Pushed back from its expected May start date, opening day at Presque Isle Downs in Erie, Penn. will be on July 5, 2021, according to a notice sent out by the Pennsylvania Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association on Thursday.
Presque Isle, owned by Churchill Downs, Inc., is planning for a 50-day live racing meet this year, but the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has made the addition of more dates uncertain.
“As the pandemic continues, it is very difficult — if not impossible — to project purse revenue resulting from slot revenue,” the notice reads. “We expect to conduct 50 days of racing. We will add days at the end of the meet if purse revenues exceed expectations. Bottom line: We will run as many days as the purse account can support.”
Presque Isle was approved to run four days a week from May 11 to Oct. 22 in 2020, including four Sundays in August, but did not start racing until July 27 due to the pandemic. The track hosted just 50 race dates in 2020, half the 100 dates originally planned.
An update from our Executive Director on the upcoming 2021 @PID_Casino meet… pic.twitter.com/5AVIwUu8PH
— Pa HBPA (@PA_HBPA) January 28, 2021
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