By Dan Ross
To avoid any potential conflict-of-interest issues, Tom Rooney, an appointed voting member of the Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority (MTROA), has recused himself from any further decision making in the selection of a year-round training center, said Alan Foreman, another voting member of the non-profit.
The new organization is positioning itself to assume control of day-to-day racing operations in Maryland, pending legislative approval. In a proposed plan, The Stronach Group, which owns Pimlico Race Course, would turn over ownership and daily operations of the track to the state and to the MTROA, respectively.
Complementing a revamped Pimlico would be the selection of a companion training facility to accommodate roughly 700-800 horses.
The MTROA identified eight potential training facilities for purchase. They include the Shamrock Farm Training Center, a little over 20 miles from Pimlico. Shamrock Farm is a 155-acre facility owned by the Rooney family since 1948, according to the facility's website.
Foreman said that Shamrock Farm was selected as a possible training site due to the Rooney family opening the door to its possible sale.
Initially, Rooney said that “'if in fact the farm is a possibility, I'll resign from the Authority because I don't want anybody to think there's a conflict of interest there,'” said Foreman, who is also general counsel for the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (MTHA).
Rooney sits on the Maryland Horse Breeders Association (MHBA) board. The MHBA “did not feel that he should step down,” said Foreman.
“But Tom said, 'if I don't step off the board, I'll want to make very clear that I'm recusing myself with respect to any matters related to Shamrock Farm or consideration of Shamrock as a training facility. You can deal directly with the family,'” said Foreman.
“Tom would not participate in the vote for the training center,” Foreman added. “So, it isn't just that he would recuse himself from Shamrock, but he has recused himself from voting on the location of the training center.”
According to a MTROA report dated Jan. 5, if a decision is made to move forward with Shamrock Farm as a training center location, “a third-party appraisal process will be used to substantiate a purchase price,” the report states.
In a separate report, the MTROA rates the eight different possible training facilities by several criteria, including their location, size, cost to purchase and cost of redevelopment.
According to this rating system, two facilities come out jointly on top–Shamrock Farm and Mitchell Farm Training Center, a 97-acre facility near the Aberdeen Proving Ground. The third-rated facility is the Bowie Race Track, a 131-acre training facility.
According to Foreman, these three facilities will undergo independent appraisal in preparation for a final training site vote.
The ambitious reconfiguring of Maryland's horse racing infrastructure hinges upon legislative approval. The recently unveiled report came with the endorsement of Maryland's governor, Wes Moore.
“Our hope is, we can coalesce around a site by the end of the legislative session,” said Foreman. The Maryland General Assembly's 90-day legislative session is scheduled to run until Apr. 8.
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