Alan Foreman

As expected, Maryland Governor Wes Moore signed a bill Thursday that calls for Pimlico to be rebuilt and for the track to be donated to the state. Under the law, $400 million in state bonds will be used to tear down and rebuild the dilapidated grandstand. While Pimlico is being rebuilt, racing will move to Laurel. Once the new Pimlico is up and running, Laurel will be closed for racing. Because of the eventual closing of Laurel, there will be a need to open a training center since Pimlico alone...

The Phil Schoenthal pair of methamphetamine positives at Laurel Park, announced by HIWU on April 9, have been resolved with a 15-day sanction for the trainer, eight days of which have already been served, according to HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus. Schoenthal was issued a provisional suspension after two of his horses, Prodigy Doll and Determined Driver, tested positive at Laurel on January 28 and February 9. "I was informed today by HIWU that they took all of his evidence into consideration," said HISA chief Lisa Lazarus, who said that the...

A bill to radically reform Maryland's racing industry has passed both chambers of the state legislature, with the House voting 105-32 Monday night to approve a project that will see among other things ownership of Pimlico Race Course transferred from 1/ST Racing and Gaming to the state and the establishment of a year-round training facility for Maryland's horsemen and women. After the Maryland House of Delegates initially passed the legislation unanimously, the bill was subsequently amended by the Senate. This amended bill was then sent back to the House for...

Trainer Mike Lauer is now a month past serving what he believes was an unjust 75-day suspension because a Thoroughbred under his care at Horseshoe Indianapolis tested positive last summer for metformin, a drug used to treat diabetes in people. With more 20 million patients taking it, metformin ranks as the nation's third-most-prescribed human medicine, according to the consumer healthcare website Healthgrades. Before Lauer's case made it to an official arbitration hearing, the 72-year-old conditioner with five decades of licensure was able to present enough evidence to the Horseracing Integrity...

I appreciated Bill Finley's conversation with Alan Foreman on TDN Writers' Room. Your question to him about trainers who are not guilty of cheating hit home for me. As a trainer who is dealing with this same issue prior to HISA in the state of Florida, I was hoping to make a brief comment. The banned substances provisions are more complicated than they want it to be in an era where the testing has become so fine any trainer can get a banned substance positive at any time no matter...

Alan Foreman is an equine law expert in Maryland, and he's also the HISA Ombudsman, helping horsemen navigate the new laws under HISA. He joins the TDN Writers' Room this week with both hats on, talking about changes going on with HISA and in Maryland as a new structure takes shape for racing there.

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...

Acknowledging that there are differences of opinion about specifics of the "Pimlico Plus" plan that envisions a publicly funded future of racing at a state-owned, modernized track in Baltimore, the construction of a new training facility elsewhere, and a non-profit operator taking over day-to-day racing, the leaders of the Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority (MTROA) on Thursday asked stakeholders not to let quibbling over details derail the larger goal of getting the ambitious plan approved by the legislature so that horsemen can control their own destiny. "There are a lot...

An online community meeting for members will be hosted by the Board of Directors of the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (MTHA) on Thursday, Jan. 11 at 11 a.m. ET to discuss the reports recently released on behalf of the Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority (MTROA). The MTROA has been examining options for the future of the Thoroughbred racing and breeding in the state, specifically facilities and operating models. The reports are to be considered by the Maryland General Assembly, which begins its 2024 legislative session Jan. 10. MTROA Chair Gregory...

A panel discussion titled "From Data to Dollars: Understanding Horse Racing's Economic Impact As Racing's Future is Questioned" during Wednesday's Global Symposium on Racing hosted by the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program (RTIP) led off with moderator Alan Foreman confronting "the elephant in the room that we dodge." Foreman, the chairman and chief executive officer of the Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, said racing is facing an "existential moment" at a time when industry stakeholders increasingly must make the case for the sport's so-called social license to exist in the...

The second Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) virtual town hall was conducted Wednesday, giving industry stakeholders the chance to field unanswered questions about the federal anti-doping and medication control (ADMC) program that has been in effect since May. Among the points raised at the meeting: A panel of lawyers has been established to provide pro-bono representation to cash-strapped stakeholders facing possible sanctions. Approximately 42,000 horses have been tested since the launch of the ADMC program nearly six months ago. There have been 11 positive tests for substances of human...

The ruled-off trainer John Pimental said Wednesday that he and his wife, Diana, have been "blown away" by the support and offers of assistance they have received in the five days since a TDN story highlighted the life-altering ramifications of John's signing an "admission of rule violations" and "acceptance of consequences" document to settle Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) allegations stemming from a methamphetamine positive in one of his Monmouth Park trainees. While being served notice on July 28 of the meth positive, HIWU agents conducted a Monmouth barn...