Parx Racing

In the latest salvo amid an oftentimes confusing chain of events that have played out across Pennsylvania's racing industry the last couple of months, the Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (PTHA) issued a statement Thursday denying allegations the organization had failed to provide adequate support for the nine trainers at Parx Racing who were told last month by track management they would be denied stalls at the track, but were given no reasons as to why. "The information that is being provided is one-sided and fails to reflect the immediate and...

Tom Chuckas, Tony Salerno and Jason Klouser "are no longer employed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania" in their positions under the state Department of Agriculture, according to a brief email from an agency spokesperson. When asked about the reasons for the terminations, the spokesperson wrote that "we do not comment on personnel matters." Chuckas was the ag' department's director of Thoroughbred Horse Racing. He took that position in 2016. Before that role, he was formerly the president of the Maryland Jockey Club. Chuckas attended Tuesday's Pennsylvania horse racing commission meeting....

Trainer Jamie Ness, who won his first race at Canterbury Park in 1999, earned his 5,000th win Wednesday at Delaware Park, just moments after he got victory 4,999 at Parx Racing. His milestone victory came in Delaware's Race 6, a starter optional claimer, with Chelsea Wall (Sky Kingdom), who was piloted by recent GI Preakness Stakes-winning jockey Paco Lopez. Ness currently leads the trainer standings at Delaware Park and last year secured his 11th consecutive (and 13th overall) leading trainer title at the oval outside of Wilmington. Ness captured his...

The GII Baird Doubledogdare Stakes and GIII Santa Maria Stakes were the highlights of last week among the distaff set, at least from a Beyer Speed Figure perspective.   6. OVERSUBSCRIBED (GB), AQU, 4/17, Plenty of Grace Stakes, 1 mile (turf) (VIDEO) Beyer Speed Figure - 91 (2nd) (m, 5, by Too Darn Hot (GB)-Zurigha (Ire), by Cape Cross (Ire)) O-Klaravich Stables. B-Rabbah Bloodstock Limited (GB). T-Chad Brown. J-Manny Franco. She probably isn't one of the premier Brown turf females, but she has been spotted judiciously enough to be twice...

Parx Racing has kicked off renovations to the Philadelphia-area oval's turf course, a project that is expected to take approximately four weeks. "We want to thank the horsemen and women for their collaboration and patience as we begin the process of renovating the turf course," said Parx Chief Operating Officer Joe Wilson. "We expect this course will be held to the highest safety standards and we are looking forward to the return of turf racing here at Parx." The renovation began Wednesday, April 8 with the sod--provided by Tuckahoe Farms...

The track announcer at Parx Racing outside of Philadelphia, Jessica Paquette, has a new equestrian podcast she has launched named "Amateur Hour with Jessica Paquette," the voice of Parx said via a Monday afternoon tweet on X. The first pair of episodes have been released on Apple Music and on Spotify. Episode 1: Client/Trainer Relationships; Guests: Cellar Door Farm's Kelly Jennings, circuit trainer Archie Cox of Brookway Stables and Kentucky-based eventer Natasia Linnd. Episode 2: Social License to Operate in Horse Sports; Guests: David O'Connor, the Head of the USEF...

Graded stakes winner Scaramouche (Munnings) has been retired through Turning for Home, the on-track retirement program at Parx. Scaramouche, who was purchased for $20,000 at the 2021 OBS June sale, won seven of his 30 starts for trainer Guadalupe Preciado and owner Nicholas Cammarano, Jr. His marquee win came in the 2022 GII Gallant Bob Stakes at Parx on Pennsylvania Derby Day. The 7-year-old gelding most recently finished sixth in a Parx optional claimer in December. He retires with earnings of $489,750. "Turning For Home is what the PTHA and...

Parx Racing has added a pair of Thursday race cards, on Mar. 5 and Mar. 12, to its calendar in an effort to make up days lost to the recent blizzard that impacted the northeast. Beginning Monday, the track will shift to a 12:40 p.m. regular first post.

Frigid temperatures caused a second straight day of cancellations at Mahoning Valley Race Course and Parx Racing Tuesday. Temperatures in the Philadelphia area reached only into the upper teens Tuesday, with real feel temperatures in the single digits. The projected high temperature near Mahoning Valley in Ohio Tuesday was 13 degrees. Both tracks were also forced to cancel their Monday race cards.

Next (Not This Time), who made his mark dominating dirt races at a mile-and-a-half or longer, has not been seen or heard from since finishing fourteenth and last in the 2024 GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic. He's now 8-years-old and hasn't run in nearly 14 months, but trainer Doug Cowans told the TDN that the gelding will be given every chance to launch a comeback in 2026. "This is a simple update," Cowans said. "He's in training at Turfway Park. He's probably due to breeze here soon. I expect his...

What will racing look like in 10 years? We asked some of racing's best and brightest to give us their predictions. Want to submit an answer? Email suefinley@thetdn.com At my core, I am an optimist. Fast forward to 2036 and horse racing is thriving. The NTRA remains a unifying voice throughout the industry and all of the major stakeholders are working collaboratively and thoughtfully to continue to make the sport fairer and safer for all involved. While some change is hard, it is also inevitable. The way we have always...

It wasn't a perfect night for Paco Lopez Thursday night at Delta Downs as he was 0-for-2, finishing eighth with his first mount of the night and third in his second try. But, according to his agent, Jose Garcia, Lopez saw it as a positive night for the simple fact that he was back doing what he loves. "He was very happy to be back," Garcia said. "You have a rider who, basically, loves to ride horses." Lopez had not ridden since Sept. 22 at Parx. Afterward he was suspended...