Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association

What Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association does

The Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (MTHA) is a private nonprofit membership organization headquartered at 500 Redland Court, Suite 105, Owings Mills, Maryland, that serves as the officially authorized representative of Maryland's Thoroughbred owners, trainers, and breeders. Governed by a 15-member Board of Directors, MTHA advocates before the Maryland Racing Commission and partners with The Maryland Jockey Club and the Maryland Horse Breeders Association on racing operations, purse structures, and bonus programs. Its membership base spans the state's licensed racing participants, with documented engagement including a bi-monthly newsletter distributed to thousands, dedicated WhatsApp community groups for Laurel Park trainers, Pimlico trainers, jockeys, racing office, and backstretch community, plus regular Board meetings at Laurel Park with Zoom participation.

MTHA's core product portfolio is a suite of member benefit and industry-support programs rather than commercial offerings. Principal programs include the Backstretch Pension Plan (approximately $1 million in annual contributions supporting 115 enrolled individuals for 2024/25), the Maryland-Bred Owner & Developer Bonus Program ($700,000 pool for 2026, expanded from $600,000 in 2025), the Maryland Horsemen's Health System delivered through MedStar Health physicians on race days, the Mobile Dentist program funded by the Laurel Multi Services Center, the Beyond The Wire Thoroughbred aftercare initiative, the Maryland Jockey Benevolence Program, the Ferris Allen Bootstraps Scholarship ($10,000 annually to one backstretch recipient), burial assistance, immigration and visa services, recreation programs, and a Groom Awards recognition program. Strategic partners include MedStar Health (medical services), The Maryland Jockey Club (racetrack operator of Laurel Park and Pimlico), Maryland Horse Breeders Association (bonus eligibility), Beyond The Wire (aftercare), Colonial Downs and Delaware Park (out-of-state summer bonus programs), and the Maryland Racing Commission (regulatory advocacy target).

The organization's revenue model is best characterized as professional services funded through industry participation, partnership contributions, and program-specific revenue streams rather than traditional membership dues. Documented income channels include $50 per jockey pre-performance physical (proceeds supporting the Horsemen's Health System), $150 TERF Soiree fundraiser tickets, and pass-through jockey mount fee deductions that generate more than $26,000 annually each for Beyond The Wire and the Maryland Jockey Benevolence Program. MTHA operates without a parent company, has no subsidiaries, and does not publicly disclose financials, reflecting its nonprofit trade-association structure. Recent corporate-structural developments include the state's $85 million acquisition of the Preakness Stakes intellectual property (June 2026), Board of Public Works approval of the state purchase of Laurel Park, and ongoing Pimlico Race Course redevelopment, all of which materially reshape the Maryland racing infrastructure MTHA's members depend on.

Name

Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association

Legal name

Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association

Website

https://mdhorsemen.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (MTHA) is a nonprofit trade association serving as the officially authorized representative of Maryland Thoroughbred owners, trainers, and breeders, delivering advocacy, health, pension, and bonus programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Horse Racing Trade Association

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events (7113)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Racing, Including Track Operation (7948)

akta.pro primary industry

Training, Stables & Equine Services (MPAEADAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Racehorse Ownership, Syndication & Investment Platforms (MPAEADAG), Equine Veterinary, Welfare & Anti-Doping Services (MPAEADAJ)

Keywords

• Thoroughbred racing association
• Horse racing advocacy
• Backstretch pension programs
• Thoroughbred aftercare services
• Horsemen health services

Headquarters

HQ city

Owings Mills

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Services and Advocacy: As the officially authorized organization representing Maryland's Thoroughbred owners and trainers, MTHA provides advocacy, representation, and support services funded through industry participation and partnerships rather than direct membership fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association is a nonprofit trade association that represents, assists, and promotes the interests of Maryland's Thoroughbred owners and trainers through regulatory advocacy, health services (MedStar Health physicians, Mobile Dentist program), financial support programs (Backstretch Pension Plan, Maryland-Bred Bonus Programs, burial assistance, scholarships), and the Beyond The Wire Thoroughbred aftercare initiative. Programs are delivered at Maryland racetracks including Laurel Park, Pimlico Race Course, and Timonium, with bonus programs extending to Delaware Park and Colonial Downs.

Product overview

The Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (MTHA) is a trade association offering a portfolio of programs and services for Maryland Thoroughbred racing community members including owners, trainers, jockeys, and backstretch workers. Core offerings include the Horsemen's Happenings newsletter, health services (MedStar physicians, mobile dentist), financial support programs (Backstretch Pension Plan, burial assistance, scholarships), the Maryland-Bred Bonus Programs, and the Beyond The Wire aftercare initiative. The organization also provides communication tools including WhatsApp community groups and maintains advocacy and regulatory support functions through the Maryland Racing Commission.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Horsemen's Happenings Newsletter
• Ferris Allen Bootstraps Scholarship Program
• Maryland Horsemen's Health System
• Mobile Dentist Program
• Backstretch Pension Plan
• Maryland-Bred Owner & Developer Bonus Program
• Beyond The Wire
• Maryland Jockey Benevolence Program
• Burial Assistance Program
• Immigration and Visa Assistance
• Groom Awards Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 198 Maryland-bred horses earned bonuses in 2025 summer program at Colonial Downs and Delaware Park
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• 1/ST RacingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 June 20261/ST Racing is a stakeholder in Maryland racing. Governor Moore's administration exercised the state's right of first refusal to acquire the Preakness Stakes intellectual property for $85 million, replacing the previous licensing arrangement with CDI/1/ST.
• Maryland Racing CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 June 2026Nine-member body appointed by the governor to regulate Thoroughbred and Standardbred racing and pari-mutuel wagering in Maryland. MTHA advocates before the MRC on behalf of Maryland horsemen.
• MedStar HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedStar Health physicians serve the Maryland Horsemen's Health System, providing on-site medical care at Laurel Park. Dr. Jason Pothast and Dr. Kelly Ryan provide race day medical coverage and limited summer schedule appointments during the Laurel racing break.
• The Maryland Jockey Club (TMJC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMTHA works closely with TMJC on racing operations, purse structures, stakes schedules, condition books, and bonus programs. TMJC operates Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course.
• Maryland Horse Breeders AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMHBA collaborates with MTHA on the Maryland-Bred Owner and Developer Bonus Program, which requires horses to be registered with MHBA to be eligible for bonuses.
• Beyond The WirecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBeyond The Wire is Maryland's Thoroughbred aftercare organization founded by MTHA. It provides placement services, retraining assistance, and financial grants for retired Thoroughbreds that raced at Maryland tracks. Funded through rider deductions split 50/50 with Maryland Jockey Benevolence Program.
• Thoroughbred Education and Research Foundation (TERF)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner501(c)(3) organization promoting Thoroughbred health, welfare, and racing safety. Has awarded more than 100 grants totaling more than $1 million since 2010 for educational programs, scholarships, and equine research.
• Colonial DownscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaryland-Bred Bonus Program runs at Colonial Downs during the Laurel Park summer break, allowing Maryland-bred horses to earn bonus payments while racing outside the state.
• Delaware ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaryland-Bred Bonus Program also runs at Delaware Park during the Laurel Park summer break, with 132 Maryland-bred horses earning bonuses in 2025.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association: State-level horsemen's association representing Thoroughbred owners and trainers in New York, offering comparable advocacy, backstretch health and pension programs, and bonus structures for NY-bred horses.
• Kentucky Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association: Kentucky state affiliate of the national HBPA representing Thoroughbred owners and trainers, with directly analogous regulatory advocacy, backstretch welfare, and pension/burial assistance programs.
• Maryland Horse Breeders Association: Partner organization in Maryland representing breeders specifically; co-administers the Maryland-Bred Bonus Program with MTHA and shares overlapping membership in Maryland's Thoroughbred industry.
• Pennsylvania Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association: Pennsylvania state horsemen's association representing Thoroughbred owners and trainers at tracks like Parx and Penn National, with comparable backstretch welfare, health, and pension programs.
• California Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association: California state horsemen's organization representing Thoroughbred owners and trainers with advocacy, racing-related support programs, and purse-negotiation functions parallel to MTHA's.
• Florida Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association: Florida state horsemen's association offering directly comparable owner/trainer advocacy, backstretch health services, and purse-related programs at Florida tracks such as Gulfstream and Tampa Bay Downs.

Broad incumbents

• The Jockey Club: National Thoroughbred registry and industry steward maintaining the American Stud Book and registry rules; comparable to MTHA as a foundational Thoroughbred industry institution, though at the national rather than state level.
• Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (National HBPA): National umbrella organization for state horsemen's associations, providing MTHA's broader industry coordination, federal advocacy, and shared backstretch welfare standards across jurisdictions.

Emerging players

• Beyond The Wire (Maryland): Founded by MTHA, this Maryland-specific Thoroughbred aftercare program is comparable as a nonprofit racing-adjacent service organization, though more narrowly focused on retired-racehorse placement.

Others

• Maryland Jockey Club (1/ST Racing / Stronach Group): Operator of Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course and counterparty to MTHA on purse structures and racing operations; included as the key operating-partner peer shaping the environment MTHA members race within.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mdhorsemen
• Facebookfacebook.com/mdhorsemen

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association