Knauf will leave Monmouth to head the new Maryland Jockey Club

Bill Knauf, the vice president of business development at Monmouth Park in New Jersey, has been named the president and general manager of the non-profit company that will run racing in Maryland for the foreseeable future.

Knauf, who has 27 years of experience in the racing industry, was selected to the positions by the board of the Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority, a state commission that was set up to implement the provisions of legislation passed earlier this year that will result in the consolidation of racing at a rebuilt Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.

Knauf will lead a 501(c) corporation set up by the MTROA called The Maryland Jockey Club, which was the name of the for-profit company that previously owned Laurel Park and Pimlico Racecourse under parent company 1/ST Racing and Gaming. The MTROA began an executive search for the position several months ago, after the legislation passed this summer.

Knauf has worked at Monmouth for most of his professional career, moving continually up its ranks since he was first hired in 1998. He is a graduate of the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program.

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“We have found the perfect person to lead Maryland’s groundbreaking efforts to reimagine and renew the racing experience,” said Greg Cross, the chairman of the MTROA, in a statement. “Bill not only has operating experience, but the knowledge to embrace and deploy cutting-edge technology to increase wagering and technology.”

Under the legislation passed this year, Pimlico Race Course was deeded to the state. The track is set to be demolished after the Preakness Stakes next year. A new facility is expected to open in 2027, along with a year-round training center in the general vicinity of Baltimore.

Over the next three years, all racing – with the exception of Preakness weekend in 2025 – will be conducted at Laurel Park, managed by the newly created MJC.

Knauf will serve as a consultant to the MTROA until the beginning of 2025, at which point he will formally take the positions of general manager and president of the MJC.

“Maryland racing has a storied history, and the passion of everyone from horsemen to fans runs deep,” said Knauf, in a release. “I look forward to helping drive the evolution of Pimlico Racecourse and the Preakness.”

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