Pennsylvania

Seven of the 11 directors of the Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (PTHA) filed a legal response Monday that denied sweeping allegations of corruption and cronyism that were made last month by the PTHA's current president and another board member. Facing a petition in the Court of Common Pleas of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, that seeks to use a state business corporations law to remove those seven directors from the PTHA board, the respondents stated in their Oct. 21 filing that the petition should be denied "because it is both legally and...

Uptowncharlybrown Stud is relocating Pennsylvania's leading active sire Uptowncharlybrown (Limehouse--La Iluminada, by Langfuhr) and GSP Eastwood (Speightstown--Fifth Avenue Ball, Deputy Minister) to Mountain Springs Farm in Palmyra, Pennsylvania, the stallion management company said in a release Wednesday. In 2023, the now-17-year-old Uptowncharlybrown set Pennsylvania's all-time record for combined stallion and breeder awards in a single season at $868,885. As for Eastwood, the current 14-year-old was the Keystone state's leading stallion in average earnings at $44,623; black type horses at 27.3%; and winners to starters at 82%. On Oct. 15 via...

Enticed (Medaglia d'Oro--It's Tricky, by Mineshaft) will be relocated to stand at Mountain Springs Farm in Pennsylvania for the 2025 season, according to a farm release posted on X Tuesday. "With his impressive pedigree and striking presence, Enticed has already garnered attention from breeders and enthusiasts alike," reads a farm release. "As he embarks on this new chapter in Pennsylvania, we are committed to providing him with the best environment to continue his legacy and support the breeding community." Trained by Kiaran McLaughlin on behalf of Godolphin, Enticed made seven...

In a deal that came about unexpectedly for Rodney Eckenrode's Equistar--the training and breeding operation east of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania that stands Smarty Jones and Brody's Cause--GSW Zozos (by Munnings) will join the farm's stallion roster for 2025 with a stud fee of $2,500 in the offing. The dark bay who was bred and campaigned by Minnesotans Barry and Joni Butzow recently retired from trainer Brad Cox's shedrow after a career which began at three. Zozos's career highlights include a runner-up finish in the GII Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds...

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...

Last year's GI Arkansas Derby winner Angel of Empire (Classic Empire) was honored as the 2023 PA-Bred Horse of the Year and Champion 3-year-old Male at the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association's 45th annual Iroquois Awards held May 10. Racing in 2023 for Albaugh Family Stables LLC and trained by Brad Cox, Angel of Empire won two of six starts during his 3-year-old season. He was Pennsylvania's richest state-bred of the year, with earnings of $1,446,375. The complete list of divisional champions is below: 2-year-old Female: Carmelina (Maximus Mischief) 2-year-old Male:...

To look at him and to watch him, you would never know that New Years Eve (Night Conqueror) is, well, ancient. He's holding his weight and he still manages to run around his paddock when the mood strikes him. "He's doing amazingly well," said his owner, Julie Izzo. "But he has slowed down a bit." Of course he has. He's 38. [caption id="attachment_409848" align="alignleft" width="561"] New Years Eve | Sarah Andrew[/caption] As New Years Eve crept into his mid-thirties Izzo, who resides in Pennsylvania, began to do some research. Was...

The Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association has named the 2023 PA-Bred Award finalists. Winners will be announced during the annual Iroquois Awards held Friday, May 10. Finalists are listed in alphabetical order: Horse of the Year: Angel of Empire (Classic Empire), Caravel (Mizzen Mast), Nimitz Class (Munnings), Neecie Marie (Cross Traffic), Roses For Debra (Liam's Map) and Twisted Ride (Great Notion). Broodmare of the Year: Armony's Angel (To Honor and Serve), Diva's Gold (Tenpins), Essential Rose (Bernardini), Five Diamonds (Flatter), Home Ice (Iam the Iceman), Katarica Disco (Disco Rico) and Zeezee...

The convicted New York-based harness racing veterinarian Louis Attilio Grasso, who is scheduled to report to federal prison Jan. 24 to begin serving a 50-month sentence for his admitted role in peddling drugs in the 2020 racehorse doping conspiracy sweep of arrests, was arraigned Friday in Pennsylvania on charges that he swindled $21,646 from a casino over the past week by allegedly conspiring with a dealer in a cheating scheme. According to stories first reported by the Pennsylvania news outlet the Times Leader and the gaming industry site Casino.org, security...

Trainer Penny Pearce has been issued a suspension of 1,950 days and fined $23,500 by the Pennsylvania Racing Commission after six horses under her care tested positive for clenbuterol during out-of-competition tests. The penalties were announced after her barn at Parx was inspected June 22. During the inspection, investigators also found hypodermic needles, syringes and injectable substances. The suspension is scheduled to run from Sept. 11, 2022 through Jan. 12, 2028. The Paulick Report was first with the story and has also reported that Pearce has filed an appeal. Pearce...

Multiple Grade I winner Brody's Cause (Giant's Causeway--Sweet Breanna, by Sahm) will stand the 2023 breeding season at Equistar Training and Breeding in Pennsylvania after formerly standing at Spendthrift in Kentucky. The third-crop sire has been acquired by Rodney Eckenrode and will stand for $3,500. A winner of both the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity and the GI Blue Grass S., Brody's Cause is the sire of three black-type winners, including GI La Brea S. winner Kalypso and GIII Iroquois S. winner Sittin On Go. He is currently ranked in the...

Owner-breeder Danny Lopez doesn't know how good Chub Wagon (Hey Chub), the 2021 Pennsylvania-Bred of the Year and 2021 Parx Horse of the Year, is. That's the way it is when you have a filly who is 11-for-12 lifetime and has won seven stakes, but has never faced graded stakes company. Is he curious to find out? Not at all. "I'd rather be a big fish in a little pond," said Lopez, who co-owns Chub Wagon with George Chestnut. "We've made a lot of money ($593,600) with her and, by...