2017 MTHA BOARD OF DIRECTORS CANDIDATE PROFILES

2017 MTHA BOARD OF DIRECTORS CANDIDATE PROFILES Owners Trainers JoAnn Hayden...... 4 Hugh I. McMahon...... 12 Mark B. Lapidus ...... 4 Kieron B. Magee...... 12 Daniel G. Eubanks...... 5 Gina A. Rosenthal ...... 13 Stephen D. O’Neill...... 5 Katharine M. Voss...... 13 Edward M. Buxbaum ...... 6 Dale Capuano...... 14 Linda S. Gaudet ...... 6 Jonathan Maldonado...... 14 Michael F. Horning...... 7 Mark D. Shuman...... 15 Christine E. Bricker...... 7 John J. Robb ...... 15 Lawrence M. Smith...... 8 Michael J. Trombetta ...... 16 Robert T. Manfuso...... 8 H. Graham Motion ...... 16 Ellen M. Charles...... 9 Claudio Gonzalez...... 17 Stewart A. Nickel ...... 9 Timothy L. Keefe ...... 17 Louis J. Ulman...... 10 A. Ferris Allen III...... 18 Charles J. “Chip” Reed...... 10 Philip B. Schoenthal ...... 18 R. Larry Johnson...... 11

The order candidate’s names appear in this booklet and on the ballot are chosen at random. JOANN HAYDEN owner DANIEL G. EUBANKS owner

JoAnn Hayden co-owns the picturesque Dark Hollow and Safely Home Farms in Upperco with her husband, David. The Dan Eubanks got hooked on Thoroughbred racing at the age of 10 through his parents’ racehorse, Hillbizon, who won first generation horsewoman plays an active role in the operation of both farms, which total 135 acres. the 1980 Annapolis Handicap at Bowie Race Course. His first successful claim, Darling’s Bid, went on to finish second in Hayden has been breeding and racing Thoroughbreds for more than 40 years. She has bred or co-bred more than 50 the 1999 Toes Knows Stakes at . stakes horses, including 17 graded stakes runners, of which nine were graded stakes winners. Three won Grade 1 The tradition continues today. Danny My Boy, claimed and trained by his mother, Annette, has won multiple races this stakes: Poseidon’s Warrior (Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap in 2012), Homeboykris (Champagne Stakes in 2009) and year, including an allowance event, for the new connections. (Breeders’ Cup Sprint in 1990 and Test Stakes in 1989). Eubanks, an executive with Fidelity First who resides in Arnold, said there are many positive things going on in Safely Kept won 24 of 31 races – 12 of them graded stakes – and was named champion sprinter in 1989 and was racing, but he listed important issues he believes need attention. inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 2011. He said claiming rules “are outdated and discourage new owners from entering our sport,” and that the “obsolete rules have also sent some of our top Hayden taught in the Baltimore County school system for 32 years. She has four horses in training – two of her own and two in partnership – and owns owners to other states.” or co-owns nine mares, nine yearlings, 10 sucklings and 10 stallion shares. Eubanks said the condition book must be consistent and favorable, and that races should appear in the book every three weeks rather than every two Currently a member of the MTHA board, Hayden is actively committed to supporting the aftercare of racehorses and finding them homes when their weeks. careers are over, and is proud of the MTHA’s new Beyond The Wire program that she takes an active role in. “This is not feasible for consistently running a horse,” he said. “If the races were run every three weeks, they would fill more often and it would be “In a national arena of industry gloom and doom, I feel there is reason for real optimism in Maryland,” Hayden said, noting that the 10-year agreement much more beneficial to the horses’ health and longevity.” that guarantees live racing days, video lottery terminal revenue for purses, and incentives and facility improvements “have finally provided us with credi- Eubanks credited ownership and management for the improvements to the clubhouse and grandstand at Laurel Park and construction of new barns, bility and stability, allowing horse owners and breeders to have hope for the future.” but said housing for backstretch workers also needs to be upgraded. “I believe the number one challenge facing Maryland racing is the danger posed by the threat of losing slots revenue that is fueling our revitalization,” “The hot walkers, grooms and riders that take such excellent care of our horses every day need to be taken care of as well,” he said. “We also need to Hayden said. “We need to demonstrate to our legislators in Annapolis that the Maryland Jockey Club, MTHA and Maryland Horse Breeders Association address the neglected condition of older barns in use. I would relish the opportunity to help improve the backstretch for the workers and our horses.” are working together to put the entire industry first, and that slots revenue is vital for continued growth. He noted the recent launch of the Beyond The Wire aftercare program and said it “must continue to be a focus of the MTHA and all horsemen.” “I will work diligently with all parties to ensure that the newly found harmony prevails. We need to go to Annapolis with one voice.” Eubanks also said he’d like to see even more emphasis on cultivating new patrons. He said Fantasy Owner’s Day and other special events are positive, Hayden said the MTHA has fostered consensus among stakeholders in Maryland, has taken the lead with the Horsemen’s Health System for licensees, but also suggested twilight racing on Fridays in the summer be revisited and marketed to attract businesses and their employees, and that Sundays created an expedited purse release program for owners, and is actively pursuing programs to attract new owners. should be used to promote family outings to the track complete with barbecue stations, picnic tables and a playground for children.

MARK B. LAPIDUS owner STEPHEN D. O’NEILL owner

Unlike those who claim they were “born at the racetrack” because of all the time they’ve spent there, Mark Lapidus Steve O’Neill works in the health care industry, but he also has a long history of involvement in the Maryland actually was born in a home on Hayward Ave. The grounds now serve as a parking lot for Pimlico Race Course. Thoroughbred racing industry. Lapidus, who began his career in racing walking hots when he was a teen, has been a Thoroughbred owner for many O’Neill, who is from Ellicott City, is president of Delmarva Healthcare Solutions, a national surgery center development years. He currently stables his horses at Laurel Park with trainer Emanuel “Mike” Geralis. and management company, and co-founder of Total Anesthesia Solutions, a national ownership and management com- Lapidus owns Service for Ten, a Virginia-bred who has won 10 of 34 starts and has earned more than $429,000. The pany for anesthesia practices. gelding has won two stakes and finished second or third in three graded sprint stakes in Maryland: the Maryland Sprint O’Neill moved from his hometown to purchase and develop Clover Hill Farm in Woodbine with his wife, Shannon. It was Handicap twice and General George Stakes. a natural move given the fact O’Neill’s family has been involved in racing in Maryland since 1957, when there were three Other horses owned by Lapidus were Gala Lil Stakes winner My Marchesa, a filly who placed in other stakes; and Let Me Be Frank, a Maryland-bred major racetracks and an active fair circuit still in operation. gelding who won 23 of 113 starts, including the Maryland Million Starter Handicap at Laurel. “Growing up in a racing family, I have seen the highs and lows of Maryland racing first hand,” O’Neill said. “I believe my extensive financial and man- Lapidus earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Maryland, College of Business and Public Administration. He also earned a Juris agement experience would be an asset to the MTHA and its members.” Doctor degree from the University of Baltimore School of Law. Among the horses raced by Clover Hill Farm are Who Needs, a filly who competed in allowance and stakes; the gelding Hughes Next, who finished third Lapidus, who said he likes to “think outside the box,” is semi-retired but still walks hots at the barn. He said “the economic survival of small-time own- in the 2012 Stakes at Laurel Park and regularly competed in allowance races in Maryland; and Parade of Colors, an allowance winner at ers and trainers” concerns him, and that other major issues for racing in the state are stall allocations, Thoroughbred aftercare, and workers’ compen- Laurel. sation programs. O’Neill said he recognizes the progress in Maryland since the 10-year agreement was signed but believes the industry must continually work to improve the business. “Although racing in Maryland has seen a resurgence over the last couple of years, there remains many challenges,” he said. O’Neill said racing three days for the most part of the year creates economic difficulties for owners and trainers even though Maryland racing receives a percentage of casino video lottery terminal revenue for purses. He also said a “heavy concentration of turf races and low-level claiming races” creates a hardship for owners and horsemen. “I would like to use my industry knowledge and experience to help solve these and other issues facing our trainers and fellow owners,” he said.

4 Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association DANIEL G. EUBANKS owner

Dan Eubanks got hooked on Thoroughbred racing at the age of 10 through his parents’ racehorse, Hillbizon, who won the 1980 Annapolis Handicap at Bowie Race Course. His first successful claim, Darling’s Bid, went on to finish second in the 1999 Toes Knows Stakes at Laurel Park. The tradition continues today. Danny My Boy, claimed and trained by his mother, Annette, has won multiple races this year, including an allowance event, for the new connections. Eubanks, an executive with Fidelity First who resides in Arnold, said there are many positive things going on in Maryland racing, but he listed important issues he believes need attention. He said claiming rules “are outdated and discourage new owners from entering our sport,” and that the “obsolete rules have also sent some of our top owners to other states.” Eubanks said the condition book must be consistent and favorable, and that races should appear in the book every three weeks rather than every two weeks. “This is not feasible for consistently running a horse,” he said. “If the races were run every three weeks, they would fill more often and it would be much more beneficial to the horses’ health and longevity.” Eubanks credited ownership and management for the improvements to the clubhouse and grandstand at Laurel Park and construction of new barns, but said housing for backstretch workers also needs to be upgraded. “The hot walkers, grooms and riders that take such excellent care of our horses every day need to be taken care of as well,” he said. “We also need to address the neglected condition of older barns in use. I would relish the opportunity to help improve the backstretch for the workers and our horses.” He noted the recent launch of the Beyond The Wire aftercare program and said it “must continue to be a focus of the MTHA and all horsemen.” Eubanks also said he’d like to see even more emphasis on cultivating new patrons. He said Fantasy Owner’s Day and other special events are positive, but also suggested twilight racing on Fridays in the summer be revisited and marketed to attract businesses and their employees, and that Sundays should be used to promote family outings to the track complete with barbecue stations, picnic tables and a playground for children.

STEPHEN D. O’NEILL owner

Steve O’Neill works in the health care industry, but he also has a long history of involvement in the Maryland Thoroughbred racing industry. O’Neill, who is from Ellicott City, is president of Delmarva Healthcare Solutions, a national surgery center development and management company, and co-founder of Total Anesthesia Solutions, a national ownership and management com- pany for anesthesia practices. O’Neill moved from his hometown to purchase and develop Clover Hill Farm in Woodbine with his wife, Shannon. It was a natural move given the fact O’Neill’s family has been involved in racing in Maryland since 1957, when there were three major racetracks and an active fair circuit still in operation. “Growing up in a racing family, I have seen the highs and lows of Maryland racing first hand,” O’Neill said. “I believe my extensive financial and man- agement experience would be an asset to the MTHA and its members.” Among the horses raced by Clover Hill Farm are Who Needs, a filly who competed in allowance and stakes; the gelding Hughes Next, who finished third in the 2012 Broad Brush Stakes at Laurel Park and regularly competed in allowance races in Maryland; and Parade of Colors, an allowance winner at Laurel. O’Neill said he recognizes the progress in Maryland since the 10-year agreement was signed but believes the industry must continually work to improve the business. “Although racing in Maryland has seen a resurgence over the last couple of years, there remains many challenges,” he said. O’Neill said racing three days for the most part of the year creates economic difficulties for owners and trainers even though Maryland racing receives a percentage of casino video lottery terminal revenue for purses. He also said a “heavy concentration of turf races and low-level claiming races” creates a hardship for owners and horsemen. “I would like to use my industry knowledge and experience to help solve these and other issues facing our trainers and fellow owners,” he said.

Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association 5 EDWARD M. BUXBAUM owner Edward Buxbaum is a partner at Whiteford, Taylor & Preston, LLP, where he has practiced law for the past 33 years. He chairs the firm’s business and corporate litigation group, and devotes a significant portion of his practice to matters involving proper corporate governance. Buxbaum is a 1980 graduate of Tufts University, and earned his law degree from American University in 1984. Buxbaum has also served on numerous Board of Directors with various charitable and civic organizations in Baltimore, including the Public Justice Center and the Baltimore County Police Athletic League. Buxbaum resides in Baltimore County with his wife, and is the father of two. A lifelong resident of Baltimore, he grew up about 10 minutes from Pimlico and first fell in love with racing in 1973 when, along with the rest of the country, he got swept up in the excitement of Secretariat’s charge to the Triple Crown. Buxbaum just attended his 44th consecutive Preakness. One of Buxbaum’s “bucket list” items was to someday own a Thoroughbred and in 2010, he joined Big Bertha Stable. The stable, whose trainer is Damon Dilodovico, is a claiming operation that currently owns several horses, including Liar’s Dice, who is one of the leading Maryland-bred money earners in 2017. Big Bertha Stable previously owned Brenda’s Way (now retired and in foal), a $15,000 claim who went on to earn $250,000 for the stable before her retirement in early 2017, and brought Big Bertha its first stakes win in the 2015 Geisha Stakes at Pimlico. As a longstanding supporter of Maryland racing, Buxbaum believes there are a number of significant issues facing Maryland racing, including the preservation of Pimlico, the fair application of uniform medication standards, the need to continue to allow race-day Lasix in order to keep otherwise sound horses racing, maintaining sufficient racing dates in the state, continuing to work to ensure reasonable living conditions for backstretch workers and developing and continuing programs – like the “Fantasy Owner’s Day” – that seek to spark greater interest among the “next generation” of racing fans. Such programs are critical in cultivating new fans of racing sufficient to support the industry going forward, and Buxbaum would very much like to actively participate on the MTHA Board in order to make a significant impact in the ongoing effort to revitalize Maryland racing.

LINDA S. GAUDET owner Linda Gaudet, a member of the MTHA board since its inception, is involved in nearly every facet of Thoroughbred racing. She is one of the board’s most involved members dedicating numerous hours weekly to many of the behind the scenes work that benefits horsemen. She serves on the MTHA Medication Committee, Racing Committee, and Health and Welfare Committee, and is a direc- tor of the Maryland Horsemen’s Assistance Foundation. With the retirement of her husband, Edmond “Eddie” Gaudet, she took over training duties for the stable but in the past year has handed the reins over to one of her daughters, Lacey. Together they oversee a large public stable and are known as “Team Gaudet.” Her other daughter, Gabrielle “Gabby” Gaudet, is a handicapper and television host for the Maryland Jockey Club, and Saratoga Race Course. “I’m very proud that my daughters are continuing the family tradition and are a part of Maryland racing,” Gaudet said. The Gaudets, based at Laurel Park, also maintain a small breeding farm in Upper Marlboro. Linda Gaudet is a co-owner with Morris Bailey of numer- ous quality runners as well as multiple stakes winner Concealed Identity, who captured the Federico Tesio Stakes in 2011 and made a start in the . Brought up in a military family, Gaudet lived in many different places during her childhood, but her devotion to horses remained constant. She rode show hunters in her youth and attended the University of Kentucky. Gaudet, a longtime member of the MTHA Board, said her priorities going forward are similar to those she has had for many years. Gaudet said the MTHA must ensure racing days and racing opportunities continue to grow in Maryland as part of an ongoing revitalization that began with the 10-year deal hammered out by all stakeholders. She also wants to be sure equine medication policies and testing are truly uniform for the benefit of all horsemen. Gaudet also said the welfare of backstretch workers is paramount, and that backstretch improvements should remain a focal point of the racing indus- try in Maryland.

6 Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association MICHAEL F. HORNING owner

Michael Horning’s family has been actively involved in breeding and racing horses in Maryland for almost 50 years. His late father, breeder-owner Larry Sr., served on the MTHA board as an owner representative, while his brother, Larry Jr., was a licensed Maryland trainer for more than 30 years. A graduate of John Carroll University with a degree in accounting, Horning is a CPA who became audit senior manager at Touche Ross. For the past 30 years, he has been the chief financial officer at two different property and casualty insurance companies. Horning is married to Debbie (Komlo) Horning, daughter of longtime Maryland trainer William Komlo, and they race their horses as M and D Stable. The couple, who live in Potomac and have three grown children, have nine horses in training, two broodmares and four young horses – all Maryland-breds. Two homebreds were stakes winners in 2016 – Eyeplayeveryday and Debbie’s Tude – and If I Was a Boy was stakes-placed earlier this year. Elected in 2011, Horning said he’s proud to have been a member of the MTHA Board that struck the 10-year agreement with the Maryland Jockey Club and is pleased with the industry unity that has developed between the track owners, breeders and MTHA. He said he will continue to lobby the board for more openness and better communication on issues that affect MTHA members. As Chairman of the MTHA Finance Committee, Horning has directed the oversight of the annual financial statement audit, reviewed the annual IRS Form 990 filings, devel- oped an investment policy statement for investment of the association’s funds, and is overseeing the selection process of an investment adviser for the MTHA’s investments and those of the backstretch and employee pension plans. Horning said the primary challenge for Maryland racing continues to be attempts to divert legislated video lottery terminal revenue away from the Thoroughbred racing industry to other government programs, and that the unified industry front before lawmakers in Annapolis is critical to maintaining the revenue stream. “In other nearby states where gaming revenues are an important part of the horseracing industry, changing economic and political forces have targeted funds that were legislatively designated for our industry to other politically motivated uses,” Horning said. He believes other very important issues for the Maryland industry include growing the owner and fan bases, ensuring the welfare and safety of the jockeys and our 00 athletes through proper maintenance and repair of the racing surfaces, providing reasonable living conditions and extracurricular activities for backstretch workers, and ensuring an effective aftercare program for retired Thoroughbreds.

CHRISTINE E. BRICKER owner

Chris Bricker, a current MTHA board member first elected in 2011, has been particularly active in the creation of Beyond The Wire, Maryland’s expanded aftercare program. Bricker is the current chair of the MTHA Aftercare Committee, which devised the previous aftercare program for retired Thoroughbred racehorses in the state. Beyond The Wire expanded that effort however, and has committed funding from three groups – the MTHA, Maryland Jockey Club and Maryland Horse Breeders Association – as well as per start con- tributions from horse owners and jockeys. “The Aftercare Committee has been working on this for two years, and we always knew that once we raised the per- start fee and got buy-in from the three organizations for committed funding, that gave us the foundation so we could do something like this,” said Bricker, who is a member of the Beyond the Wire Board. “It was exciting being instrumental in the creation of Beyond The Wire. This really fills a huge need in our industry and our goal is to lead the way in Maryland.” A native of Baltimore who lives in Catonsville, Bricker is an engineer for Northrop Grumman and has been a racing fan for as long as she can remem- ber, having been introduced to the sport by her father. She became involved in racing through partnerships at Country Life Farm in Maryland, became an owner in 1997 and is now a small breeder who focuses on the Maryland-bred program. “I wanted to be a part of the Maryland-bred program, and I’m an owner who breeds to race,” Bricker said. Bricker said she wants to continue the goodwill that has sprung from the relationship among the MTHA, MJC and MHBA that has moved Maryland rac- ing forward the years since the 10-year Agreement was signed. She said it’s important to ensure the program by which a percentage of revenue from casino video lottery terminals is protected. “I think we’re on the right path to grow the fan base here, and we’ve got to make sure we continue on that path,” Bricker said. In 2001 Bricker received the MTHA Outstanding Service to Maryland Horsemen Award and has consistently assisted the MTHA each Thanksgiving when dinner is served to backstretch workers and their families during the holiday season. She is a member of the MTHA Backstretch Committee and said she wants to make sure backstretch employees at Pimlico Race Course are always included in various programs.

Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association 7 LAWRENCE M. SMITH owner

At 52 years of age, Larry Smith said he possesses everything he’ll need to be an insightful and constructive MTHA board member. A lifelong Marylander, Smith caught the racing bug when his family moved to Timonium in 1976. Two years later, he was mucking stalls for H. Bruce Fenwick out by the Maryland Hunt Cup Course learning how to gallop Thoroughbreds. In high school, Smith dreamed of training racehorses for the “big race” using methods that were supported by science, so he applied to Cornell University where he graduated with a Bachelor in Animal Science and a minor in Agricultural Economics. Simultaneously drawn to the values and calling of the United States Army, Smith completed basic training the summer after high school. Four years later, he left Cornell as a Second Lieutenant, finally retiring from the Army as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2013 after a career that featured deployments to Afghanistan, South Korea and the Joint Staff at the Pentagon. Smith’s training career began after stints at Sagamore Farm, where he worked with yearlings, and many years under the tutelage of Hall of Fame train- er Thomas H. Voss, for whom he was an assistant. As a public trainer from 1989 to 2005, Smith won 283 flat races along with a few steeplechase races at hunt meets. His favorite trainee was Big Big Affair, a mare he claimed at Laurel for $6,500 who then went on to place in a graded stakes and earn more than $226,000 before being sold at auction as a broodmare prospect. Today, Smith oversees matings of three broodmares and syndicates their offspring as Managing Partner of Two Roads Stable. In 2012, Larry Smith received a Masters of Public Management degree from the University of Maryland School of Public Policy and later than year ran for Congress in Maryland. He currently is a Vice President at Belts Logistics Services, a prominent warehousing and logistics provider in Baltimore. Smith, who lives in Monkton, is recently engaged and the father of a 13-year-old son who attends Ridgely Middle School and is an avid baseball and basketball player.

ROBERT T. MANFUSO owner

Bob Manfuso is currently on the MTHA’s board of directors. He comes from a Maryland racing family (his father having been one of the founders of the HBPA), and has experience as an owner, breeder and racetrack operator. Manfuso owns Chanceland Farm in West Friendship in partnership with trainer Katy Voss. Chanceland is a large breed- ing, training and rehab facility and is also an active consignor at Maryland auctions. Manfuso has bred numerous graded stakes winners including Cathryn Sophia, winner of last year’s Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks, and Wiseman’s Ferry, sire of Wise Dan, who was voted Horse of the Year, champion older horse and champion turf horse in 2012 and 2013. He oversaw racing operations at Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course after his family and the late Frank De Francis pur- chased the tracks in the 1980s, an ownership team credited with reinvigorating Maryland racing during that decade. Manfuso remained active in the ownership and operation of Laurel and Pimlico until 1990. He was also a director of Pinnacle Entertainment Inc. (owner of Hollywood Park) from 1991 to 2002. On a national level, Manfuso is a past vice chairman of Breeders’ Cup Ltd. and has also served on the board of directors of Thoroughbred Charities of America since its inception. Locally, he is a former secretary/treasurer for the Maryland Horse Breeders Association and was a member of the Howard County Hospital board of directors from 2003 until 2013. Manfuso has said he “will strongly encourage the MTHA board to develop and maintain a proactive committee devoted to improving the owner experi- ence at the racetrack and recognizing those owners racing on any particular day.” He was actively involved with the organization of Fantasy Owner’s Day this past spring at Laurel Park.

8 Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association ELLEN M. CHARLES owner

Ellen Charles, who has operated a racing stable in Maryland since 2004, has a long history in Maryland racing as her mother bred and raced Thoroughbreds and her father was a steward at Maryland racetracks for many years. Charles, a current member of the MTHA board of directors, owns Hillwood Stable, which breeds and also purchases Thoroughbreds at auctions. Her racing stable is overseen by trainer Rodney Jenkins. Charles, who was named MTHA Owner of the Year for 2016, has about eight broodmares and supports two of her for- mer racehorses who went on to stallion careers. Bandbox, by leading sire Tapit, stands at Northview Stallion Station in Maryland. Bandbox, whose first crop are yearlings this year, won the $250,000 General George Handicap, a Grade 3 event, at Laurel Park in 2014 and earned $390,345 for Hillwood Stable in a 15-race career that included three other stakes wins and a second-place finish in the Grade 3 Maryland Sprint Handicap. Golden Years, by Not For Love, raced only five times but won three races, including the Maryland Million Nursery and Marylander Stakes for Charles. He was bred by O’Sullivan Farm in West Virginia and stood his first season at stud there this year. Hillwood is continuing its success this year with the 3-year-old filly Shimmering Aspen, who Charles purchased for $200,000 from the CandyLand con- signment at the Fasig-Tipton October yearling sale at Timonium. Trained by Jenkins, Shimmering Aspen, who most recently won the Alma North Stakes at Laurel Park, has four wins in six starts so far. Charles, who grew up in Howard County, Md., believes the signs point to a solid future for Thoroughbred racing and breeding in the state. “It’s very positive and very exciting,” Charles said. “I think we’re going to see a real resurgence in the Thoroughbred business in Maryland. The purses and the bonus system make it very attractive to people who race, and it’s really lucrative if you’re lucky enough to get a good one. Having a Maryland- bred is a gift that keeps on giving.” As a board member of the MTHA, Charles has advocated for more attention to racehorse aftercare and is a member of the board of Maryland’s new Beyond The Wire racehorse retirement program. She also has monitored the various improvements made at Laurel, both on the front site and in the barn area, and believes in continual efforts to make the racing experience more enjoyable for patrons and owners.

STEWART A. NICKEL owner

Stewart Nickel is the Managing Partner of Winners Circle Partners, which offers Thoroughbred racing partnerships for claiming horses and breeding partnerships with a primary focus on Maryland racing while also running at other regional tracks. Nickel has been a Maryland-based horseman for 26 years with experience owning, breeding and racing Thoroughbreds. Highlighted by two-time Maryland-bred champion Smart ’N Noble, a multiple graded stakes-winning mare with earnings of more than $500,000, he has more than 230 wins and $4.8 million in purses during his career as an owner. After co-founding and building a publicly-traded technology business over 11 years, Nickel left the technology industry and has been focusing primarily on Thoroughbred racing since 2002. In an effort to combine his passion for Thoroughbreds and the enjoyment of working with people and business experience, he founded Winners Circle Partners in 2004. A homebred partnership filly, Daylight Ahead, recently won the Jameela Stakes at Laurel, her fourth win in 10 starts. She is a daughter of another partnership runner, Seeking Options. Nickel, who was born and raised in Baltimore County and currently resides in Montgomery County, said more than 50 people have become Thoroughbred owners involved in Maryland by participating in his partnerships. He was a speaker on the subject during the Fantasy Owner’s Day earli- er this year at Laurel Park. Nickel said as a member of the MTHA Board he would like to offer “a balanced approach while considering the issues and goals and the feasibility of horsemen and track ownership to implement changes.” He said the most important issues facing racing in Maryland are strengthening the industry’s relationship with state lawmakers to ensure that video lottery terminal revenue isn’t diverted from ; having a balanced approach to all issues with equal consideration to owners, breeders, train- ers and track management; improving race conditions to expand opportunities for Maryland-based owners; having a continued emphasis on the MTHA backstretch and aftercare programs; and improving communication with horsemen.

Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association 9 LOUIS J. ULMAN owner Lou Ulman is a Baltimore native who developed an interest in Thoroughbred racing when his father took him to Pimlico Race Course when he was a child. He purchased his first horse in the mid-1980s and now has a stable of 12 horses, either owned personally or in partner- ship. Several of the top horses he has owned are Praise Heaven, Search for a Cure, and Fortunate Lance, all with trainer Dale Capuano. Ulman, who graduated from Dickinson College with a B.A. in Economics and Washington College of Law of the American University with a J.D. degree, practiced law in Maryland from 1970 to 2016 and is now involved in wealth management with WMS Partners. He moved in 1972 to Howard County; he and his wife, Diana, have two sons, Ken and Doug, and four grandchildren. He was a member of the Maryland Racing Commission for 12 years and served as chairman for several stints. He said his proudest moment was when the MRC rejected a request by The Stronach Group for 40 racing dates at Pimlico and none at Laurel Park, notwithstanding the risk that there could be no further Thoroughbred racing in Maryland. Ulman said the top three issues for Maryland racing are protecting the share of gaming proceeds allocated to the purse account; advocating for medi- cation rules that protect the integrity of racing and treat horsemen fairly; and ensuring there is a racing calendar that provides sufficient days for horse- men to stable and run year-round in the state. “As a member of the Commission I understood and represented horsemen’s interests in many areas,” Ulman said. “As an owner who purchases young horses and also claims horses, I was able to understand how various rules that were proposed to the commission affected horsemen, including safety, medication and claiming rules. “As a member of the MTHA board of directors I can be helpful in advocating the positions that the board adopts before the Maryland Racing Commission. It would be an honor to serve in that capacity.”

CHARLES J. “CHIP” REED owner Chip Reed is a Maryland native who has owned, bred, raced and bet horses since 1974. He and his wife Randy own the Corner Stable restaurants in Cockeysville and Columbia, and both have a strong horse racing theme. Reed is a 1969 graduate of Towson University and went to Johns Hopkins and Morgan State for graduate programs in business administration. He taught school in Baltimore County for two years and taught a freshman college course in advertising and marketing. He has a strong business background, having owned a chain of video stores and a travel agency. He also was vice presi- dent for Freestate Raceway near Laurel. Reed, a current MTHA board member, owns horses in partnerships with trainers Dale Capuano, Team Gaudet and Joan Reynolds and has broodmares at Green Willow Farms in Westminster. “I’ve really enjoyed my first term on the board and feel that I’ve been very active and productive,” Reed said. “I have worked on the Purse Committee, the Fantasy Owner’s Day project, and attended meetings with the legislature to ensure that purses remain competitive and that our video lottery termi- nal revenue is protected.” Reed said he believes strongly in breeding and racing Thoroughbreds in Maryland, and that all of his horses are Maryland-breds. Among the top horses he has bred and raced are Bold Affair and Hunka Hunka Lori Z, in partnership with Mike Zanella, as well as Home Run Hitter, Oh Say Vicki, Oh Say Lou and his first stakes winner, Chip’s Dancer. Reed said he understands the economics of the business, and that a person “has to love the game to handle the peaks and valleys.” He said he intends to continue working to ensure horsemen, racetracks, breeders and lawmakers maintain a positive relationship. “I feel that the current board is doing a good job and represents a good cross-section of all facets of our industry but our work is not done.”

10 Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association R. LARRY JOHNSON owner

Larry Johnson owns Legacy Farm in Bluemont, Va., but historically has been very active in Thoroughbred breeding and racing in Maryland. Johnson, when first elected to the MTHA board in 2011, advocated for proper governance, transparency in operations and decision-making, and ensuring that the interests of all horsemen are represented. Johnson, who usually has 20-25 horses in training with fellow MTHA board member Mike Trombetta, bred Victor’s Cry, winner of the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile Stakes on the turf in 2010, and owned the filly Sincerely, who won the Grade 3 Delaware Oaks in 2000. He also bred and owned the filly Strike the Moon, who earned more than $680,000 and raced in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint-G1 in 2012. Two of Johnson’s standouts now have stallion careers in Maryland. Graded stakes winner and homebred Street Magician, a son of Street Cry (Ire) who won five of 10 starts and earned more than $250,000, and Despite the Odds (by Speightstown), another graded stakes winner Johnson owned in part- nership, stand at Heritage Stallions near Chesapeake City. Street Magician in 2016 placed seventh on the list of leading sires in Maryland and this year ranked fourth through mid June. Along with his breeding and racing business, Johnson is a certified public accountant who specializes in forensic accounting and frequently provides expert testimony throughout the country. He owns Veris Consulting, which is located in Reston, Va. Johnson, a native of Prince George’s County, said he strongly supports continued efforts by the MTHA to maintain unity among Maryland racing stake- holders involved in the 10-year agreement that put the industry on firmer footing. He said preservation of the system by which purses and other incentives are funded in part by revenue from casino-based video lottery terminals is of the utmost importance. “I think it’s imperative that we continue the progress that has led to increased racing days, increased purse levels, and the cooperation with all stake- holders that has led to preservation of slots funding and the coordinated lobbying efforts that have effectively demonstrated to legislators the impor- tance of Thoroughbred racing in the state,” Johnson said.

Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association 11 HUGH I. MCMAHON trainer Hugh McMahon, a native of Doncaster, England, is a former jockey-turned-trainer who has been a force in the Mid- Atlantic region, particularly in the claiming ranks, which he said gives him an important perspective. McMahon, who lives in Crownsville, has 40 horses at Laurel Park and another 10 at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course. He began as an assistant to Scott Lake when then trainer had a large operation with multiple bases in the region. McMahon won more than 100 races in three consecutive years – 2012 to 2014 – and overall has collected more than 770 victories for total earnings of more than $17.1 million. He has won training titles at Laurel, the Maryland State Fair at Timonium, and Colonial Downs in Virginia. McMahon said he would like to bring a new perspective to the MTHA board and focus on maximizing the Maryland Thoroughbred racing population by changing not only the condition book but the mindset of filling races. “The biggest thing for me is the condition book and whether races in the book will go,” McMahon said. “It’s important to be able to train a horse for a race, and have the race be dependable (to be run). We need to do a better job instead of just competing with neighboring states for the same entries. We need an informed condition book, not a speculative condition book. “There are things we can do in Maryland like synchronizing with the population of horses we have, which is less than it once was.” McMahon also said claiming rules in the state – in particular those for “jail time” – need to be adjusted to allow for owners to get a return on their investment as soon as possible after they claim a horse. “I’ve got owners who are very concerned about horses not getting to race,” he said. “This is the meat and potatoes of the game, and we need to be responsive to that.” McMahon also said he wants to bring a broader view to the MTHA board. “We need more people with objective reasoning, not subjective reasoning,” he said. “We need to see the general, not the particular. I’m in the trenches. I want to represent the horses, horsemen and the owners.”

KIERON B. MAGEE trainer Kieron Magee won his first race as a trainer at Colonial Downs in 2007 and since that time has become a force in Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic region. The native of Ireland lives in Baltimore County with his family and has been based at Pimlico Race Course since 1983. He was an exercise rider for many years but a series of injuries led him to pursue a trainer’s license. Magee, named MTHA Trainer of the Year for 2016, won 105 races – 60% of them in Maryland – last year. He generally has 35-40 horses stabled at Old Hilltop year-round. Magee said one reason he is running for the MTHA board is to ensure trainers who focus on the claiming end of the racing business have more representation. “Everybody has different opinions for everything,” Magee said. “I’d like to get the claiming rules back to where they were. I think we should be able to run horses back wherever we want to run them. You put up the money and take the gamble. “I think the breeders are well-represented on the Board, and I do believe they need to be taken care of because without breeders we have nothing (to race). But claiming trainers are not well-represented.” Magee noted that the environment in Maryland has changed quite a bit the past several years with increased purses and a more competitive product, even at the bottom level. Like other horsemen he’d like to see more days but understands the challenges. “I would love to see racing four days a week, but unfortunately we don’t have enough horses,” Magee said. “Racing three days a week can be tough. I have a lot of dirt horses and have to run them out of town (during turf season), and in the winter there aren’t many dirt horses left.” As for Pimlico, which currently is the subject of a Maryland Stadium Authority study to determine its future as a racetrack, Magee said he hopes the City of Baltimore and others step up and devise a plan to keep Pimlico in the mix for racing. This year, Magee tied with Linda Rice as leading trainer for the Laurel Park winter/spring meet – each had 27 victories – and subsequently tied with Graham Motion for the top spot for the short Pimlico meet; each trainer had six wins.

12 Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association GINA A. ROSENTHAL trainer Gina Rosenthal is an owner, trainer and breeder who got started in the Thoroughbred business at a very early age walk- ing hots for her father, Luigi Gino. But her experience in racing goes beyond working with horses on a daily basis. Rosenthal, who trains a string based at Laurel Park, also has worked as a mutuel teller and a television racing analyst, most recently at the Maryland State Fair at Timonium meet. Her parents pushed her to go to college after high school and she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications from the University of Baltimore. “After graduation, I came back to racing as an analyst, but I purchased a horse, became an owner, and then kept rein- vesting money as an owner. John Robb trained for me and said, ‘You should be a trainer, you’re already here every day.’ So I became a trainer, too, and eventually a breeder.” Rosenthal built a farm in Woodbine and has four broodmares, all of them bred to Maryland sires. “I’m involved in every angle of the business, and I pretty much train for myself,” she said. Rosenthal said issues she would like to see addressed include number of racing days in Maryland and how the condition book is written. “The races being written don’t appeal to everyone,” she said. “The people who spend money want to stay home with their Maryland-breds and want Maryland racing to provide a condition book with a broader spectrum. That’s what I’m fighting for. “It’s also very hard to run a business with only three days a week of racing. I want to fight for more racing days to provide better revenue for owners and trainers, some of whom are falling off the wagon in the Maryland (because of the economics). Money is going out more than it’s coming in. “I’m for the little guy because I’m one of the little guys.” One of Rosenthal’s top horses recently is Outwithbigdaddy, a Maryland-bred mare she bred with Robin Coblyn. Outwithbigdaddy won the Tax Free Shopping Distaff Stakes for Delaware-certified runners last year on the same day another of Rosenthal’s trainees, the 5-year-old gelding Debt Ceiling, won the New Castle Stakes for Delaware-certified horses.

KATHARINE M. VOSS trainer Katy Voss has been a trainer in Maryland for more than 40 years. She helped found the MTHA in 1987 and is a current board member as well as a member of the MTHA Purse and Legislative Committees. She is also a longtime board mem- ber and secretary-treasurer of Maryland Million Ltd. and a former president of the Maryland Horse Breeders Association. Voss comes from a well-established family of horse people. Her father, the late John B. Merryman, served on the MTHA board, and, with Voss’s late mother Kitty, bred and raced a successful stable for many years. Voss’s siblings – Ann, Edwin and Elizabeth Merryman – are also successful trainers in the region. Voss and her longtime companion, Bob Manfuso, own and operate Chanceland Farm, a large breeding, training and rehab facility in West Friendship. Chanceland is also an active consignor at Maryland auctions. Over the years, Voss has developed many outstanding runners, including Twixt (a Maryland-bred champion in the 1970s), Bishop’s Fling, Smart ’n Quick, Due North, Wood So, Woodfox, Rugged Bugger, Carnival Court, Polish Holiday, Creamy Dreamy, Lies of Omission, Tuzia, Our Peak, Plata and Corvus. Voss was instrumental in the return of Sunday and summer racing to Maryland and, during the Maryland legislative session this past year, she was a regular in Annapolis and used her decades of legislative experience to work on behalf of horsemen to protect the Purse Dedication Account that is gen- erated by video lottery terminal revenue at the state’s casinos. “Although we have made tremendous progress over the last few years in Maryland, there is much more to be done,” Voss said. “Strong, dedicated leadership is more important than ever. It is also critical that the MTHA, the Maryland Horse Breeders Association and the Maryland Jockey Club con- tinue to work together to improve Maryland racing and breeding and to protect our current revenue stream.” Voss spends numerous hours each year monitoring the Purse Account on behalf of horsemen and works tirelessly consulting with track management to improve track maintenance.

Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association 13 DALE CAPUANO trainer Dale Capuano, an active MTHA board member since 1996, comes from a family with deep roots in Maryland Thoroughbred racing. A son of longtime horseman and MTHA director, the late Phil Capuano, he grew up on the family farm in Upper Marlboro and started going with his father to the racetrack at an early age. He was 18 in 1981 when he got his trainer’s license and first win at Bowie Race Course, and soon after his father and mother Connie started assisting him in the operation of the stable. Capuano’s older brother, Gary, is also a trainer based at Laurel Park. The Capuano brothers are a force not only in Maryland but other states in the Mid-Atlantic region. Dale Capuano is currently 24th on the all-time list of trainers by wins with more than 3,200, and his horses have earned more than $57 million in purses. As a board member of the MTHA, Capuano has been very active on the Purse Committee, which handles payouts for overnight races and stakes. Allocation of purse money is critical as Maryland racing attempts to strike a balance between racing dates and purses that incentivize participation in the racing program. Capuano trained the top turf sprinter Heros Reward, a two-time Maryland-bred Horse of the Year who won or placed in 18 stakes, eight of them grad- ed. The Partner’s Hero gelding was claimed for $20,000 by Capuano for Rob Ry Farm and Jane Marie Slysz in April 2006 and went on to earn more than $1.3 million; in 2008 he was a competitive fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint. Capuano’s stable last year won 61 races for purse earnings of more than $1.5 million. Each year he sends a string to Presque Isle Downs & Casino for the spring and summer and is regularly among the leading trainers at the Pennsylvania track. “Racing in Maryland is in my family’s blood,” Capuano said. “Preserving and improving the quality of our live racing product is of vital importance to our way of life. I will continue to devote all I have to make a difference toward this goal.”

JONATHAN MALDONADO trainer Jonathan Maldonado, a Laurel Park-based trainer, is on track to have his best year yet as a trainer in the United States in terms of number of wins and purse earnings. Maldonado is a native of Puerto Rico who got started in racing at a very early age by going to the barn and gradually learning the business. He began training horses at the age of 17, and it didn’t take long for his operation to grow dramat- ically. “I had a big client who gave me an opportunity, and things really started going good,” Maldonado said. “When I left Puerto Rico in 2009, I had 80 to 90 horses. But the money wasn’t very good there, so I decided to come to the United States. I had family in Maryland so I got started here.’ Maldonado began helping trainer Hugh McMahon and then became an assistant trainer for Dane Kobiskie, who won two consecutive training titles. He then decided to go out on his own; he currently has 14 horses based at Laurel Park but also has assisted trainers Mike Stidham and Rudy Rodriguez while running his own operation. Maldonado has a mix of claiming horses and younger horses – “I have six or seven babies I bought in Ocala,” he said – and has had recent success looking for horses that can perform well in protected starter allowance events in Maryland and at other tracks in the Mid-Atlantic region. Among his better runners have been North Ocean, on the board in six of nine starts this year, with three wins; Risky Guy, a three-time winner since joining the barn in late December; and Lightnin Fast Girl, an earner of nearly $150,000 after being purchased at an Ocala sale for $15,000 in 2013. Maldonado is bilingual and said he has a passion for assisting those who work on the backstretch at Maryland tracks. “That was the main reason I decided to run for the MTHA board,” he said. “There’s no one on the board who speaks Spanish, but about 90 percent of our workforce on the backstretch speaks Spanish. I want to be a board member who is an advocate for people on the backstretch.”

14 Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association MARK D. SHUMAN trainer Mark Shuman learned the ins and outs of the Thoroughbred business while working for his father, Joseph, in his native Ohio, and more recently has been based in Maryland at the Fair Hill Training Center. Shuman, who graduated from the University of Miami Ohio with a degree in exercise physiology, got his trainer’s license in 2000 but not before serving as an assistant to trainers Tom Skiffington, Howard Tesher and James Bond at the New York Racing Association tracks. Shuman set up shop in Maryland in 2002 and, while wintering at Gulfstream Park the following year, set a winter/spring meet record for wins by a trainer. Shuman cleared the 1,000-victory mark several years ago, and his runners to date have earned more than $30.7 million. He is a multiple graded stakes-winning trainer who conditioned Xchanger, winner of the Grade 3 Sapling Stakes and Grade 3 Stakes; Umpateedle, who captured the Grade 2 Gallant Bloom Handicap and Grade 3 Endine Handicap; Miss Preakness Stakes-G3 winner Forest Music and Deputy Minister Handicap-G3 winner Native Heir. He trained Encaustic to five stakes wins in less than a year in 2009 and 2010. Shuman was the trainer of record when Talent Search, who now stands at stud, finished second in the Grade 1 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash at Laurel Park in 2007. From his Fair Hill base, Shuman has close access to a number of other racetracks. He said Maryland has many positives. “I think Maryland is one of the few places on the East Coast where things are moving forward,” he said. Shuman noted the issues that have arisen in states such as Pennsylvania and West Virginia, where legislated revenue from gaming has been shifted from purses and breed development programs to support other state programs in need of funding. “What’s happening in other states in the region isn’t happening here in Maryland, and I hope to keep that program moving forward,” he said. “The big- gest light at the end of the tunnel in this region is Maryland.”

JOHN J. ROBB trainer John Jerry Robb has been an owner, trainer and breeder since 1975. He served on the HBPA in Maryland in the late 1970s until 1987, when he was involved in the co-founding of the MTHA. He served in the MTHA from 1987 to 2011. Robb has great experience in Maryland racing, and in his career has won nearly 1,900 races and over 130 stakes. In his experiences Robb is proud to have trained Maryland Thoroughbred Hall of Famer Little Bold John, who won 38 of 105 races, 25 being stakes races, five graded, and earned $1.8 million. Additionally, he has won graded stakes with He Is Risen, Lightning Paces, Pioneer Boy and Debt Ceiling. For most of the time between 1987 and 2011, Robb served as the chairman of the purse and contract committee. He has had many successes in negotiating with track managements and racing secretaries. In the back half of the 1980s, he implemented the first condi- tion book index that the country had ever seen. Robb believes members serving on the board should be successful owners and trainers that depend on Maryland for their business. He thinks that since the election of the 2014 MTHA, management and horse breeders have prospered indefinitely, while the condition of the owners and trainers of Maryland has increasingly worsened. He is convinced that in the current state, the racing program and condition book does not at all benefit the horsemen, as the days for racing and the balance of the types of races is not currently correct. With an unbalanced amount of turf and dirt races and a decreased amount of days to run races at all, Robb wishes to restore the balance of racing by better fitting the criteria of Maryland horsemen. Robb’s main goals if elected into the MTHA is to contribute his 40 years of experience in working with racing secretaries to change the condition book to suit Maryland trainers and owners.

Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association 15 MICHAEL J. TROMBETTA trainer Mike Trombetta, who left the construction business to begin training full time in 2005, oversees a large stable recogniz- able up and down the East Coast. Trombetta, a current member of the MTHA board of directors, keeps horses at two Maryland locations – Laurel Park and Fair Hill Training Center – and also at Gulfstream Park in Florida. He spent a lot of time around the racetrack as a youngster because his father owned Thoroughbreds, and he started working on the backstretch at the age of 15. Trombetta went from hot walker to groom while working at Pimlico Race Course and the Maryland State Fair at Timonium, and by age 18 had obtained his trainer’s license. Trombetta maintained a small stable at Pimlico while assisting his brother in the construction business before he dove in full time. Aside from clients that include fellow MTHA board member and breeder Larry Johnson and Live Oak Plantation, he also has a family operation called R.D.M. Racing Stable. Trombetta trained Sweetnorthernsaint, who in 2006 won the Grade 2 , finished seventh as the slight favorite in the -G1 and then finished second in the Preakness Stakes-G1. He also conditioned Next Question, who won the Grade 1 Nearctic Stakes at Woodbine in Canada in 2012. Trombetta in 2016 made the top-50 list of trainers by earnings nationally with more than $3.1 million, and members of stable won 78 races at various tracks. Trombetta said he first ran for the MTHA board to put his more than 30 years of experience in racing to good use for benefit of fellow horsemen, and that challenges continue despite progress in Maryland. He said it’s important to focus on doing right by horsemen and management and ensuring that Maryland has the most advantageous racing schedule that utilizes days and purse money in the most effective way possible.

H. GRAHAM MOTION trainer Graham Motion, who joined the MTHA board of directors in 2014, has won many of the most prestigious races in the United States, and horses trained by him have banked more than $110 million, which is good for 15th on the all-time list of U.S. trainers by earnings. Motion, whose family moved from England to the U.S. in 1980, began his career working with Jonathan Sheppard and eventually started his own stable upon the death of trainer Bernard Bond, for whom he served as assistant, in 1993 at Pimlico Race Course. Motion eventually moved to Fair Hill, where his training operation has been based for many years. His trainees included 3-year-old champion Animal Kingdom, winner of the Kentucky Derby-G1 and two years later the Dubai World Cup-G1; and Better Talk Now, a five-time Grade 1 winner on the grass, counting among his victories the 2004 Breeders’ Cup Turf-G1. Motion this year has one of the top 3-year-olds in training – the New Jersey-bred Irish War Cry, who won the Grade 2 Holy Bull and Wood Memorial Stakes and most recently finished second in the Belmont Stakes-G1. On the same day as the Belmont, Motion sent out Ascend, who was coming off a win in a $100,000 stakes at Laurel Park to win the Grade 1 Manhattan Stakes on the grass. Motion also competes on the international level, including the recent Royal Ascot meet in Great Britain. Motion said top issues for Maryland racing are continuance of the current arrangement with regard to purse distribution from video lottery terminal revenue and coping with diminishing field size, which has become a national problem given sharp declines in the Thoroughbred foal crop several years ago. Motion also said it’s important to protect purse bonuses for Maryland breeders and to continue pursuing a national uniform medication policy similar to the one in place in the Mid-Atlantic region and New York.

16 Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association CLAUDIO GONZALES trainer

Claudio Gonzalez has come a long way as a trainer since his arrival in the United States from Chile in the mid-1990s. Gonzalez, who currently has more than 30 horses stabled at Laurel Park, has won more than 320 races for purse earn- ings of more than $8.4 million. He moved his operation to Maryland in 2012, and since that time has been among the top trainers by wins. In 2014 he shared the Laurel winter/spring meet training title with four other conditioners, and in 2015 won the title for the meet outright with 20 victories. In 2013 he was among the top five trainers by wins at Monmouth Park in New Jersey. Gonzalez, who has about 10 owners, said claiming horses are largely the focus of his operation but he is branching out a bit. This year he has four 2-year-olds that he acquired at the Fasig-Tipton auction in Timonium, and some of his owners would like him to make a trip to a Keeneland sale as well. “It was my first time buying babies,” Gonzalez said. “You never know when one of them could be good. I’m very excited about it, and right now they are doing really good.” Gonzalez, who has three children, said he wanted to move to Maryland because of the growth in the racing program. “It’s very good here now,” he said. “Things are going the right way in Maryland. Every year it seems to get better and better. I want to be involved in a place that is doing it the right way.” Gonzalez, who lives in Laurel, said he wants to be part of the MTHA board of directors to help ensure things keep moving in a positive direction for all stakeholders. “I want to be here for the future,” he said. A few of the Gonzalez stable’s top horses are the gelding Never Stop Looking, who won the Fire Plug Stakes at Laurel in 2015, and the mare Sweet On Smokey, a multiple stakes winner who captured the What a Summer Stakes at Laurel in 2016 and 2017.

TIMOTHY L. KEEFE trainer Tim Keefe, one of Maryland’s most successful trainers, has been a member of the MTHA board since 2005 and is the current president of the organization, elected to this post in 2014. Keefe launched his training career in 1993 and has conditioned stakes winners such as Eightofasttocatch, Celtic Innis, Red’s Round Table, Great Soul, Frisky Thunder, Anarex and Goferitstutz. He has about 35 horses in his barn at Laurel Park with various owners as clients. Keefe, an accomplished triathlete, served recently as president of the Maryland Horsemen’s Assistance Fund and a vice president of Maryland Million Ltd. and he currently still serves on each of those organization’s boards. Keefe has been heavily involved in cultivating and maintaining the relationship among the MTHA, Maryland Jockey Club and Maryland Horse Breeders Association that has spurred a revitalization of racing in the state that has become the envy of the industry nationwide. He is extremely hands-on in Annapolis when the legislature is in session each year, and was very busy this past winter. State government officials had proposed taking over $2.5 million from the Purse Dedication Account and reversing a law that awarded $1-million from the Maryland Lottery to support a state-bred Preakness Stakes bonus and purse for a major international turf race at Laurel Park. Industry representa- tives, led by Keefe and the MTHA legislative team, were successful in lobbying lawmakers that protection of video lottery terminal revenue for purses is essential for continued growth in the Thoroughbred industry. “Advocacy for the racing and breeding industry is vital to our stability and expansion,” Keefe said. “We were successful this year in educating legislators about the industry’s value to Maryland’s economy and heritage, and that it needs the tools that have been offered to remain viable and hopefully grow.” Keefe, who is active in various charitable endeavors, said he would like to continue the spirit of cooperation shown by MTHA board members as well as preserve and grow year-round racing in Maryland. He believes the industry must be vigilant when it comes to equine welfare and believes the launch of Beyond The Wire, the new MTHA aftercare program that relies on financial support from all stakeholders, is an important part of the equation. In three years under Keefe’s stewardship, the MTHA has launched initiatives such as the acclaimed Horsemen’s Health System, Fantasy Owner’s Day, Beyond The Wire, a new recreation program, a shuttle service for backstretch employees, an expedited purse release program for owners, a drastically improved communication strategy, improved Board participation in MTHA affairs and open Board meetings among many other accomplishments.

Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association 17 A. FERRIS ALLEN trainer Ferris Allen is a charter member of the MTHA, having served on the Board of Directors from 1987 to 2002. He received the Outstanding Service to Maryland Horsemen award in 1990 and served as the Board’s Vice President for 12 years. Allen considers the establishment of the Backstretch Recreation Program as his most important accomplishment. He was also instrumental as chairperson of the Condition Book Committee in creating protocol that is still in use today, and he pushed hard for the successful Backstretch Pension Program that continues to provide benefits to grooms, hot walk- ers, exercise riders and trainers. Allen, a Virginia native, lives in Clarksville and has resided in Maryland continuously since 1979. He has two grown children – Jane Allen Blayman, who operates Warwick Equine Services at Hickory Ridge Farm, and Finney, who has a horse-vanning service. After graduating from the College of William and Mary, he taught government and coached baseball and basketball at his hometown Varina High School, and spent his off hours training a few race horses. A full-time trainer since 1976, Allen has been a stalwart on the Maryland circuit for almost 40 years and has won more than 2,300 races, trained many stakes winners and won numerous training titles. His stakes winners include Passeggiata (Arg), Chrusciki, Palette Knife, Miracle Wood and Aunt Ellen. He is Colonial Downs’ all-time-leading trainer and he led all Maryland trainers in 1999. Allen’s primary role as a Board member has been serving as chairman of the MTHA Recreation Committee. Allen led a revival of the program, which has seen a great increase in participation and services offered highlighted by the MTHA Express transportation service for backstretch employees. Allen also serves on the very important Purse committee, having served since 2016. “I believe we are enjoying what could be the most prosperous era in Maryland racing history,” Allen said. “It is more important than ever that horsemen have sensible leadership guiding the direction of backside improvements and the use of increased funding for purses. “I have been thoroughly involved in MTHA issues since the organization’s inception in 1987, and I hope to rely on this experience to help move Maryland racing forward.”

PHILIP B. SCHOENTHAL trainer Phil Schoenthal is more than a Thoroughbred trainer in the Mid-Atlantic region. His operation manages racing partner- ships, provides for representation at auctions, plans broodmare matings, and assists with business planning and tax preparation. Schoenthal, who won his first stakes as a trainer in 2003 with White Mountain Boy in the Maryland Juvenile Championship at Laurel Park, has trained for many owners over the years and has developed quality racehorses. One of them, the filly Miss Behaviour, was a multiple graded-stakes winner including the Grade 2 Matron Stakes in New York; she also finished second in the Grade 1 Test Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. Another of his trainees, the multiple stakes winner Sonny Inspired who became graded stakes-placed in the 2016 Grade 3 General George at Laurel, is closing is on $500,000 in earnings. Schoenthal, who resides in Crownsville with his wife and three children, opened a public stable in 2004 and named his operation Kingdom Bloodstock to reflect a range of services. He is a veteran of the United States Air Force and holds a Bachelor’s Degree. Schoenthal said it’s extremely important the industry, including members of the MTHA, work to cultivate new owners and participate in programs that “help grow the game.” To that end, he was a speaker during Fantasy Owner’s Day at Laurel Park earlier this year and discussed ownership opportuni- ties in Thoroughbred racing, and regularly hosts group tours and meet-and-greets at his barn for fans and prospective owners. Schoenthal also is an advocate for equine safety and welfare initiatives – including improved maintenance of racing surfaces – and believes in strong aftercare programs to ensure racehorses are taken care of after their retirement. “Maintaining the safest racetrack as possible ensures the long-term health and soundness of our equine athletes and also gives the owners the best chance possible to maximize their investments and have fun,” he said. Schoenthal currently serves the MTHA board by administering the barn exam for aspiring trainers and assistant trainers, and he also would like to help the MTHA in matters regarding uniform medication guidelines, laboratory testing thresholds, and to look at ways to maximize collective purchasing power of all the trainers for things like equipment, hay, straw, and insurance.

18 Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association PLEASE NOTE: All ballots are due to be received (not postmarked) no later than AUGUST 15, 2017 to be eligible to be counted.

Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association 19 BOARD MEMBER ATTENDANCE RECORD

The following is a complete attendance record of current MTHA Board Members (elected in the summer of 2014) who are seeking reelection.

2014 BOARD MEETING ATTENDANCE (POST ELECTION)

9/4/14 10/9/14 11/5/14 11/10/14 Allen Bricker X Capuano X Charles X X Gaudet Hayden Horning X Johnson X Keefe Manfuso X Motion X Reed Trombetta X Voss

X denotes absent

2015 BOARD MEETING ATTENDANCE

1/8/15 2/16/15 2/24/15 4/9/15 5/28/15 6/18/15 10/9/15 11/6/15 Allen X X Bricker Capuano X X X Charles X X X Gaudet Hayden X X Horning X Johnson X X Keefe Manfuso Motion X X Reed X Trombetta X Voss

X denotes absent

20 Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association BOARD MEMBER ATTENDANCE RECORD

The Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association’s Board of Directors authorized the publication of this information as a service to the MTHA’s voting membership.

2016 BOARD MEETING ATTENDANCE

1/25/16 3/18/16 5/6/16 6/23/16 9/30/16 10/12/16 11/18/16 Allen X X X Bricker Capuano X X Charles X Gaudet Hayden Horning X X X X X Johnson X Keefe Manfuso Motion X X Reed Trombetta X Voss X denotes absent

2017 BOARD MEETING ATTENDANCE (PRE ELECTION)

1/27/17 4/17/17 6/23/17 Allen Bricker Capuano X Charles X Gaudet Hayden Horning X Johnson Keefe Manfuso Motion X X Reed X Trombetta Voss

X denotes absent

Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association 21 MARYLAND THOROUGHBRED HORSEMEN’S ASSOCIATION, INC. AUGUST 15, 2014 Voter Credit Code OFFICIAL BALLOT VOTING INSTRUCTIONS  Voting Instructions Mailing Instructions

• Use a No. 2 pencil or a blue or black ink pen only. • Seal your marked ballot in Secrecy Envelope. • Make solid marks that fill the response completely. • Seal your Secrecy Envelope in Mailing Envelope. CORRECT: INCORRECT: • Put postage on your Mailing Envelope before posting. • Your Ballot must reach Election Trust by August 15, 2014. • You must cast a total of fourteen votes. • You must vote for seven owners AND seven trainers. • Voting for more or less in each race invalidates your ballot. MARYLAND THOROUGHBRED HORSEMEN’S ASSOCIATION, INC. Owners (Vote for Seven) Trainers (Vote for Seven) AUGUST 15, 2017 JessicaVoter R. HammondCredit Code A. Ferris Allen OFFICIAL BALLOT Richard J. Hoffberger Philip B. Schoenthal Edward M. Buxbaum Lawrence E. Murray CharlesMAILING “Chip” INSTRUCTIONSJ. Reed Michael J. Trombetta Voting Instructions Ellen M.Mailing Charles Instructions Valora A. Testerman • Use a No. 2 pencil or a blue or black ink pen only. • Seal yourMark marked B. Lapidus Ballot in blue Secrecy Envelope Katharine M. Voss • Make solid marks that fill the response completely. marked MichaelFOR YOUR F. BALLOT. Horning Dale Capuano CORRECT: INCORRECT: • Seal yourR. blue Larry Secrecy Johnson Envelope in Mailing Envelope. H. Graham Motion • Sign MailingJoAnn Envelope Hayden over the word signature. Timothy L. Keefe • You must cast a total of fourteen votes. • Put postage on your Mailing Envelope before posting. • You must vote for seven owners AND seven trainers. • Your BallotEric must G. Singer reach Election Trust by August 15, 2017. Christopher W. Grove • Voting for more or less in each race invalidates your ballot. Robert L. Cole, Jr. Linda S. Gaudet H. Neil Glasser Damon R. Dilodovico Owners (Vote for Seven) TrainersChristine (Vote E. Brickerfor Seven) Robert W. Bailes Brent E. Johnson JoAnn Hayden RobertHugh I. T. McMahon Manfuso Mark B. Lapidus HarryKieron Kassap B. Magee Daniel G. Eubanks Gina A. Rosenthal Stephen D. O'Neill 22 Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’sKatharine Association M. Voss Edward M. Buxbaum Dale Capuano Linda S. Gaudet Detach ThisJonathan Address Maldonado Panel at Perforated Line Above and Save - DO NOT ENCLOSE WITH RETURNED BALLOT! Michael F. Horning Mark D. Shuman Christine E. Bricker John J. Robb MARYLAND THOROUGHBRED HORSEMEN’S ASSOCIATION, INC. Lawrence M. Smith Michael J.TrombettaAUGUST 15, 2014 Robert T. Manfuso H. Graham Motion OFFICIAL BALLOT Ellen M. Charles Claudio Gonzalez Election Management Services Provided By: Stewart A. Nickel Timothy L. Keefe Election Trust Louis J. Ulman A. Ferris Allen III Main Post Office Box 1902 Charles J. "Chip" Reed Philip B. Schoenthal Bellevue, WA 98009 R. Larry Johnson www.electiontrust.com 1.866.429.9481

Voter Credit Code

Detach This Address Panel at Perforated Line Above and Save - DO NOT ENCLOSE WITH RETURNED BALLOT!  MARYLAND THOROUGHBRED HORSEMEN’S ASSOCIATION, INC. AUGUST 15, 2017

OFFICIAL BALLOT Election Management Services Provided By: Election Trust Post Office Box 45495 Seattle WA 98105 www.electiontrust.com 1.866.429.9481

Voter Credit Code ELECTION SERVICES:

Third party election services are provided by: ELECTION TRUST a professional election management provider for associations, credit unions, trade unions, cooperatives and corporations. Post Office Box 45495 Seattle WA 98105 www.electiontrust.com 1.866.429.9481

Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association 23 500 Redland Court, Suite 105 Owings Mills, Maryland 21117 • Phone: 410.902.6842 [email protected]