Parx Racing

Prohibitive favorite Fulsome (Into Mischief) sat back and came with his run to return to winning ways in Tuesday evening's GIII Smarty Jones S. at Parx. A third-out graduate over the Fair Grounds sod in January, he was forced to try the main track two starts later in a rained-off, sloppy allowance at Keeneland Apr. 10, but found his calling that day when cruising to a 3 1/2-length victory. The bay added the Oaklawn S. May 1 over stablemate and next-out Texas Derby hero Warrant (Constitution), and took a major...

Recent backstretch raids staged by the Pennsylvania Racing Commission at Parx have uncovered what Director of Thoroughbred Horse Racing at Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Tom Chuckas described as a "significant amount of contraband" and "items that have no business on the backside." Chuckas made the revelations during a regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday of the Pennsylvania Racing Commission. The meeting was held over Zoom and a one-minute-and-twenty second segment was captured and posted on Twitter by veterinarian Kathryn Papp. Pennsylvania Racing Commissioner Russell Jones took part in the meeting and confirmed...

With expected temperature readings in the upper 90s combined with oppressive humidity resulting in real-feel readings well into the triple digits, officials at Parx Racing in suburban Philadephia and a bit further south at Delaware Park canceled Monday's live racing programs. Racing is scheduled to resume Wednesday at Delaware, with a 10-race card beginning at 1:15 p.m. ET. The next scheduled program at Parx is Tuesday afternoon, but the forecast calls for similarly high temperatures.

Kendrick Carmouche said he has never experienced racism, at the racetrack or elsewhere. But that doesn't mean that the events surrounding the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers didn't hit home for the 36-year-old jockey. The New York-based Carmouche is one of only a handful of African-American jockeys riding in the U.S. Earlier this week, Carmouche posted an emotional video on social media. With tears streaming down his cheeks, he spoke of the heartache he had been experiencing since the Floyd killing. "It is very...

The Week in Review, by Bill Finley Down to 12 horses and with no income coming in since Parx stopped racing after a Mar. 10 card, trainer Mike Catalano has a simple request. "I just want to go back to living," he said. To Catalano, that means having a full barn of horses, racing four days a week and being able to put food on his table. It may not happen any time soon. Last week, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf maintained that racetracks should be in the same category as...

Turn the calendar back to February and Joe Taylor could not have been doing better. He had been the leading trainer at Parx Racing in 2019 and was again on top of the standings in 2020. Racing for lucrative, slots-infused purses, he won 107 races last year at Parx for earnings of $3,160,143. Now, he's just trying to stay in business. "My hope is that I can get myself into a situation where I'm just treading water, not making or losing money and can pay my bills," he said. "If...

Turning for Home, Inc. was created by the Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (PTHA) in 2008 as a model program for racehorse retirement at Parx Racing. Parx was the first to implement a mandatory funding plan simultaneously with rules forbidding horse owners and trainers from sending horses to, or allowing horses to end up in slaughterhouse kill pens. The program was a success from inception and it has evolved from there. We caught up with the current program administrator Danielle Montgomery to talk about the program's solid support, success stories and...

A day after receiving the potentially devastating news that as much as 80% of the slots money that goes to purses in the state of Pennsylvania may be diverted elsewhere, leaders of the state's breeding industry began to plot a campaign that they hope will convince politicians that the industry must be protected. Tuesday, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf unveiled a budget proposal which called for $204 million to be taken out of the Race Horse Development Fund and diverted to a program that would provide college scholarships for Pennsylvania residents....

The second annual Million Dollar Pennsylvania Day at the Races-a day to honor the breeding program in the Commonwealth-will be held at Parx Racing this Saturday. The loaded 12-race card features five $100,000 stakes races for Pennsylvania-breds-Dr. Teresa Garofalo Memorial S.; Mrs. Penny S.; Roanoke S.; Banjo Picker Sprint S.; and Marshall Jenney H. Monongahela (K One King), an impressive last out winner of the GIII Philip H. Iselin S. at Monmouth Park June 22, is the 2-5 morning-line favorite in the Roanoke. He is also entered in Saturday's GI...

Parx Racing and the Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (PTHA) announced Friday the creation of the $20 Million Parx Racing Fall Festival from Aug. 29-Oct. 20. The purse level at the Bensalem oval will be doubled for the meet duration of 32 live race days, with the aim of increasing field size, enhancing betting interest and drawing new fans to the racetrack. During the past several years, Parx and the PTHA have built up the Fall Festival around the $1 million GII Pennsylvania Derby, won in 2015 by GI Breeders' Cup...