National Thoroughbred League Announces New Miami Franchise Ownership And Renaming

MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A consortium of South Florida business leaders and celebrities has purchased the National Thoroughbred League (NTL) franchise in Miami, with a goal of expanding the team’s operations and influence. As part of the purchase, the team, led by Jason Wiesenfeld, has been rechristened as the Miami Thunderbolts.

The Thunderbolts consortium also includes: Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member Jarobi White from A Tribe Called Quest; Tony Award winner, poet, spoken word artist, and actor Lemon Andersen; co-founder of the Influential agency Ryan Detert; private equity executive Glenn Kaufman; media entrepreneur R.J. Shook; and Hall of Fame jockey Jose Santos.

“After spending 25 years working with entrepreneurs, I could not think of a better organization to join after my retirement from corporate America,” says Wiesenfeld, a former Goldman Sachs Managing Director. “I look forward to working with the other franchises to make the NTL one of the most important sports leagues in the world.”

The Thunderbolts will debut Saturday at the NTL season opener at the legendary Pimlico racetrack in Baltimore, at a weekend event hosted by the Maryland Colts lead owner, the two-time NTL MVP Lamar Jackson. Other 2025 race weekends will take place in Philadelphia, St. Louis and Nashville.

“Miami might be the most exciting city in America, and the Thunderbolts ownership group, led by Jason, represents the kind of team that can match that excitement,” says Randall Lane, cofounder of the NTL.

The NTL is a first-of-its-kind racing league reimagining America’s oldest spectator sport by creating a team-based professional sports league, by consistently and safely running exceptional horses allowing fans the chance to root for the same stars’ month after month and year after year. Besides Lamar Jackson, high profile owners include Julius Erving, Tanya Tucker, Rick Ross, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Moira Forbes.

The league conducted a draft for its equine-athletes earlier this week, with 30 horses picked by the ten teams to compete for them across the 2025 season.

For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit www.NTL.racing

About National Thoroughbred League

The National Thoroughbred League (NTL) is a first-of-its-kind racing league reimagining America’s oldest spectator sport by creating a team-based professional sports league, by consistently and safely running exceptional horses allowing fans the chance to root for the same stars’ month after month and year after year. The NTL is also a lifestyle, creating weekends of food, fashion and fun akin to the Kentucky Derby or Formula 1.