2025 Annual Impact Report
The Maryland Thoroughbred Partnership was established in January 2025 by a dedicated group of Thoroughbred farm owners, breeders, and industry leaders. Our mission was clear: to strategically educate Marylanders about the economic impact, cultural legacy, and current vitality of the state's Thoroughbred industry, as horseracing in Maryland heads towards an exciting future.
We've had an extraordinary number of accomplishments in our inaugural year. Over the past 12 months, MTP successfully executed a high-impact public relations and strategic digital outreach campaign that helped to redefine the industry's public narrative. Through our efforts, we have re-introduced hundreds of thousands of Marylanders to the industry and its many benefits to our state, including boosting the economy, creating jobs, attracting tourists, honoring our culture and traditions, preserving open space, providing entertainment, and much more.
As we look ahead with anticipation towards an even more impactful year in 2026, here’s a snapshot of our key achievements and milestones over the past 12 months.
Website
We launched this website to serve as our digital hub with compelling content covering all aspects of the Thoroughbred industry, from breeding to racing and more. Since its launch, the website has attracted over 14,000 unique users, establishing a strong, dedicated audience for industry news and educational content and serving as a valuable resource for industry stakeholders and the general public.
Social Media
To foster direct engagement with the public and ensure consistent, compelling messaging, we established a strong social media presence with Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram pages. Posting content on these platforms multiple times per week cultivated an enthusiastic audience interested in the equine industry and horse racing. Our social media efforts were anchored by high quality video content, captured on location by our in-house video team at various essential Thoroughbred industry farms and sites across the state. Filming locations and interview subjects included:
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Bonita Farm – Bill Boniface
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Country Life Farm – Christy Holden
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Fair Hill Training Center – Dr. Kathy Anderson, Graham Motion, Keri Brion, Brittany Russell
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Foxhall Equine – Dr. Chris Smith
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Glenangus Farm – Jim Dresher
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Laurel Park
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Maryland Horse Library and Education Center
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Maryland State Fairgrounds – Fran Burns, David Ingordo
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Northview Stallion Station & Roland Farm – Tom Bowman, Francisco Torres
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Sycamore Hall – Emma Trenary
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Willowdale Farm – Dr. Michael Harrison
With this consistent stream of video content and a variety of other compelling educational content, our social media campaign generated exceptional reach and engagement, evidenced by the following key figures from the past year:
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3,350+ followers across all platforms
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770,000 impressions
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275,000 video views
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40,000 post engagements
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12,000 link clicks to website
Media Relations
Complementing our video production and social strategy, we leveraged our strong network of media contacts to secure consistent, positive coverage for the industry. These stories shined a light on key figures, generated excitement for racing events, and brought the industry to the forefront of public attention across the state. We estimate the value of the earned media coverage we secured to be between $500,000 - $1,000,000. Below is a timeline of the media placements we achieved.
TELEVISION COVERAGE
1/31: WBAL-TV - Maryland thoroughbred finds second, profitable career though steeplechase racing.
2/23: WMAR 2 News - 'Racing's Black pioneers', Black History Month exhibit at the Maryland horse library
2/26: WBAL-TV - Baltimore County exhibit honors Black pioneers of Maryland's horse-racing industry
3/21: WBAL-TV - Foaling season at Country Life Farm
4/9: WMAR 2 News - Forest Boyce: 15 Years in the Saddle
4/23: WBAL-TV - Baltimore County Keeps Historic Horseracing Traditions Alive at Maryland Hunt Cup
5/2: Maryland Public Television: State Circle (interview with Bill Knauf, President & GM, Maryland Jockey Club
5/5: WJZ-TV - Where’s Marty at Bonita Farm: Catching up with Horseracing legend Bill Boniface
5/8: WBAL-TV - Maryland Women Making Names for Themselves in Male-Dominated Horseracing Industry
5/11: WBAL-TV – Jim Dresher and Tom Bowman live interview
5/11: WBAL-TV – Horse Farm Tour (Willowdale Farm)
5/12: WBAL-TV - Legendary trainer Bill Boniface reflects on training last Maryland-bred horse to win Preakness
5/15: WBAL-TV – Thoroughbred farms show what it takes to breed a champion racehorse
6/26: FOX45 – Hometown Hotspot: Previewing the MHBA Yearling Show at Willowdale Farm
6/26: WJZ-TV – Previewing the MHBA Yearling Show at Chanceland Farm
7/14: WMAR 2 News – Good Morning Maryland Shoutout (Jim Dresher, Glenangus Farm)
8/22: WJZ-TV – Horse racing at the Maryland State Fair with Fran Burns
9/27: FOX45 – TK Kuegler previews the Maryland Million
10/8: WJZ-TV – Where’s Marty at Bonita Farm (Maryland Million preview)
10/9: WBAL-TV – Maryland Million races celebrate 40th anniversary of local horseracing
PRINT COVERAGE
2/3: Baltimore Sun - Maryland’s Snap Decision wins Eclipse Award as North America’s steeplechase champion
3/6: Baltimore Business Journal - Backing the Right Horse: Meet the local business leaders behind one of the most successful steeplechase horses ever
5/16: Thoroughbred Daily News - Maryland Thoroughbred Partnership Shining A Light On State's Thoroughbred Industry
7/2: Baltimore Business Journal - Jockey Club CEO Talks Infield Fest, More as State Takes over Pimlico
8/2: Baltimore Banner - Maryland-bred Post Time Prepares to Take a ‘Big Swing’ in the Whitney Stakes
11/1: Baltimore Banner - Q&A: Mike Repole discusses Maryland-bred Breeders’ Cup Classic runner Mindframe
Virtual Interview Series
Through our partnership with Citybiz, we developed and launched a virtual interview series highlighting prominent individuals associated with the Thoroughbred industry. The series, “It’s Post Time”, strategically profiled a diverse and influential range of stakeholders, including elected officials, racetrack executives, prominent owners, trainers, and jockeys. Interviews from the past year include:
2/19: Citybiz – David Nevins interviews Jim Dresher, Maryland Thoroughbred Partnership
4/16: Citybiz - David Nevins interviews Bill Knauf, President & General Manager, Maryland Jockey Club
4/21: Citybiz – David Nevins interviews Tim Keefe, Vice President, Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Assoc.
5/6: Citybiz – David Nevins interviews Bill Boniface, Bonita Farm
6/4: Citybiz – David Nevins interviews Kevin Atticks, Maryland Secretary of Agriculture
6/11: Citybiz – David Nevins interviews Dominick Merritt, Thoroughbred Industry Leader & Mentor
6/8: Citybiz – David Nevins interviews Michelle St. John, Co-Founder, Paradocs Studio
8/5: Citybiz – David Nevins interviews Georganne Hale, Senior VP of Racing, Maryland Jockey Club
8/6: Citybiz – David Nevins interviews Beverly Strauss, Co-Founder & Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic Horse Rescue
8/10: Citybiz – David Nevins interviews Fran Burns, President, Maryland State Fair
8/27: Citybiz – David Nevins interviews Joe Clancy, Editor, Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Magazine
9/22: Citybiz – David Nevins interviews TK Kuegler, President, Maryland Million Board of Directors
10/25: Citybiz – David Nevins interviews David Wade, General Manager, Northview Stallion Station
Strategic Advocacy & Stakehold Engagement
A core element of MTP’s mission is to ensure the critical economic and cultural value of the Thoroughbred industry is recognized by key decision-makers. Over the past year, we have prioritized direct and strategic conversations with state leaders and members of the legislature, all designed to move the needle and consistently remind the powers that be that the horse industry is a significant and indispensable part of the Maryland economy.
MTP played an active role in assisting with the planning and executing the Maryland Million Kickoff Celebration at Camden Yards in early October. This successful event brought together Thoroughbred industry leaders, prominent business executives, elected officials, and other key stakeholders for a night of networking and education, further strengthening support for the industry.
Summary & Looking Ahead
Through a multifaceted public relations and digital media campaign, we are confident the Maryland Thoroughbred Partnership significantly moved the needle in 2025, generating a level of interest and excitement about the equine industry not seen in years. Our approach of "influencing the influencers" successfully elevated exposure across all critical sectors—from elected officials and the business community to the general public. This vital industry offers an endless supply of compelling narratives, and we were fortunate to have the opportunity to share them across diverse channels and platforms. We are eager to build upon the strong foundation we established in 2025 and continue delivering exceptional value to all stakeholders invested in the future of Thoroughbred breeding and racing in Maryland for many years to come. As we look ahead to 2026, we have our sights set on the following goals:
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Visit 10+ Thoroughbred farms, training centers, and other key equine sites across the state, profiling the diverse individuals and compelling human (and equine) stories that underscore the industry's cultural legacy, economic impact, and other benefits.
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Increase total unique website users by 25% to surpass 17,500, focusing on providing compelling site content and a seamless user experience.
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Secure a minimum of 40 total earned media placements, specifically targeting 15-20 TV news stories, 10-15 print/digital articles, and 5-10 radio segments to ensure consistent positive coverage across all major Maryland media channels.
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Expand Social Media Reach and Engagement: Achieve 925,000+ total impressions, 360,000+ video views, and 50,000+ post engagements, while growing the combined follower base to 7,500+ and driving 15,000+ link clicks to the website.
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Host a High-Impact Legislative Event: Develop and execute a new, exclusive event for elected officials and state leaders at a Thoroughbred farm to provide firsthand insight into the industry's significance, economic impact, and its role in preserving Maryland's agricultural landscape.
We look forward to continuing to collaborate with key industry stakeholders to achieve these ambitious goals and ensure the Thoroughbred industry's narrative is powerfully and consistently told, recognizing that sustained support is critical to turning these objectives into shared successes for the entire Maryland equine community.