pennsylvania racing

The Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association (PHBA), the organization that administers the state’s thoroughbred breeding incentive program, announced today that it has added three additional Pennsylvania-bred stakes to the 2014 race schedule. In 2014, there will now be a total of 21 Pennsylvania-bred stakes, up from 15 restricted stakes races in 2013. “It is a great […]

Auditor General Eugene DePasquale said today the future of Pennsylvania’s billion dollar horse racing industry is in trouble and risks a catastrophic shutdown if measures are not taken to increase revenue and stop a diversion of racing funds to plug holes in the state’s budget. In a report released today on the State Racing Fund, […]

The Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association (PHBA) announced today that Executive Secretary John “Jeb” Hannum will step down from his position with the PHBA in September.   Mr. Hannum, who has served in the position for three years, informed the Board that his family is moving to the Washington, DC area later this summer and that he […]

Whether you thought it was an agenda-driven “hit piece” or a sensationalized reflection of a troubled industry, the “HBO Real Sports” investigation of drugs and equine fatalities in Thoroughbred racing was painful to watch. The horse racing segment on the 26-time Sports Emmy-winning cable program debuted on Tuesday and will be replayed multiple times throughout […]

On the strength of two big allowance wins and two big efforts in graded stakes, Gold Starr Racing’s Indian Jones was honored Wednesday night as the 2013 Pennsylvania Horse of the Year at a banquet honoring the best in Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Racing. The 6-year-old gelded son of 2004 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Smarty Jones […]

Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course has released the 2014 stakes schedule and the live racing calendar, following approval by the Pennsylvania State Horse Racing Commission at its meeting on December 12. The 2014 Penn National stakes schedule will be split over two days, with the second running of the $500,000 Penn Mile (3yo, […]

From the Can’t-Make-It-Up-Department: When Walter Remmert is not overseeing the Pennsylvania Horse Racing Commission as its third executive secretary in the past few years (his title may still be interim), he’s busy watching over 9,300 amusement rides at carnivals and parks throughout the state as Director of the Bureau of Ride & Safety Measurements. I didn’t […]

The $300,000 Gallant Bob Stakes produced the shock of the day. 30-1 shot City of Weston, racing for Cloud Nine Lumoni, recovered from difficulty in the stretch to charge through late on the inside and upset the field of three year-old sprinters. The Holy Bull colt sat on the inside in the second flight of […]

While Pennsylvania’s horse racing industry managed to stave off a major cut in state funding last year, the debate over subsidies still rages. A story at Philly.com examines the impact of Act 71, a 2004 law that has funneled hundreds of millions of dollars in slot revenues to help prop up Pennsylvania’s racing and breeding […]

Parx Racing’s September Spectacular of Racing kicks off on Labor Day with four of the track’s major stakes and over $1 million in purses. All featured on the Monday holiday card are the $350,000 Grade 3 Smarty Jones Stakes, the $350,000 Grade 3 Turf Monster Handicap, the $200,000 Grade 3 Greenwood Cup and the $200,000 […]