Following 24 stakes at five different tracks that saw $5.2 million in purse money given out, Penn National's Penn Gaming Challenge has crowed trainer Mark Casse, owner Bryan Hawk and jockey Javier Castellano as its 2016 winners. Casse captured Penn National's GIII Penn Mile with Catch a Glimpse (City Zip) and sent out Kaigun (Northern Afleet) to a runner-up finish in Sam Houston's GIII John B. Connally Turf Cup S. Hawk won twice on Land of Enchantment Day at Zia Park with Code West (Lemon Drop Kid) in the Zia Park Championship S. and Pass the Buck (Pulpit) in the Zia Park Derby. Meanwhile, Castellano secured top rider honors for the third consecutive year with a score aboard Stanford (Malibu Moon) in the $1.25-million GII Charles Town Classic S.
Inaugurated in 2014, the Penn Gaming Challenge allows trainers, owners and jockeys to accumulate weighted points based on their finishes in various stakes held at Charles Town Races, Penn National, Mahoning Valley, Sam Houston Race Park, and Zia Park throughout the year. At the end of the Challenge, the owner, trainer, and jockey with the most points will each receive two round-trip airfare tickets and a three-night stay at the M Resort in Las Vegas.
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