John Fanelli

After a horse named Causes Trouble (Creative Cause) broke down in the Aug. 24 Parx Dash at Parx Race Course and had to be euthanized, a video circulated that showed that the turf course was in abysmal condition. The video showed that there were numerous holes in the turf course and that the grass itself looked like something you might see in a vacant lot. Just without the broken bottles. There were as many weeds as there were blades of grass. "It's always been known as a bad course, but...

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...