Voss takes the reins as MTHA President

Katy Voss, a member of the Board of Directors of the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association since its inception in 1986, was elected president and becomes the first female to hold the position.

Voss and other officers were elected as part of an Executive Committee slate unanimously approved during the new board’s first meeting Jan. 23. The board was seated as a result of the election that took place in December 2023.

Voss takes the reins from Tim Keefe, who served as President for three consecutive three-year terms, the maximum permitted under MTHA bylaws.

Other members of the Executive Committee are two Vice Presidents, Linda Gaudet and Keefe; Michael Horning, who again will serve as Treasurer; and Ferris Allen, who was elected Secretary.

Voss, owner of Chanceland Farm in West Friendship, Md., has been a trainer in Maryland for more than 50 years and is based at Laurel Park. She also is a longtime breeder.

Along with the ongoing effort to provide future infrastructure for the Maryland racing and breeding industry as well as a new model for racing operations, Voss said another major challenge—not just in Maryland but nationally—is the cost of developing horses.

“The vast majority of owners never recoup their investment unless the horse is a stakes horse,” she said. “The consequence is fewer owners developing fewer horses, resulting in shorter fields, which leads to lower demand for young stock and breeders breeding fewer mares as reflected in The Jockey Club’s annual foal crop statistics. This downward spiral will continue if we don’t come up with some ways to make racehorse ownership more successful.”

Voss was instrumental in the founding of the MTHA and has been an active member of the MTHA Purse, Finance and Legislative committees. She also has served as a longtime officer of Maryland Million Ltd.

As MTHA President, Voss will serve on all nine board committees. 

The MTHA in early January announced the results of the 2023 election for its 15-member Board of Directors. Elected were seven owner representatives, seven trainer representatives and one member who received the next highest number of votes regardless of category.  The election, conducted by Intelliscan Inc., was held from Dec. 1-31 using paper and online ballots. The certified results were delivered to the MTHA Jan. 3.

Members of the new Board of Directors will serve three-year terms.

Owners: Joseph P. “Josh” Pons, Gaudet, Charles J. “Chip” Reed, JoAnn Hayden, David H. Wade, Horning and R. Thomas Bowman Jr.

Trainers: H. Graham Motion, Michael J. Trombetta, Voss, Keefe, Lacey A. Gaudet, Brittany T. Russell and Allen.

David Hayden, who ran in the owner category, picked up the 15th spot on the board.

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