Bill Knauf

In an abrupt switch of plans that had seemed cemented for the past year as part of the $400-million "Pimlico Plus" rebuild of Maryland's Thoroughbred racing infrastructure, the Maryland Stadium Authority (MSA) is abandoning plans to convert its recently purchased Shamrock Farm in Carroll County into an 800-horse training center, and will instead buy Laurel Park from The Stronach Group (TSG) with the intention of turning it into an 1,100-horse training facility. With Pimlico Race Course now demolished and projected to be rebuilt in time for the 2027 GI Preakness...

It was a good year for the new management team at the Maryland racetracks, where the average daily handle at Laurel was up 13.49 percent and average per-race handle increased by 14.29 percent. To talk about what went right for Maryland racing last year, the future of the GI Preakness Stakes, the decision to form a circuit with Colonial Downs, and to report on the rebuild of Pimlico, Bill Knauf, the president and general manager of the nonprofit Maryland Jockey Club, joined the team for this week's TDN Writers' Room...

Bill Knauf, the president and general manager of the Maryland Jockey Club, joined this week's TDN Writers' Room to outline plans for the future of racing in Maryland, including this year's Preakness Stakes at Laurel Park.

Bill Knauf is the president and general manager of the non-profit Maryland Jockey Club Inc., (MJC), which took over the management of Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course this year. It's a time of tremendous transition in that state, with Pimlico currently being demolished and rebuilt with the goal of all commercial-track Thoroughbred racing in Maryland moving to the new Baltimore venue by 2027. Laurel will then close for racing and training, and a new training facility at Shamrock Farm in Carroll County will be built. Knauf updated TDN on...

Following the news of his passing, tributes  to legendary trainer D. Wayne Lukas poured in from across the industry Sunday. "A four-time winner of the Kentucky Derby, today we lost one of the great champions of Churchill Downs and one of the most significant figures in Thoroughbred racing over the last 50 years. We will miss his humor, his wisdom and his unmatched capacity to thrill the fans with the performances of his horses on our sport's biggest days." Bill Carstanjen, CEO of Churchill Downs Incorporated "D. Wayne Lukas was...

Coming off a weekend in which Laurel Park ran eight races on Sunday with 48 starters and nine races on Saturday with 55 starters (with three four-horse fields between the two days), the non-profit  (TMJC), which took over the management of Laurel and Pimlico Race Course this year, is banking on a combination of better weather, an upcoming schedule break, and a new carryover structure for the Pick Five to boost field sizes and betting handle. In response to a query from a commissioner, Bill Knauf, the president and general...

The new Maryland Jockey Club (TMJC) has hired veteran John Banno as Director of Racing Surfaces, the organization said in a press release on Friday morning. Previously the superintendent at Thistledown, Banno brings over 30 years of industry experience to the role. He will oversee the TMJC track team as they maintain the dirt surfaces at Laurel Park, Pimlico Race Course, and the brand-new training center at Shamrock Farm. "John is the perfect fit for the Maryland Jockey Club," said President and General Manager Bill Knauf. "He has a proven...

Fritz Widaman has been named Senior Vice President, Marketing and Sponsorships, the Maryland Jockey Club announced Friday. Previously a key executive at the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), Widaman brings over 37 years of experience to his new role. Throughout his career, Widaman has demonstrated a commitment to advancing the horse racing industry by leveraging his sales, marketing, and business development expertise to foster growth and innovation. "We are thrilled to have Fritz join the new TMJC," said MJC President and General Manager Bill Knauf. "He is a seasoned professional...

Dan Illman has been named Director of Communications of the new Maryland Jockey Club. Previously a writer, correspondent, analyst and handicapper at Daily Racing Form, Illman will lead the organization's media relations department when the new TMJC, a non-profit entity under the auspices of the Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority, assumes control of Maryland's day-to-day racing operations Jan. 1. "We are incredibly pleased to welcome Dan to the team at the new TMJC," said President and General Manager Bill Knauf. "He is a proven leader in the field of communications...

Bill Knauf, a long-time executive at Monmouth Park, has been named the president and general manager of the non-profit entity the Maryland Jockey Club Inc. that is set to take control of Maryland's two major Thoroughbred tracks starting Jan. 1. The announcement of his hiring was made by the Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Authority (MTRA), a non-profit group modeled after the New York Racing Association, which operates racing at Aqueduct, Belmont and Saratoga. The Maryland tracks were transferred to the MTRA by The Stronach Group, which donated them to the state...

The GIII General George Stakes and GIII Barbara Fritchie Stakes highlight a 25-strong stakes schedule worth a combined $2.6 million for the winter/spring meet at Laurel Park. The seven-furlong events are part of a Feb. 15 card that also includes the John B. Campbell Stakes and Nellie Morse Stakes, each carrying a $100,000 purse. Three-year-old males and females feature on programs scheduled for Feb. 22, with the one-mile Miracle Wood Stakes for sophomore boys and the seven-furlong Wide Country Stakes for the girls. Those two events serve as lead-up races...

Bill Knauf, who has served Monmouth Park in a variety of roles--most recently its vice president of business development--for over a quarter-century, will take up the position of president and general manager of The Maryland Jockey Club Inc., a new 501(c) (4) organization to manage and operate Thoroughbred horse racing in the state. "We have found the perfect person to lead Maryland's groundbreaking efforts to reimagine and renew the racing experience," said Greg Cross, chairman of the Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority (MTROA). "Bill not only has operating experience, but...