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Eight members appointed to new Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority

Preakness
Posted at 12:26 PM, Jun 09, 2023
and last updated 2023-06-09 12:28:27-04

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Governor Wes Moore on Friday appointed the first eight members of a newly formed Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority.

The board was created during the 2023 general assembly as part of an effort by lawmakers to amend a 2019 bill meant to fund the redevelopment of Pimlico Race Course.

Despite millions in state slot revenue going towards proposed reconstruction, there's been little progress.

One main purpose of the new 13 member board will be to issue a progress report on the stalled efforts by December 1.

MORE: Maryland lawmakers expect progress report on Pimlico Race Course by December 1st

Thoroughbred racing in Maryland has been under a microscope in recent months due to a controversial spike in horse deaths.

Here is a list of the five board members Moore appointed, with background information provided by the governor's office.

Greg Cross, Chairman

Aveteran attorney at Venable LLP., Cross represented horse breeding farms beginning in the 1990s and represented the State of Maryland in connection with the 2009 bankruptcy of the then-owner of the Preakness Stakes, Magna Entertainment. He negotiated a 2010 agreement with the predecessor of The Stronach Group that ensured the Preakness could not be moved out of Maryland. He has represented the Maryland Economic Development Corporation in the acquisition, construction and redevelopment of racing facilities as required by House Bill 897. Through this work, Cross spent the past year actively engaged in conversations with the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, Maryland Horse Breeders Association, Maryland Stadium Authority, and 1/ST Racing regarding options for the future of Maryland racing.

Mary Tydings

Mary Tydings is a leader in talent recruitment and placement. Tydings recently retired after a 35-year career at Russell Reynolds Associates, a major international executive search and leadership advisory firm. During her career she partnered with major national and international foundations, non-governmental organizations, and cultural and higher education institutions to recruit key leaders. Tydings advised board leadership on governance and succession planning, built and led the firm’s social impact sector practice, and served as a member of the firm’s executive committee.

Tydings and her family have long ties to horse racing in Maryland. She participated extensively in riding programs in her youth and her family owned several steeplechase horses. Her uncle, John Schapiro, was the longtime owner of Laurel Park racetrack and her cousin, Joe Davies, is a nationally recognized steeplechase trainer. Tydings is a member of the Board of the Maryland Center for History and Culture and has previously served as a member of the Board of Bowdoin College and Lucky Dog Animal Rescue.

Jeff Hargrave

Jeff L. Hargrave is the Founder and President of Mahogany, Inc., a commercial construction firm specializing in architectural millwork, general contracting, and commissioning services since 1991. Hargrave is a native of Baltimore City. He graduated from Mergenthaler Vocational Technical High School and later studied business management at Catonsville Community College and the University of Phoenix. His career track moved forward steadily from carpenter to foreman, superintendent, and proud owner and CEO of Mahogany, Inc. In 2018 Hargrave won the Ernst & Young Entrepreneurs of the Year award in the service category for the mid-Atlantic region and was also named a national finalist in his category.

Hargrave is a philanthropist who is currently a member of numerous boards that support the community. He is the Chair of Presidents’ RoundTable and Vice Chair of Baltimore Development Corporation. He is a board member for the Greater Baltimore Committee and Maryland Chamber of Commerce. He previously served as the Baltimore region Chapter Chair for the Associated Builders and Contractors.

Alan Foreman (nominated by the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association)

Alan Foreman is one of the leading racing law attorneys in the United States. In addition to his law practice, Foreman is chair and chief executive officer of Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Associations, Inc., based in Stevenson, Maryland, which represents more than 20,000 owners and trainers throughout the United States. He is also a founding director of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association and is counsel to many horsemen’s and racing industry organizations. Early in his career, Foreman served as an Assistant Attorney General of the State of Maryland and counsel to the Maryland Racing Commission.

Foreman is the co-author of the widely recognized Task Force Report on Racehorse Health and Safety that followed the spate of catastrophic breakdowns at Aqueduct Race Course in 2011-2012. Foreman represented the Maryland racing industry in the negotiations that developed the Maryland Racing and Community Redevelopment Plan for Pimlico and Laurel Park. His law practice involves all areas of equine and horse racing law representing horse owners, breeders, farms, jockeys, stables, trainers and horsemen’s organizations. He is widely credited with creating the Maryland Jockey Injury Compensation Fund, Inc. in 1984, the nation’s first workers compensation program for jockeys.

Thomas J. Rooney (nominated by the Maryland Horse Breeders Association)

Thomas J. (Tom) Rooney is a former Congressman and currently serves as the president and chief executive officer of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association. A thoroughbred owner and breeder who hails from one of America’s great sporting families, Rooney has taken an active role for several years in his family’s Shamrock Farm, a thoroughbred breeding and lay-up operation in Woodbine, Maryland, founded by his grandfather.

Rooney has a deep background in racing and sports. He grew up attending the races with family members in his native Pennsylvania as well as in Maryland, New York, Florida, and Kentucky. Rooney has also served on the board of the Maryland Horse Breeders Association.

As a Congressman, Rooney focused on economic, agricultural, national security and military issues. Prior to becoming a member of the House of Representatives, Rooney served with the U.S. Army as a lawyer in the JAG Corps.

Moore also appointed three ex-officio members of the community who reside near Laurel Park Race Course, Pimlico Race Course, and the Bowie Race Course Training Center. They are Joe Franco, Nicole Earle and Gavin Stokes.

The remaining five members will each be appointed as follows:

  • A member appointed by the Senate President
  • A member appointed by the Speaker of the House
  • A representative from the Maryland Stadium Authority
  • A representative from the Maryland Economic Development Corporation
  • A member of the Maryland Racing Commission