first published in the September 2024 Equiery
This year’s Maryland Thoroughbred Hall of Fame inductees are Alma North, Richard’s Kid, and Shine Again. Together, they have raced for 17 years, made 159 starts, won 30 stakes races, and earned four Maryland-bred Horse of the Year titles. Inductees are voted on by a committee of Maryland racing industry members coordinated by the Maryland Horse Breeders Association and Maryland Racing Media Association. These three horses were honored during an induction ceremony at Timonium on August 23 at the opening day of the Timonium race meet.

“This year’s inductees are indicative of the reach of our great Maryland-bred horses and their breeders. Mr. Meyerhoff, Mrs. DuPont, Dr. Leonard and the Bender family represented some of Maryland’s most dedicated and successful breeders,” said Cricket Goodall, executive director of the Maryland Horse Breeders Association. “The voters each year work hard to evaluate the choices and come up with their selections so, with a tie in the voting, we will induct three horses this year.”

Alma North (Northern Dancer x Spaws Arrow, Spaws), bred by J.I.B Farms, a partnership between Dr. Robert A. Leonard and Stanley Bender, was born in 1968. She was named 1971 Maryland-bred Horse of the Year after her three-year-old season that included 27 starts in which she won or placed 19 times (12 of which were stakes races). She raced for Eugene Mori’s East Acres after being purchased at Saratoga as a yearling. She was trained by Frank J. Zitto during her four-year career. In total, she had 78 starts with 23 wins, 14 seconds and 18 thirds. She ran in 15 career stakes including four in 1973.

Richard’s Kid (Lemon Drop Kid x Tough Broad, Broad Brush), foaled in 2005, started his career on the East Coast for his breeder, Robert Meyerhoff’s Fitzhugh LLC and trainer Dickie Small, for whom the big bay was named. In the spring of 2009, he was sold privately to Arnold Zetcher, who sent him to trainer Bob Baffert. Baffert trained him through the middle part of his 47-start career, including Pacific Classic wins. Zetcher sent Richard’s Kid to Dubai in 2010 for more than a year with trainer Satish Seemar before returning to the U.S. in the spring of 2012 where he set a new track record in his first start back on U.S. soil at Hollywood Park. Two starts later, he set a track record at Del Mar. Richard’s Kid was sold two more times during his career and finished his career in trainer Doug O’Neill’s barn starting in 2012. He retired to stud at the end of 2013 having logged eight stakes wins, six graded, and placed in 10 other stakes. His career earnings are nearly $2.5 million. Richard’s Kid was named Maryland-bred Horse of the Year and Champion Older Male in 2009 and 2010. He is the third horse bred by Meyerhoff to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Previous inductees were Broad Brush and Concern.

Shine Again (Wild Again x Shiner, Two Punch), a fourth-generation homebred of Allaire duPont, was a Maryland-bred champion for three consecutive years including winning Horse of the Year as a 5-year-old in 2003. She is considered one of the most consistent race mares to ever be produced in Maryland. She finished in the top three in 31 of her 34 starts and, at retirement, was ranked the ninth-leading Maryland-bred money-earner of all time, and only the second-leading female, behind Safely Kept. Trained by Allen Jerkens, Shine Again won Saratoga’s Ballerina Handicap (G1) in 2001 and again in 2002. She was named Maryland-bred Champion Sprinter twice and Maryland-bred Champion Older Mare three times. She finished her career in 2003 with earnings of just over $1 million. Shine Again won or placed in 20 stakes races, 18 graded.

“What jumps out at you about all three of this year’s inductees is their longevity,” said Maryland Racing Media Association president Frank Vespe. “In our era of shortened careers, it’s refreshing to see horses that made dozens of starts and competed successfully at the highest level over multiple seasons. In fact, all three won or placed in top-level stakes in at least three different years.”

To read more about each of these horses and see previous inductees, visit: https://marylandthoroughbred.com/cms/index.php/news-events/news/3187-2024-maryland-thoroughbred-hall-of-fame-inductees-selected