Philip B. Schoenthal

Phil Schoenthal is more than a Thoroughbred trainer in the Mid-Atlantic region. His operation Kingdom Bloodstock Inc. manages racing partnerships, represents at auctions, plans broodmare matings, and assists with business and tax planning.

Schoenthal, who won his first stakes as a trainer in 2003 with White Mountain Boy at Laurel Park, has trained for many owners over the years and has developed quality racehorses. One of them, the filly Miss Behaviour, was a multiple graded stakes winner including the Grade 2 Matron Stakes at Belmont; she also finished second in the Grade 1 Test Stakes at Saratoga. In all, he has trained 15 individual stakes winners.

Schoenthal, who resides in Crownsville with his wife and three children, opened a public stable in 2004 after training privately. He is a veteran of the United States Air Force and holds a Bachelor’s Degree.

“I’m very proud of the work the MTHA has done over the past several years under the leadership of President Tim Keefe,” Schoenthal said. “From navigating through the COVID shutdown, working with state government officials and the MJC on the Pimlico revitalization project, strengthening the Pension Fund for backstretch workers, instituting the automatic trainer commission deduction, continuing to grow the Beyond The Wire aftercare organization, and working with MJC to hire a track superintendent and ensuring our surface remains as safe as possible are among the notable achievements the board has worked on.”

“Everyone acknowledges that no organization or person is perfect, and there are many challenges ahead that will need to be addressed by the next sitting board,” he said. “My chief concerns right now are how do we grow the game by making the ownership experience better? The massive looming racetrack construction project is sure to cause a lot of short-term pain for horsemen and will need to be navigated with care and wisdom to ensure the best possible scenario for all while looking to our long-term future.”

“The new federal legislation is certainly going to need to be addressed by all stakeholders and it will take considerable work and foresight to make that implementation process as smooth as possible for all horsemen. I think the next MTHA board can improve the communication channels with the broader population of horsemen about relevant issues in real time.”