Nine members appointed to Maryland Jockey Club board

Nine members have been appointed to serve as the inaugural board of directors of the Maryland Jockey Club, the non-profit entity created to oversee Thoroughbred racing in the state, the Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority announced Friday.

The members are a mix of local business leaders and officials with strong ties to the racing industry, including Tim Keefe, a trainer who is a former president of the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association; Michael Hopkins, who was the executive director of the Maryland Racing Commission for 40 years; and Dr. Kathleen Anderson, the equine medical director at the Fair Hill Training Center.

In a press release, the MTROA called the board a “diverse and dynamic group.”

“Their collective leadership and experience will guide the organization through a critical period of transition and growth for Maryland racing,” the release said.

Last year, the owner of Pimlico Race Course and Laurel Park, 1/ST Racing and Gaming, surrendered the deed to Pimlico to the state and temporarily handed over operations of Laurel to the MJC while Pimlico is being rebuilt. Pimlico is scheduled to be torn down immediately following this year’s Preakness Stakes, and all racing in the state will be held at Laurel Park for the next two years before being consolidated at the rebuilt Pimlico.

The MJC also is overseeing the construction of a training center at Shamrock Farm, a property outside of Baltimore. The training center is expected to house 800 horses and include living quarters for workers.

The appointment of the board was one of the last remaining tasks for the MTROA, which will cease operations at the end of 2025. The MTROA was created in 2023 to explore long-term options for racing and played a significant role in devising the new plan for state ownership and shepherding its enabling legislation through state government.

Other board members include:

* James T. Dresher Jr., owner of Glenangus Farm and CEO of Skye Asset Management

* Chuck Tildon, vice president of external affairs at the University of Maryland Medical System

* Lisa Golden Hofstetter, vice president of Northview Stallion Station and a co-owner of Sycamore Farm

* T.K. Kuegler, founder and managing partner of Wasabi Ventures Stables

* Jeff Cherry, founder of Conscious Venture Partners and Novella Center for Entrepreneurship

* Michael D. Hankin, co-CEO of Brown Advisory

The board members are all serving on a voluntary basis, the MTROA said.

“I could not be more thrilled that this all-star group has agreed to volunteer their deep experience and time to take the baton from MTROA and build off of the new foundation that is in place for Maryland racing as we look to the future,” said Greg Cross, chair of the MTROA.

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