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 Monday's concurrence vote.

The legislation will now go to the desk of Maryland governor, Wes Moore, for a final signature, with a veto seemingly unlikely.

“I've worked with governors going back to the mid- to late-1970s in Maryland, and most were very supportive of the industry in one shape or form. But Governor Moore was absolutely committed to this project. His support was instrumental in getting this passed,” said Alan Foreman, voting member of the non-profit Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority (MTROA), about passage of HB 1524, otherwise known as “Pimlico Plus.”

The MTROA is an industry-led non-profit created last year by the legislature to essentially oversee and help facilitate the Pimlico Plus plan. Pending gubernatorial approval, the rollout of the plan will be a multi-year project beginning June 1, when the law goes into effect.

Among key provisions of the plan, the legislation requires the formation of a non-profit to manage daily operations of Maryland's new industry infrastructure. Those responsibilities are currently filled by the Maryland Jockey Club, owned and operated by 1/ST Racing. The MTROA will have ultimate oversight of this new entity.

“Like the [New York Racing Association] reports to the franchise oversight board, the entity to be created in Maryland will report to the MTROA,” said Foreman.

Though much-needed renovations to Pimlico could begin later this year, said Foreman, the 2025 Preakness is still expected to be staged at the Baltimore track, with the 2026 edition set to be hosted temporarily at Laurel Park.

“After Preakness 2025, Pimlico will undergo full construction, and the plan is that the 2027 Preakness will be at Pimlico under the auspices of the new non-for-profit.” said Foreman. “For the horsemen, racing will be conducted at Laurel for the next three years.”

Like Pimlico, Laurel is currently operated by 1/ST Racing under the umbrella of The Stronach Group (TSG). Transfer of Pimlico from 1/ST Racing to the state comes at a nominal one-dollar price-tag.

The MTROA has already negotiated a licensing agreement with 1/ST Racing to operate and promote the GI Preakness S. and the GII Black-Eyed Susan S., Maryland's two signature races.

“It's a 10-year agreement with five-year renewals,” said Foreman. “After ten years, if the state wanted to buy it out, it could. But any renewals would be for five-year intervals.”

Complementing a revamped Pimlico will be the selection of a year-round companion training facility to accommodate the horses not stabled at Pimlico. According to Foreman, some 1,300 horses are expected to be split evenly between the two facilities.

The MTROA has identified eight potential training facilities for purchase, rating them 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.

Shamrock Farm Training Center is a 155-acre facility just over 20 miles from Pimlico. Mitchell Farm Training Center is a 97-acre facility near the Aberdeen Proving Ground. The third-rated facility is the Bowie Race Track, a 131-acre training facility.

The legislation also allows the Maryland Stadium Authority–a state-founded entity to help fund and operate key building projects in Maryland–to issue $400 million in bonds to help bankroll the Pimlico Plus plan.

Ultimately, ownership of Laurel Park will be transferred fully to TSG for redevelopment at the beginning of 2028, “unless we have to extend the lease,” said Foreman.

According to Foreman, state taxpayers won't be on the hook should the non-profit formed to manage daily operations going forward run into operating deficits.

“If there's an operating loss when the non-for-profit takes over, the Thoroughbred purse dedication account has to backstop the losses. It will not come from taxpayer dollars,” said Foreman.

“I can't overstate the historical moment this is for Maryland racing. It's historical for the City of Baltimore. This is great for the City of Baltimore. It stops decades of worries about Pimlico and the future of the Preakness in Maryland and Baltimore. It's great for the Park Heights community. And I think it's great for the racing industry overall,” said Foreman.

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It is his work with the MTROA that has received the most attention of late as the Authority recently issued a plan that would completely overhaul Maryland racing. Pimlico will be rebuilt and when that is done, racing will cease at Laurel. The Stronach Group will turn the tracks over to the state, which will become the new operator, but will maintain the rights to the GI Preakness S. and the GII Black-Eyed Susan S. A new training center will be built.

This is the evolution of a 2020 plan which called for the rebuilding of both Laurel and Pimlico. A total of $375 million was put together for that project, which eventually stalled because of a number of factors. Those same funds will be used to for a new Pimlico.

“Pimlico became the hub property for this project, and working with the Maryland Stadium Authority and other experts that we worked with over the past six months, we have a plan to go forward and it is within range of the cost of the bonds that were initially authorized by the Maryland General Assembly,” Foreman said. “So that's the genesis of this project going forward. It's a mountain of work that's been done in the last six months. But now the rubber hits the road.”

It is still not clear what the agreement means, which allows The Stronach Group to retain the rights to the Preakness and Black-Eyed Susan. Major questions remain, like, how will the revenue from those two days of racing be divided up?

“There's a framework for an agreement that is now being negotiated between the state and Stronach,” Foreman said. “It's estimated that agreement will be finalized within the next 30 to 60 days. It's critical that the agreement be finalized because we have started the legislative session. Legislative leadership and the governor are going to be very interested in the outcome of those negotiations. But I think both sides are confident that they will come to a final written agreement because the ink is not dry on this deal and there are still matters to be negotiated. But the framework is that because Stronach owned the rights to the Preakness, they will license the event to the state of Maryland and the state of Maryland will, as a not-for-profit, run the Preakness. The division of revenues is being negotiated. It will be a fair agreement to both sides.”

As far as his work with HISA/HIWU goes, Foreman admits that there have been problems, particularly when it comes to trainers receiving hefty fines and suspensions for infractions that may be the result of environmental contamination. He says work is being done to make a fair system.

“I've never seen an intentional administration of a cocaine or a methamphetamine to a horse, and there wouldn't be a reason to do it,” he said. “The industry pre-HISA did a very good job of handling these cases. This was something that was not broken and needed to be fixed. And somehow in the new system it got broken. Fortunately, it's being fixed under new rule changes that we're waiting for the Federal Trade Commission to approve that will give HIWU the discretion to determine that it is more likely than not that the positive was a case of contamination or inadvertent exposure, as we like to call it, and not an intentional administration. The penalties have been substantially reduced per this rule change that's coming.”

This week's look at a Coolmore sire focused on champion 2-year-old Corniche (Quality Road). He was undefeated as a juvenile with wins the GI American Pharoah S. and the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. He was purchased for $1.5 million at the 2021 Ocala April Sale by a team that included TDN Writers' Room regular Zoe Cadman, who recalled how she was blown away the first time she saw the horse. Standing for $25,000, Corniche's first foals are arriving this week.

Elsewhere on the podcast, which is also sponsored by WinStar Farm, the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association,1/ST Racing, West Point Thoroughbreds and XBTV.com, the team of Randy Moss, Cadman and Bill Finley looked back at the impressive maiden win at Gulfstream by 'TDN Rising Star' Conquest Warrior (City of Light) who overcame a ton of trouble to post the victory. A $1 million Keeneland September purchase, he's one to keep an eye on as the road to the GI Kentucky Derby progresses.

The team was united in its praise of Churchill Downs for raising the purse of the Derby from $3 million to $5 million, while also calling on the two other Triple Crown tracks to match Churchill's move. Cadman also brought up the point that the GI Kentucky Oaks goes for $1.25 million and is deserving of a substantial purse hike.

To watch the Writers' Room podcast video, click here. To listen to an audio version, click here.

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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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A few items that stand out after sifting through Friday's “Pimlico Plus” report issued by the Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority (MTROA). The ambitious $400-million plan, which is subject to legislative approval, re-imagines the state's racing consolidated at one publicly funded track in Baltimore, the closure of Laurel Park, the construction of a new training facility in the state, and 1/ST Racing and Gaming ceding control of day-to-day Maryland racing to a non-profit entity.

Triple Crown traditionalists who are already in a tizzy about the GI Belmont S. needing to relocate to Saratoga Race Course and change its distance for 2024 because of the complete overhaul of Belmont Park had better brace for a radically nomadic renewal the sport's signature series in 2025.

If the proposed re-imagining of Pimlico Race Course gets green-lighted by the Maryland legislature as per the MTROA's desired timetable, and if the New York Racing Association (NYRA) confirms the expected Belmont-at-Saratoga festival again for next year, the 2025 series of spring Classics could feature the GI Kentucky Derby run per usual at Churchill Downs, followed by the GI Preakness S. at Laurel Park (the placeholder host during Pimlico's reconstruction), and the Belmont S. at Saratoga for the second season in a row (at the truncated distance of 10 furlongs because NYRA doesn't want to start what is traditionally a 12-furlong race on the Spa's far turn).

Even assuming that a modernized Belmont Park is ready to take back its namesake stakes in 2026, the Maryland time frame still has Pimlico's construction ongoing through at least that year, meaning the earliest return to Triple Crown normalcy, in terms of host tracks and race distances, could be 2027.

In addition, the 150th running of the Preakness will occur in 2025, but the festivities will likely be muted because of the temporary move. The anniversary will certainly be recognized, but don't expect a Preakness-at-Laurel celebration to have the same cachet Churchill will enjoy this year when it unveils long-planned facility upgrades and partners with the city of Louisville for an extended Derby 150 bash. It will be tough for whoever controls the rights to the Preakness to take advantage of the historical hoopla associated with its big anniversary if the race gets moved to temporary digs 28 miles south of Baltimore.

The Preakness is only one day, but the turf racing season in Maryland usually lasts for more than six months. Consolidating racing at Pimlico will mean limiting grass racing to one smaller course that won't get much of a break during the sweltering summer months.

    When Laurel's expanded turf course opened in 2005, it was billed as a game-changer for Maryland racing, and it has proven to be an investment that paid off handsomely in terms of delivering more grass opportunities, boosting field sizes and generating handle.

While Pimlico's existing (and proposed new) turf course is seven furlongs in circumference, roughly the same as Laurel's (seven furlongs and 254 feet), the key difference is width–Pimlico's existing/proposed width will remain at 70 feet according to the MTROA report, while Laurel's is a generous 142 feet wide, allowing for the ability to move portable rails out 17, 35, 53, 70 and 87 feet to provide six different running lanes.

Just last month, the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (MTHA) issued a press release that underscored how the “Laurel turf is integral not only to the Maryland racing product but the overall mid-Atlantic racing product.”

According to the MTHA's count, in 2023 Laurel ran 273 turf races, the most since 2019 and the highest number among all racetracks in the mid-Atlantic region. Average field size for the course was 9.2 horses per race over six-plus months of usage, while the average field size for dirt races at Laurel between Jan. 1 and Nov. 30 was only 6.8.

Pimlico, which conducted short meets in May/June and September 2023, ran 72 grass races, giving Maryland access to 345 in-state turf events. But the actual number of turf races at Pimlico isn't as important as the break its meets afford Laurel's course, which had shown signs of strain in previous years when Pimlico didn't run during the summer.

Pimlico's ability to carry on Maryland's reputation as a strong grass-racing state is dubious given the course's size and a calendar that will give it a summer break only when the Timonium fair is in session at the end of August and early September.

The turf course at Colonial Downs is 180 feet wide and 180 miles south of Pimlico. Over the course of a 27-date 2023 summer meet, the Virginia track ran 213 turf races, the second-highest in the region, according to the MTHA's numbers.

To Maryland, Colonial looms as a horse-siphoning threat in both the short term (for the several years Laurel will race almost non-stop while Pimlico gets rebuilt) and over the long term, when Pimlico takes over with a turf course that isn't as expansive or versatile as the one it's replacing.

Whether Pimlico's main track and turf course remain in their existing locations or get rotated to better fit within the redesigned property's footprint (both options are outlined by the MTROA), one of the report's “Guiding Principles” states that “The dirt track shall be engineered to be 'synthetic-ready' allowing the quick and economical transition from dirt cushion to a synthetic cushion.” The proposed new training facility is also supposed to have this “synthetic ready” infrastructure in place.

Wanting both Pimlico and Maryland's new training center to have the option of switching over from dirt to a synthetic surface in the future seems to be a good idea from a planning perspective, because it's unknown at this point if a federal mandate requiring synthetics might be in the pipeline from the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act Authority. But claiming that having such infrastructure is going to position Maryland to be able to “quickly and economically” pivot from one surface to the other understates the difficulty of taking on this sort of after-the-fact conversion.

More than two decades of synthetic-surface history in North America has shown that making a switch is, by its very nature, neither fast nor cheap.

When Woodbine Racetrack changed from Polytrack to Tapeta during the winter of 2015-16, the work took three months, was purposely scheduled for the offseason, and had to include a settling-in period before horses were allowed on it. Turfway Park made the same surface switch in 2020, but had the luxury of an April-to-November time window between race meets to get the project done properly. To a certain degree, both those tracks were “synthetic ready” because they were switching from Polytrack to Tapeta. The cost for each project was measured in seven digits.

Can you imagine if “Pimlico Plus” reopened in 2027 with a dirt surface, and at some point soon after that the entity running the operation decided Maryland's only racing venue needed to cease racing for a while in order to switch over to synthetic?

By all means, build the base and its infrastructure to the best possible standards with a focus on safety. But if a synthetic surface is in Pimlico's future, decide on that right from the outset without making it seem like a subsequent change from dirt could realistically be “quickly and economically” accomplished.

When Laurel closed for five months in 2021 to replace its main dirt track with an entirely new dirt surface, Maryland racing had Pimlico to fall back on so racing on the circuit wouldn't go dark. If Pimlico becomes the state's sole Thoroughbred track, there will be no Plan B for Maryland racing if it needs to repair or switch surfaces.

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The latest recommendation in a years-long attempt by multiple stakeholders to consolidate Maryland racing at a single, reimagined racetrack now calls for a project dubbed “Pimlico Plus,” with racing centered in Baltimore and supported by the construction of a new training facility elsewhere in the state, according to a report issued by the Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority (MTROA) Jan. 5.

The ambitious remake of the sport's infrastructure in Maryland hinges upon legislative approval, although the report did come with the endorsement of Maryland's governor, Wes Moore.

Another key to the deal would require 1/ST Racing and Gaming, which owns Pimlico Race Course and Laurel Park, to transfer ownership of Pimlico to the state, and for 1/ST Racing to cede control of its day-to-day Thoroughbred operations to a to-be-created, non-profit entity as of Jan. 1, 2025.

The report stated that 1/ST Racing is amenable to “a framework for an agreement in principle” for those transfers to happen.

In addition, the state would negotiate a licensing agreement with 1/ST Racing to operate and promote the GI Preakness S. and the GI Black-Eyed Susan S., Maryland's two signature races.

Laurel Park would be maintained as “a transitional facility for live racing and training during the expected four-year construction and transition period,” the report stated.

The Washington Post reported that if all went according to plan, Pimlico would be shut down after this year's Preakness on May 18, with the 2025 and 2026 editions of the race temporarily shifting to Laurel.

After that, the MTROA report stated, Laurel will likely be redeveloped.

Complementing the rebuilt Pimlico's projected 700-horse stabling capacity would be the construction of a new training facility at a to-be-determined location that can house 650 horses “in reasonable proximity to Pimlico that would also be acquired and developed under a non-private ownership structure,” the report stated.

The report stated that the cost for the entire project would be “significantly below” previous concepts proposed in recent years that involved keeping both Pimlico and Laurel running “and within the range of General Assembly allocations.”

A story in the Baltimore Banner gave a more specific breakdown: “The new Pimlico comes with a price tag of $274 million to $284 million, while the training facility would cost about $113 million–in line with $400 million in state subsidies previously set aside for the renovation of Pimlico and Laurel.”

The concept of consolidation in Maryland has been openly discussed for the better part of a decade. 1/ST Racing (known as The Stronach Group when it took over in Maryland in 2002) has been on the record for years as acknowledging the sub-optimal conditions at outmoded Pimlico, which as recently as 2018 raced only 12 dates for an abbreviated meet surrounding the Preakness.

Initially, The Stronach Group invested tens of millions of dollars in upgrades at Laurel while publicly stating that the company did not foresee putting any of its own funds into an overhaul of Pimlico.

Civic and state officials, fearful of Baltimore losing the Preakness to Laurel, helped to push for the years-long commissioning of several years of studies for a publicly funded solution led by the Maryland Stadium Authority (MSA). In 2019, Baltimore's mayor even tried to sue Pimlico's ownership in an attempt to force a city takeover.

As the MTROA report explained, “After many iterations, an agreed-upon program was finalized in late 2021 and estimates were generated. The estimates were significantly over the available bonding capacity for the project.”

The Maryland General Assembly then called for additional input and yet more studies in 2022, and that year, the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (MTHA), the Maryland Horse Breeders Association, and others proposed an alternative scenario that would maintain year-round training and racing at both facilities.

“In total, six scenarios have been analyzed by the MSA [and] all of them significantly exceeded available project funding,” the MTROA report stated. It also concluded that “given the level of State investment required to rehabilitate and sustain the industry, a public ownership structure for the tracks and subsequent lease of them to a nonprofit entity led by Maryland industry professionals is the best path forward.”

The report stated at least one significant reason why 1/ST Racing would agree to give up Pimlico: The company would be on the hook for huge taxes if the state provided any funding for the rehab of a privately owned track.

“An additional issue complicates any public investment at either Pimlico or Laurel Park under the current ownership structure,” the report stated. “Under Section 118 of the Federal Tax Code, expenditures made by a government unit to construct improvements at a facility owned by a for-profit entity will constitute taxable income to that entity. Tax advisors have concluded that MSA expenditures at either racetrack may be treated as taxable income to any private owner.”

Belinda Stronach, the chairwoman, chief executive and president of The Stronach Group, stated in a press release that “The Stronach Group and [its subsidiary] the Maryland Jockey Club remain deeply committed to reinvigorating Thoroughbred racing in Maryland, and this framework agreement represents an important first step in that process.”

MTHA president Tim Keefe echoed those sentiments in a separate press release that stated “The Maryland racing industry is one of the most storied in the nation and [Friday's] announcement is an important step forward for a sustainable and bright future.”

TDN had follow-up questions for Keefe about the horsemen's perspective on the project, but a voicemail message left for him did not yield a return call prior to deadline for this story.

However, the MTHA press release did state that a “town hall” webinar for members to discuss and ask questions about the project would be scheduled for the near future.

So what might the reimagined Pimlico look like? The MTROA report outlined the following basic concepts for what would be one of the nation's few remaining tracks nestled within an urban neighborhood.

A new Pimlico would be a “best-in-class facility” featuring both a “right-sized” grandstand and clubhouse “with overlays that could be activated for the Preakness and other large events,” the report stated.

The report also envisioned the creation of a 1,000-seat event space, development parcels, a hotel built by a private partner, and “state-of-the-art equine diagnostic health facility with space for veterinary services.”

Housing for backstretch workers would not be in the stable area, but instead “constructed in the Park Heights community” near Pimlico.

Two parking facilities would be constructed. One would be part of the hotel. A second garage could be shared by both racetrack patrons and patients and staff at Sinai Hospital, which is adjacent to Pimlico.

As for the new training facility, the report stated that MTROA identified eight potential locations within a 50-mile radius of Pimlico to be examined for suitability.

Ranked on a scoring mechanism that evaluated nine criteria, the top three were Shamrock Farm in Woodbine, Mitchell Farm in Aberdeen, and the former Bowie Race Track in Bowie that last hosted racing in 1985 but had functioned as a training facility until 2015.

The report stated that “it is the recommendation and conclusion of the [MTROA] that those three locations move to a next stage for final consideration and subsequent acquisition. The [MTROA], however, will continue to evaluate and consider additional suitable properties if and when they become known.”

A footnote within the report disclosed that during the investigation of possible sites, “the [MTROA] learned through industry sources that Shamrock Farm, which is currently owned by the family of [MTROA] Authority member [and National Thoroughbred Racing Association president and chief executive] Tom Rooney, may be for sale. Those members leading the search reached out to Mr. Rooney about its availability, and he confirmed that a sale may be possible.”

With regard to the fundamental change of the state's operating model for racing, the report stated that it is seeking a system that “mirrors that in use by the New York Racing Association. Facilities would be owned by the State and leased to a professional not-for-profit operator. This structure will better align operations with the needs of the horse racing industry and the State's significant financial investments.”

The MTROA, the report stated, would be in charge of coming up with a recommended operator.

The MTROA has been meeting regularly since first convening in August 2023, while also conducting research and receiving testimony from a wide variety of stakeholders. It was created to meet twin objectives mandated by legislation: Reimagining the state's horse racing infrastructure to better align with budget realities, and conducting a review of Maryland horse racing operations in order to recommend the best path forward.

The MTROA is composed of appointees of the governor and legislative leaders and representatives of horse industry organizations, plus the MSA, the Maryland Economic Development Corporation, and others who have a stake in the areas surrounding Pimlico, Laurel, and Bowie.

The report that came out Friday was required by the General Assembly to be issued by that date.

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Frank Vespe of Maryland's “Off to the Races Radio” was first to report the scoop on his show's June 17 broadcast.

Algeo's departure accentuates a time of regulatory upheaval within Maryland racing that in recent months has been marked by three other long-serving commissioners (David Hayden, Tom Bowman, Tom Winebrener) also either resigning from the MRC or not having their terms renewed by the governor.

Those recent departures have roughly coincided with the passage of a Maryland law in April to create a to-be-appointed oversight board with broad powers, the Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority (MTROA).

In addition, the MRC is in the midst of the nationwide regulatory transition involving the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) Authority coming into power to police the sport's safety and drug testing.

Speaking on Vespe's show, Algeo also cited other concerns for the sport as he leaves his position, like the seemingly never-ending cycle of horse safety issues, plus the decades-old debate within Maryland about whether Laurel Park, Pimlico Race Course, or both figure into the state's long-term plans for racing.

“I've often compared it to playing a Whac-A-Mole game,” Algeo told Vespe. “The minute you address one issue, one crisis, up pops another. And so I just thought it was time for new blood, younger blood, somebody that can come in and have a fresh look. And God bless them, because it's a great industry, and I feel very honored to have served for the past seven years….I'm going to be as interested as everybody else to see where this goes and how this all ends.”

Asked by Vespe how all those pieces of the puzzle-the MRTOA, HISA, horse safety, the possible rebuilds at Pimlico/Laurel-are going to fit together under the commission's umbrella, Algeo admitted he didn't have a good answer.

“I'm going to plead ignorance,” Algeo told Vespe. “I don't know how they're going to fit together. [The question I often get now is] 'Oh, so Maryland has created a new racing authority to oversee Maryland racing. So there is no more commission?' That's the question I'm getting. That's the perception of people, and perceptions carry a lot of weight.”

Algeo continued: “I believe that the role of the MRC has been diminished significantly. It has been emasculated significantly. And it is not what it was when I started in 2016. And so it's going to be really interesting to see how two entities, the racing authority and the racing commission, work together.

“The simple answer is that the commission is a regulatory body, period,” Algeo told Vespe. “I have been told that the [MRTOA] is really just a failsafe creation in the event that [1/ST Racing, which owns Laurel and Pimlico] should leave Maryland and [some entity] is needed to run the day-to-day operations. But until it actually forms and we see how it operates, I still have a lot of questions.”

Algeo is a retired Maryland Circuit Court judge. His stint as the board's chair had been scheduled to end in October, with his term on the MRC expiring in July 2024.

Last month, Algeo was honored before the GI Preakness S. with the Special Award of Merit at Pimlico's annual Alibi Breakfast. That award recognizes those “who have made a positive impact on the racing industry.”

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