Cricket Goodall

Dr. Dionne Benson and Cricket Goodall will each be honored with the Special Award of Merit on Thursday, May 14 at the Alibi Breakfast at Laurel Park. The Special Award of Merit is given to those who have made a positive impact on the racing industry. Previous recipients have included Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, Jim McKay, Ellen Charles, Beyond the Wire, D. Wayne Lukas and Jerry Bailey. The Alibi Breakfast, which began in the 1930s on the porch of the historic Pimlico Race Course, features a gathering of owners, trainers, jockeys,...

Edited Press Release With the expected retirement of current executive director Cricket Goodall in 2027, the Maryland Horse Breeders Association (MHBA) is preemptively looking for her successor. The Maryland Horse Breeders Association (MHBA) seeks an accomplished Executive Director to lead one of the nation's most respected Thoroughbred industry organizations. Since 1929, MHBA has served as the principal advocate for Maryland's Thoroughbred breeding and racing industry and a steward of the state's rich equine heritage. Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director serves as chief executive of MHBA and...

In recognition of Black History Month, the Maryland Horse Library and Education Center will host the traveling exhibit, The Heart of the Turf: Racing's Black Pioneers. The exhibit will open Saturday, Feb. 1 with a talk by the exhibit curator, and Library Director, Roda Ferraro from the Keeneland Library. The exhibit will be available to visit at the MHLEC through Feb. 28. Heart of the Turf highlights the lives and careers of 100 African American horsemen and horsewomen from the mid-1800s to the present. One-of-a-kind photographs from the Keeneland Library...

The ninth installment in the 2024 OwnerView webinar series was held on Nov. 5 and discussion covered the various ways state incentive programs approach supporting the equine industry, especially when it comes to a declining foal crop, according to a Friday Jockey Club press release. The panel consisted of Cricket Goodall, executive director of the Maryland Horse Breeders Association Inc., the Maryland Million Ltd., and the Maryland Horse Foundation; Roger Heitzmann, secretary and executive director of the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association; Steve Koch, the associate vice president of operations for...

Three horses, all Grade I winners, have been selected for induction into the Maryland Thoroughbred Hall of Fame in 2024: Alma North, Richard's Kid, and Shine Again. A committee of Maryland racing industry members coordinated by the Maryland Horse Breeders Association and Maryland Racing Media Association were responsible for the vote. The newest inductees will be celebrated during a ceremony after the fourth race on opening day of the Timonium race meet on Friday, Aug. 23. "This year's inductees are indicative of the reach of our great Maryland-bred horses and...

A group ranging from high school juniors to college graduates make up the participants for the seventh edition of the Maryland Thoroughbred Career program, the Maryland Horse Foundation announced Tuesday. This year's participants are: Kate Benjamin (Westminster, MD); Daria Bogdanov (Baltimore, MD); Emily Cross (Westminster, MD); Keely Flynn (Harwood, MD); and Claire Superczynski (Sykesville, MD). "Every year, with the Maryland Thoroughbred Career Program, we look forward to introducing our industry to a new group of young people", says Cricket Goodall, executive director of the Maryland Horse Foundation. "We always learn...

Maryland was one of the breakout states in the American Horse Council's report on the economic impact of the national horse industry, released on Jan. 31. The total economic impact of the industry grew 38% between 2017 and 2022, from $2.1 billion to $2.9 billion. In addition, the industry's direct contribution to Maryland's GDP grew by 40.5% between 2017 and 2022. The industry is responsible for 28,434 jobs, and horse industry wages total more than $1.24 billion. The survey, conducted in 2023 by the American Horse Council, determined that Maryland...

The 2024 Maryland Thoroughbred Career Program (MTCP) has been scheduled for June 3-7, according to the Maryland Horse Foundation. The online application can be completed by Apr. 19. Interviews will take place in the two weeks after the application deadline and selected participants will be notified in early May. "The Maryland Thoroughbred Career Program offers a great opportunity to see behind the scenes in the various components of the industry from reproduction to racetrack operations," said Cricket Goodall, Executive Director. "We hope to show these young people that love horses...

The Maryland Horse Foundation announced that the 2023 Maryland Thoroughbred Career Program (MTCP) will run from June 5-9, 2023. The online application is now open and must be completed by Apr. 21. Interviews will take place in the two weeks after the application deadline and selected participants will be notified in early May. "The Maryland Thoroughbred Career Program offers a great opportunity to see behind the scenes in the various components of the industry from reproduction to racetrack operations", says Cricket Goodall, executive director. "We hope to show these young...

Located in the heart of historic Reisterstown, Md., just down the road from Sagamore Farm, Hall of Fame steeplechase trainer Jack Fisher's Kingfisher Farm, and GreenMount Farm, the birthplace of 2021 Horse of the Year Knicks Go (Paynter), sits the newly opened Maryland Horse Library and Education Center. The one-of-a-kind facility, honoring the robust history of horses in Maryland and serving as a hub for educating the next generation, is housed in the Maryland Horse Breeders Association (MHBA)'s building. The stately brick structure with large, white columns, was originally built...

The Maryland Horse Breeders Association (MHBA) has announced the creation of an aftercare account that will direct funds to support Maryland-bred racehorses as they are retired and preparing for their second career. The account, called BackStop, will be funded by extracting a $25 fee from each Maryland-bred registration submitted. BackStop funds will not replace or relieve the responsibility of the owner, breeder or trainer to arrange for aftercare for their retirees. Funds will be disperses on an as-available basis up to $2,000 and are to be used as adjunct support...

Last year's GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner and likely Horse of the Year Knicks Go (Paynter) was named Top Midlantic-Bred of 2021 in the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred/The Racing Biz Top Midlantic-bred Poll. It's the second straight year he's earned Top Midlantic-Bred honors. "To see him win this award not once but twice is incredible," said Sabrina Moore, who along with her mother Angie, bred Knicks Go in Maryland. "It's been an amazing journey, and I'm so grateful for it." "We are so proud that Knicks Go has been recognized for this...