About Us

James Baker has been in racing and around horses his whole life.  He started with his father in the 70’s who trained for many years.  In the 80’s he had the opportunity to work for such outstanding trainers – Frank and David Whitley and Shug McGaughey. Working for them was unbelievable as he was around numerous stake winners and champions. Baker started his own stable in 1990 with the help of Shug McGaughey and has had numerous stake winners of his own.  He is currently based at Churchill Downs and Fair Grounds during the winter months.

Michael Banahan is the Director of Bloodstock for Godolphin USA. During the early part of his professional career, Michael worked in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States for Godolphin, Coolmore, Juddmonte, and for trainers Colin Hayes, Guy Harwood and Bill Mott. Michael has worked for Godolphin for the past 29 years both in the UK and primarily here in the US. He is a director of Kentucky Equine Management Internship (Kemi) and on the executive committee of the UK Gluck Equine Research Foundation. Michael is married to Kathryn and have 3 children: Grace, Brian, and Laura.

Craig Bandoroff is the owner, with his wife Holly, of Denali Stud in Paris, Kentucky.  Denali Stud is a boarding operation mostly involved in breeding and raising horses for the commercial market.  Denali is also a consignment agency and consistently has been a leading top 5 consignor in the industry over the past 10 years.  Bandoroff is also a breeder with a broodmare band of about 15 mares.  Champion Serena’s Song has resided at Denali Stud her entire broodmare career and the farm raised KY Derby winner & Dubai World Cup winner, Animal Kingdom. He has been actively involved in the horse business for over 30 years as a jockey, sales company employee with Fasig Tipton, and a bloodstock consulting firm.  Current Director of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association/Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders, Inc. and Chairman of the Marketing Committee, past President of CBA, a board member of KEEP, an active member of TOBA, a former director of the Thoroughbred Club, a former board member of The Lexington School, and a founding member of the NTA.  The Bandoroff’s have three children and reside in Lexington.

A native of Lexington, Price grew up working for his family’s Mill Ridge Farm; knowing it was a great privilege to weed-eat, hay, or anything else that needed to be done. Following college, Price moved to Charlotte, NC to work in commercial real estate and development. This early career took him to Nashville, TN where he became very involved in Nashville’s blossoming downtown community revitalization. Always promoting and passionate about Thoroughbreds and Central Kentucky, Price jumped at the opportunity to return to Lexington and work with his father, Headley, at Nicoma Bloodstock – the consulting arm of Mill Ridge Farm. With conviction for the sport and believing in the great opportunity to develop our fan base, Price became actively involved with the KTA’s Vision 2020 group and ultimately honored to join the board of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association, Inc./Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders, Inc.  Price serves as a board member of Horse Country, TOBA, The National Racing Museum, Fayette Alliance and the NoLI community development corporation.

Stuart E. Brown, II, DVM is a partner of Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Lexington, Kentucky, where he has been in practice since graduating from Tuskegee University School of Veterinary Medicine in 1991.  He was born and raised in Versailles, Kentucky, and graduated from Transylvania University while working locally in the Thoroughbred industry since high school.  Dr. Brown is Chair of the Equine Drug Research Council; current Commission Member of the KY Horse Racing Commission; Chairman of the Gluck Equine Research Foundation; Board of the American Association of Equine Practitioners; Member of the AAEP Public Policy and Welfare Committee; Board of the EEI/ Rolex Three Day Eventing Championships; Trustee to the AVMA Professional Liability Trust, and Legislative Committee of the KVMA; active on the UK Veterinary Livestock Disease Laboratory Advisory Committee.  In addition, he is a current Director of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association, Inc./Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders, Inc., serves on the KTA/KTOB Scientific Advisory Committee for the KTOB Foundation and is Treasurer of the KTA PAC.  He says of his tenure at KTA/KTOB, “I believe strongly in the mission of the KTA in its advocacy for the industry in the Commonwealth and its leadership position in maintaining Kentucky as the Capital of the TB Industry. This organization represents the interests of the breeders and stakeholders as stewards of the industry for generational deliverance of the ideals and cultures that have served this business to allow it to attain its present-day position. The appointment to the KTA Board has represented one of the most important positions for which I have been appointed on to serve for both my profession and as a breeder.”

A native of Kilkenny, Ireland, Pat came to Kentucky in 1984 to pursue his love of horses. Starting at Ashleigh Stud, he moved to the new Rood and Riddle, where he received agreat foundation training for 18 months. This led to the job of developing and managing Crescent Hill Farm for 10 years for the Slitz family, from where it was then time to branch out on his own. He started Drumkenny Farm in 1996, which was a 200 acre full service boarding operation. It was during this time that he became a member of various pinhooking partnerships, which not only led to introducing many friends to life as thoroughbred owners, but further revealed his love of the sales business. In 2001, Pat was a founding member of Paramount Sales, and he quickly realized that it would be impossible to fully commit to both jobs, so he decided to step away from the farm and concentrate on bloodstock sales. Since its inception, Paramount has been a top 10 leading consignor. Missing country life, Pat moved to 30 acres in 2013, where he breeds a small band of mares, and pinhooks weanlings with several partners. He and his wife, Lynne, have a daughter, Ali, who is an Athletic Trainer at Florida Atlantic University, and a son, David, who is a senior in high school. Pat loves this industry, and still believes that Kentucky is the center of the thoroughbred world. He is excited to be a part of the KTA, and hopes to be able to help promote Kentucky breeders and horses worldwide.

Tommy Drury is 50 years old and was born in Louisville, Kentucky. He has been a licensed Thoroughbred trainer since age 18. He has two children and lives in Prospect, KY.

Tommy has spent most of his career either stabled at, or managing, training centers, as well as working for other trainers. He’s been involved with several G1 winners and countless stakes winners. He is currently stables at both Skylight and High Pointe training centers in Kentucky, as well as having a barn at Churchill Downs. “I have spent my entire career racing in Kentucky on a year-round basis,” says Tommy.

Fergus is a native of County Meath, Ireland, and graduated from the Irish National Stud in 1991. He moved to Kentucky in 1992, held positions both Pin Oak Stud and Newgate Stud before a 6-year stint at Ashford Stud. Fergus started Hunter Valley Farm with partners Adrian Regan, John Wade and Tony Hegarty, now a successful Boarding and Sales operation. Mr. Galvin also serves as U.S racing manager for Qatar Racing.

Anne Archer Hinkle, with her family, own Hinkle Farms in Paris, KY. The farm, which is home to about 40 of the family’s broodmares, primarily breeds to sell in the commercial market. Anne Archer works closely with farm management and is actively involved in the day-to-day operations of the farm. She also specializes in bloodstock research & acquisition, stallion matings, and sales coordination. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Centre College in 2012 with a concentration in History and Spanish. She is currently pursuing a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Kentucky and plans to complete the program in May 2020. Anne Archer was appointed to the KTA board in early 2018. She serves on the marketing committee and is working with other board members on relaunching a program to educate and attract more young people to the Thoroughbred industry. Anne Archer and her husband, Farley Stephenson, live in Lexington, but they love nothing more than spending time on the farm in Paris.

Paul was born in Louisville, Kentucky in 1962 and resides there with wife Angie, who manages payroll for McGee’s public stable. They have four children – Matthew, Margaret, Alex and Eddie. Paul grew up in the Derby City where he and his three siblings – all first-generation horsemen – developed their interest in racing through their proximity to Churchill Downs.  Brother Marty is a columnist for the Daily Racing Form; younger sister Amy is married to and keeps the books for Southern California-based trainer Ron Ellis whose stable includes Declan’s Moon, 2004’s 2-year-old champion; and older sister Susan has previously worked in group sales for Hollywood Park.  Paul got his start in racing at age 15 by walking hots for conditioner Jerry Calvin and later galloped horses for trainers Angel Montano Sr. and Carl Bowman. After attending Louisville’s St. Xavier High School, he graduated from Bellarmine University with a degree in chemistry. “My Dad sells water treatment chemicals,” McGee said. “It was kind of a fall-back.  If it didn’t work out at the racetrack, I would go to work for him. He never objected to me coming to the racetrack. He’s 100 percent behind me.” Paul took out his trainer’s license in 1987 and saddled his first winner, Pabarene, at Churchill Downs that year.  Graded stakes winners include Eyes On Eddy, Balthazar B., Bet On Sunshine, Dream Run, Honor in War, I Believe in You, Miss Pickums, Suave and Twilight Road.  Earned first outright training title at the winter/spring meet at Turfway Park that concluded in 2007.  McGee’s Breeders’ Cup appearances came with Suave, who finished fifth in the 2005 Classic, and Bet On Sunshine, who finished third in the Sprint in 1997 and 2000 and 13th in 2001.  “He was a foundation horse for me, and a lot of people associate me with that horse,” he said of Bet On Sunshine, who continued to race until he was a 10-year-old and retired with nearly $1.5 million in earnings.  At age 15, Bet On Sunshine lives a life of leisure at Hermitage Farm near Goshen, Ky.

Neil was born in Lexington, Kentucky, and has been involved in the Thoroughbred business his entire life. His family owned Winchester Farm, a 500-acre breeding farm. Among the stallions at Winchester Farm was perennial leading sire Olden Times. His family also built the Kentucky Training Center and Dueling Grounds (Now Kentucky Downs). Neil has been training for about forty years. Currently Bell’s the One is his best horse. Neil plans to be the voice for horsemen and the true welfare of the horse.

Kim Smith is a graduate of the University of Louisville and resides in Prospect, Kentucky.  As a thoroughbred yearling and breeding stock sales agent servicing clients across four continents, Kim has selected prospects including graded stake performers and producers, Breeder’s Cup entries and a four-year-old Malayan champion. Kim has been a long-standing thoroughbred industry service provider since becoming the stable manager at the Kentucky Derby Museum early in her career.  There she implemented adoptable horses into the museum’s tour program, and this led her to create Moserwood Farms LLC, a broodmare care, foaling, breaking and lay-up facility near Churchill Downs.  Kim passed her Kentucky Race Commission trainer’s test and is the Founder and Executive Director of Second Stride, Inc., a 501(c)(3) transitional safety net aftercare program for thoroughbred horses.  Since its founding in 2005, Second Stride has grown into a leading national equine adoption program by horsemen for horsemen. Kim has affiliations with syndicate ownerships and professional industry program memberships such as K.E.E.P, KHC, T.O.B.A., KTA/KTOB, NTRA, and TAA.  She provides a range of professional services to industry partners, including aftercare educational material, consultations and speaking engagements. In her personal time, Kim enjoys watching her sons play sports, eating out with her husband at Kentucky Proud locally owned restaurants and hitting the trails or local shows with her horses.

T. Wayne Sweezey, along with his wife Cathy, own and operate Timber Town Stable. Originally from Maryland, Wayne has managed farms since the early ‘80s. Prior to the inception of Timber Town, Wayne served as General Manager and ultimately as Partner of Darby Dan Farm. In the 20 years as head of operations, Darby Dan flourished. In 2009 Sweezey chose to operate independently and with Cathy founded Timber Town Stable. Today, Timber Town and staff oversee 400 acres of farmland and care for over $70 million in bloodstock, including champions Havre de Grace, Songbird, Groupie Doll and Canadian Champion Irish Mission.

Jeffrey D. Thornbury, KTA-KTOB board of directors for over 20 years.  Multiple Graded Stakes winning trainer for more than 35 years.  Owner and manager of Sunnyside Stock Farm, LLC, a full-service Thoroughbred farm in Paris, KY.

Ned has been the General Manager at Spendthrift Farm since B. Wayne Hughes set up shop in Kentucky in 2004. He graduated from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, with a degree in Sport Management, where he also lettered in football. Ned is a lifelong fan of horses and racing and started work in the breeding industry in New York State. Working at Kinderhill Farm and then as Farm Manager at Prantlack Farm, he and his wife Katie then relocated to Lexington. After a stint at Brookdale Farm in Versailles he held the position of Broodmare Manager at Dixiana Farm and at Three Chimneys Farm, prior to assuming his current position at Spendthrift. Ned is a past board member of Thoroughbred Charities of America and a current board member of the Jockey and Equestrian Initiative and the Gluck Equine Research Foundation, both at the University of Kentucky. Katie and Ned are the parents of four children; Matthew, Megan, Daniel and Annie.