Maryland Thoroughbred Career Program a Valuable Introduction to Horse Industry for Students

The Life
Maryland Thoroughbred Career Program MTCP breeding horse racing Sagamore Farm Fair Hill Graham Motion internship college student Laurel Park
Students participating in the Maryland Thoroughbred Career Program learn about the entire equine industry, including raising a foal, during a weeklong immersive itinerary. Pictured are members of the 2021 class. (Courtesy of Maryland Thoroughbred Career Program)

For anyone looking to take a first step toward a career in the world of racing, there’s a unique opportunity to do just that — but the window is closing with a rapidly approaching deadline of Friday, April 21. That’s the deadline to apply for a spot in the 2023 class of the Maryland Thoroughbred Career Program (MTCP)

Launched by the Maryland Horse Industry Foundation in 2017, the MTCP is a week-long crash-course in various facets of the racing industry that allows the participants selected an opportunity to explore a multitude of career options. For more information and to apply now, click here.

John Piassek was part of the inaugural MTCP class in 2017. He now works full-time for the Maryland Horse Breeders Association. He shared with us some of his experiences in the MTCP and told us why he’d encourage anyone with an interest in starting a career in racing to apply. 

You were part of the inaugural Maryland Thoroughbred Career Program (MTCP) in 2017. For starters, what were you thinking when you applied and what were your expectations?

I applied for the MTCP when I was a junior at Loyola University Maryland in Baltimore. I had obviously been living in Maryland for a little while at that point and had become well-acquainted with the racing scene, but while I knew there was a rich history of racing and breeding in the state, I didn’t know many of the major players and was unfamiliar with the ins and outs of the breeding side. I decided to apply because I knew the program would give me insight into racing in the state and help form connections, which, eventually, led me to my current position at the Maryland Horse Breeders Association.

Visiting Fair Hill (Courtesy of Maryland Thoroughbred Career Program)

What sort of experiences stand out from your time as a participant in the MTCP?

There were many highlights, but chief among them were visiting Fair Hill, Sagamore Farm, and Country Life Farm. I knew Fair Hill existed, but I didn’t realize how expansive its training operation is until I visited. I met, among others, horses from the Graham Motion and Mike Trombetta barns (in fact, I got to visit Motion-trained millionaire Twilight Eclipse the day he was retired), and check out the Tapeta training surface.

Sagamore, located in Glyndon, not far from the MHBA office, was originally owned by Alfred Vanderbilt and was a major breeding and training facility for decades. It’s best known as the home and final resting place of the great Native Dancer. At the time, they had an active breeding operation, and visiting a place with such a rich history was an incredible experience. Country Life, run by Josh and Mike Pons, is one of the preeminent breeding farms in Maryland. Cigar, the greatest Maryland-bred of all time, was foaled there in 1990. By visiting places like that, you form a bigger connection with racing in the state. It’s one thing to see those names on a program, but when you see it in person, it hits a lot differently.

We visited Laurel Park twice, and on one of those days we met Sal Sinatra, who at the time was the head of the Maryland Jockey Club. He really spearheaded the renaissance of Maryland racing in the mid-2010s, and it was a thrill to meet him.

How did the time you spent in the MTCP shape who you are and how your career in racing has unfolded in the years since?

Participating in the MTCP gave me a much broader view of the racing landscape. I got into racing as a fan, and while I was well-versed on everything on the frontside of racing, I wasn’t as familiar with a lot of other backstretch topics. Seeing how much work goes into caring for a horse made me a more well-rounded student of the game.

I started covering Maryland racing full-time on theracingbiz.com in May 2020. This helped me stay in touch with what was happening in the industry down there, even though I moved back to my home state of New Jersey upon my graduation from Loyola in 2018. Getting experience with writing and public handicapping helped me land a position with America’s Best Racing as a content manager and creator, which I did from January 2021 to July 2022.

Thanks to my connections in Maryland, which started brewing with the MTCP, I started working for the MHBA as the communications manager last July. My knowledge of the Maryland racing landscape, which expanded with the MTCP and has only grown since then, plays a big part in my current position.

Courtesy of Maryland Thoroughbred Career Program

Looking at the roster of past graduates, it appears there are several others in addition to yourself who are on their way to successful careers in the sport. Can you tell us about some of them?

I participated in the first MTCP with Sara Gordon, who was the communications manager at the MTCP before me, and is now the social media manager for the Thoroughbred Daily News (and is killing it, I might add).

Charles Churchill, a member of the MTCP class of 2021, was an Ed Brown Society intern with 1/ST Bet last year, and is now a full-time team member based at Gulfstream Park. Zaharia Selman, also in the class of 2021, was also an Ed Brown scholar and is starting a 1/ST internship of her own.

What would you say to someone who wants to apply to be a part of this year’s MTCP class but might be intimidated?

It’s absolutely worth it. Don’t be afraid if you don’t know something – you’re there to learn, and there’s no better place to learn about horses than in Maryland.

Are there any limitations on who can apply? Is there anything applicants should know about the time commitment involved and what will be expected of them?

The MTCP is open to United States residents between the ages of 17 and 22. It takes place from June 5-9, so I would carve out about a week if you’re applying from out of town. Each day is several hours long, and requires some traveling. Be sure to pay attention to as much as you can – it’ll all be worth it. Applications for the 2023 MTCP close on April 21 – click here to apply.

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