PHBA

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:...

Wanamaker's will host the second annual Pennsylvania-bred Sale in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association (PHBA), with bidding scheduled from Dec. 4-8. Pennsylvania-bred weanlings, yearlings, broodmares, and horses of racing age will all be offered. "I think the Pennsylvania-bred online auction hosted by Wanamaker's is just one more added benefit to the Pennsylvania program," said Brian Sanfratello, executive secretary for the PHBA. "It gives some of our breeders the ability to sell their horses without all the costs involved in sending them to a regular sale." Entries for the...

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...

After a season of near perfection that included six stakes wins, Daniel Lopez and George Chestnut's homebred Chub Wagon was named 2021 Pennsylvania-bred Horse of the Year at the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association's 43rd annual Iroquois Awards, held May 13 at The Inn at Mendenhall in Chadds Ford, Pa. The richest state-bred of 2021 when banking $487,400, Chub Wagon scored in eight of her nine starts at age four, and was second in her only loss. After getting her first stakes win in the Unique Bella at Parx in April...

The Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association donated $150,000 to the Equine Pharmacology Laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine's (Penn Vet) New Bolton Center that will support continued research in equine biomarkers. The new round of PHBA funding will bolster three key research initiatives focused on improving the health and safety of equine athletes and enhancing integrity in racing. One area of research seeks to identify novel mRNA biomarkers that can help proactively predict if a horse is at risk for injury, even for injuries that are difficult...

Edited press release Taking the next step in utilizing the state's lucrative Breeding Fund to enhance the breeding industry, the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association has established its first-ever 2-year-old PA-sired PA-bred stallion series, with $600,000 in stakes purses to be offered in 2022. The series will consist of two stakes races on each of two race days at Parx Racing. One race each day will be open to all 2-year-olds and the other for 2-year-old fillies. In January, the PHBA Board asked the stallion principals for suggestions on how to...

Wanamaker's, the online Thoroughbred auction site, will host the first-ever Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association online auction Oct. 28. The sale will be open to Pennsylvania-bred weanlings, yearlings, and racehorses as well as broodmares and broodmare prospects owned by PHBA members. "We are excited to partner with PHBA for their first online auction of PA-breds and utilize the platform in a way that can make state-bred horses more accessible," said Wanamaker's co-founder Liza Hendriks. "We will maintain our normal monthly sales while adding in feature sales." PHBA Executive Secretary Brian Sanfratello...

Edited Press Release The Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association (PHBA) announced its endorsement of an amendment that would ban the transport of American slaughter-bound horses across both state lines and over country borders. The amendment, which was led by U.S. Representatives Troy Carter, Brian Fitzpatrick, and John Katko, will be offered to the Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation in America Act, H.R.3684. Scheduled to be on the House floor in coming weeks, it would effectively ban horse slaughter in America. The organization also supports the...

The Pennsylvania Horse Breeders distributed $41,625 in breeder grants ranging from $375 to $1500 this week to help needy members with feed and veterinary bills, according to their executive secretary, Brian Sanfratello. "Prominent breeders like Chuck Zacney and Glenn Bennett stepped up to the plate with generous donations to the cause," said Sanfratello in an email release. "Chuck and Glenn remarked that they have been very blessed and wanted to share that with those in need. Their donations, along with matching funds from the PHBA, made the grant program possible."...

The Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association's Iroquois Awards, honoring the top Pennsylvania-bred Thoroughbreds of 2019, was held via Zoom Friday night. The big winner of the night was Grade I victress Mirth (Colonel John), who took home Horse of the Year, Older Female and Turf Female. She wired both the GI Rodeo Drive S. and GIII Robert J. Frankel S. Top 2-year-old filly went to stakes winner Weed Wacker (Artie Schiller) and the leading juvenile colt was Newstome (Goldencents), a three-time stakes winner. The leading sophomores were stakes-winning filly Gotta Be...

Addressing the plight of the state's racetracks on Tuesday, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf laid out a difficult path that must be followed before the state's three Thoroughbred tracks can start running again. As is the case with many governors, Wolf has put forth a plan that calls for the state to reopen in stages, in Pennsylvania's case red, yellow and green phases. While horsemen have advocated that racing, without spectators, should be among the first businesses in the state to reopen, Wolf said the tracks cannot resume racing until their...