Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horsemen

Last month, trainer Mary Pattershall picked up her stall allocation from Parx Racing, where she said she's been stabled for decades, and got a nasty surprise. She was given zero stalls and was told she must have her "horses and property off Parx grounds" by the end of the day Thursday April 23. What's more, the letter-signed by David Osojnak, Parx director of racing-gave no explanation as to why she would have to leave. Nor, Pattershall said, has she been given any such explanation since, although she suspects it might...

Pennsylvania's Parx Racing has issued a statement following news the turf course at the Bensalem track has been closed due to dangerous conditions. For background on the situation, which included the breakdown of Causes Trouble (Creative Cause) Aug. 24, please click here. HISA released a statement earlier Thursday indicating a series of tests will be run. Thursday afternoon, officials at Parx released their own statement. It appears in full and unedited below: "The recent spurious comments made by the President of the Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horseman's Association, Bob Hutt, regarding the...

Under pressure from HISA and the local horsemen's group, Parx management has closed down its turf course after a horse broke down on the grass in the Aug. 24 Parx Dash S. The horse, Causes Trouble (Creative Cause), is co-owned by John Fanelli and was making his 33rd career start. "It's always been known as a bad course, but if I knew it was that bad, I never would have put my horse on that surface," Fanelli said. "I was really upset about the condition of the course and when...