Penn National horsemen hope to run soon

Dynatail winning the 2017 Penn Oaks. Photo by The Racing Biz.

The long wait in Grantville may be coming to an end soon.

Pennsylvania’s racetracks have been dark since mid-March, a stretch during which horsemen have been without incomes even as expenses mounted.

But in a statement tweeted out June 6, Pennsylvania Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA) executive director Todd Mostoller said he expects racing to resume at Penn National — one of three Thoroughbred tracks that races during the summer in the Keystone State — to resume within two weeks.

“We expect approval from the Pennsylvania Department of Health [of proposed COVID-19 protocols to be employed at the track], which will allow racing to resume at Penn National on Friday, June 19th,” Mostoller wrote.

If that occurs, it will mean the track misses just about exactly three months of racing. Among the casualties have been the Grade 2 Penn Mile, the biggest race contested at the track.

According to the statement, gate schooling at Penn National will resume Tuesday, June 9 and will take place on a Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday schedule. Horses ready to come off the vet’s list can work the week of June 8 for clearance.

An update for horsemen at @HollywoodPenn… pic.twitter.com/q5bdVWX3aw

— Pa HBPA (@PA_HBPA) June 6, 2020

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