Directors of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF) have filed papers in New York State Supreme Court calling for dismissal of a lawsuit filed by state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman that seeks removal of the TRF board.

In their filing, the TRF directors say the charges made in the May 3 filing by Schneiderman are without merit, and that the attorney general had access to information from the horse retirement program showing that the claims were without merit. In seeking removal of the TRF board, Schneiderman alleged that the directors had "ruined" the finances of the non-for-profit corporation by allowing horses under the TRF’s care to become neglected.

"Over the past year, the board has engaged in a series of financially irresponsible transactions, borrowing to pay off existing debt and invading TRF’s restricted endowment fund, that have damaged further TRF’s ability to fulfill its charitable purposes of protecting Thoroughbreds from neglect and mistreatment," according to the lawsuit brought in state court against the current and former directors.

Named as defendants are John C. Moore, Robert Hinkle, Michael Lakow, Diana Pikulski, Hayward R. Pressman, Leslie Priggen, John S. Rainey, Margaret Santulli, and the TRF