbred Racing Trainer: T. Bernard Houghton Ournationonparade just missed winning his debut in September at Laurel Park, but his effort was so impressive an offer was made and breeder Jay Williamson opted to sell the gelding.