The Thoroughbred publications Steeplechase Times and Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred will solidify an ongoing business relationship with a partnership that merges the two print publications under the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred banner.
Steeplechase Times, a newspaper founded by Joe and Sean Clancy of ST Publishing, will become part of Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred, the monthly magazine published by the Maryland Horse Breeders Association effective with the March edition. The move brings to a close 19 years of print publishing for Steeplechase Times, but opens doors to more resources and expansion.
“Steeplechase Times means a great deal to us and it’s sad to see it draw to a close, but the publishing market has changed so much – when we started, the newspaper was the only way to find out results and get information,” said Joe Clancy. “That’s no longer the case. American steeplechasing is a small part of the Thoroughbred industry and, though we’ve gotten great support from individuals and businesses, we’ve always taken on other projects to build the business. By joining with Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred, we can continue without the challenges of publishing a newspaper in a small market and gain a stronger position in the Thoroughbred economy.”
For the past year, the Clancys have played a bigger role in the editing of Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred and re-energizing the magazine which dates to the 1930s as the Maryland Horse. Joe Clancy has been the editor at Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred for several months and will now have more time to devote to the project. Sean Clancy and recent ST hire Tom Law will also be involved in the efforts at Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred, along with longtime magazine staffers Barrie Reightler (director of publications), Cindy Deubler (associate editor) and a growing list of freelance writers.
“We welcome the chance to expand what we do and reach a wider segment of the region’s Thoroughbred industry through an expansion of the steeplechase coverage and the involvement of more people,” said Cricket Goodall, executive director of the Maryland Horse Breeders Association. “We’ve got a great team in place and we’re excited about the future for the magazine and everything we do here.”
Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred has long covered steeplechasing as part of its editorial mission focusing on Thoroughbred racing and breeding in the Mid-Atlantic states of Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North and South Carolina, New Jersey, Delaware and West Virginia. Expanding that coverage will only strengthen the magazine’s place in the industry.
For ST Publishing, the move adds to the possibilities for other projects, including its newspaper The Saratoga Special, within Thoroughbred racing. The Saratoga daily began publishing in 2001 and has matured into an indispensable part of the summer race meet at the upstate New York track.
“We’re excited about it,” said Sean Clancy. “Since it started, The Special has become a bigger part of our company and we look forward to devoting more time to it and making it an even more important part of what we do. We’re also looking forward to several new projects in the works.”
As part of the arrangement, existing subscribers to Steeplechase Times will be added to Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred and existing advertising contracts will be honored at corresponding price levels.
*Photo: The first edition of Steeplechase Times from 1994 (left) and final from 2012.
About ST Publishing: Based in Fair Hill, Md., the publishing company is owned by Joe and Sean Clancy. It launched in 1994 with the creation Steeplechase Times and followed up with The Saratoga Special (2001) newspaper and the continuation of the Thoroughbred Racing Calendar (2003). ST and the Clancys have received multiple honors from American Horse Publications in addition to recognition from the Eclipse Awards and others for editorial excellence while writing for ST products and others including Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred, The Blood-Horse, Daily Racing Form, New York Times and more. See www.st-publishing.com for more.
About Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred: The monthly Thoroughbred publication launched in 1991 as a successor to The Maryland Horse, which first published in 1936. Honored frequently by American Horse Publications, the Eclipse Awards and others, the magazine is devoted to Thoroughbred racing and breeding in the region, and provides news, information, education and entertainment to Thoroughbred owners, trainers, breeders and enthusiasts throughout the region and beyond including relationships with the state breed associations in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, New Jersey, North Carolina and South Carolina. The magazine reaches 10,000 breeders, owners and trainers active in racing and breeding in the Mid-Atlantic region. See midatlantictb.com for more.
