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Penn National Takes 93 Entries Over Nine Races For June 19 Reopening

Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course in Grantville, Penn. is pleased to announce the return of live Thoroughbred racing on Friday, June 19 following a near three-month hiatus. A total of 93 entries hit the overnight for the nine-race card which features a pair of turf sprints and a $2,537.87 carryover in the Pick 5 starting in Race 5.

Penn National last conducted live racing on Saturday, March 14 with the track and casino closing their doors on March 16 in response to COVID-19.

“It has been a long process for everyone – horsemen, employees and guests – to get back to this point to restarting live racing but we are grateful for the response to our returning card,” said Eric Johnston, Director of Racing Operations.

Live racing into early July will be conducted on Wednesdays and Fridays with a first post of 6:00 P.M. EST. An expanded racing schedule will be reviewed based on horse supply and available purse revenues going forward.

COVID -19 mitigation protocols approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Health and Pennsylvania State Horse Racing Commission have been put into effect covering all individuals associated with racing and include mandatory use of face coverings, social distancing and limits on individuals permitted in the racing related areas. For the opening weekend the track apron will not be open for the general public and only licensed trainers and grooms shall be permitted in the paddock area for their specific races only.

The third-floor simulcast area will be open for simulcast wagering and viewing of live races starting June 19 and will be open seven days a week. Capacity limits will be enforced. The gaming areas at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course will reopen at 9:00 A.M. on Friday, June 19. More information on the casino and racetrack reopening can be found at www.hollyywoodpnrc.com.

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‘Win-Win’: Kentucky Commission Approves July 2 Opening Date For Ellis Park

Ellis Park on Tuesday received regulatory approval to begin its summer meet on Thursday July 2 rather than the previously scheduled Sunday June 28 opener. The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission unanimously approved the change, which includes Churchill Downs extending its spring meet one day to close on June 28.

Ellis Park general manager Jeff Inman said the track had requested the delay to have more time to institute all the safety protocols involved with staging horse racing in the COVID-19 era. Ellis Park is making up for not running June 28 by adding July 2, a date it originally had not planned to run.

“It's win-win for everybody, including the state and Kentucky horsemen picking up an additional day of racing,” Inman said.

Ellis Park will not be able to accommodate spectators in the grandstand or outdoor areas until receiving approval from Gov. Andy Beshear's office. Under the state's measures for getting businesses back in operation following the COVID shutdown, the Ellis Park clubhouse has been allowed to re-open for Historical Horse Racing on the first floor and simulcast wagering on tracks across the country on the second floor.

The dates adjustments are the latest amid the health emergency that forced Keeneland to cancel its spring meet and for Churchill Downs to open later than scheduled. Ellis Park now will run July 2-5, then be dark the following week to allow Keeneland to run July 8-12. Ellis Park then resumes its Friday-Sunday schedule on July 17, running through Aug. 30.

Ellis Park earlier gave Sept. 1-6 to Churchill Downs in order to let the Louisville track run a rescheduled Kentucky Derby Week, with the Derby on Sept. 5.

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Inside Man: Aqueduct Security Guard Charged In March Heist Of Over $280,000

A security guard at Aqueduct Racetrack has been charged with robbery under the federal Hobbs Act, which prohibits crimes that affect interstate or foreign commerce, after authorities found evidence that he acted as the “inside man” during a March 8 heist of over $280,000, reports the New York Post.

Lafayette Morrison allegedly told his long-time associate Lamel Miller and an unidentified third man when and where the cash would be moved to the vault after the Gotham card at Aqueduct. Authorities found a pair of burner phones Morrison and Miller used to communicate with one another 38 times, and Morrison and Miller were previously arrested together in 2000 for robbery.

In a prepared statement, Brooklyn US Attorney Richard Donoghue said: “The defendants allegedly gambled that they could pull off a high-stakes robbery with the benefit of inside information, but thanks to the outstanding efforts of ATF Special Agents and NYPD detectives, they ended up on the losing end of that bet.”

Rescheduled Virginia Gold Cup Plans Virtual Tailgate, Hat And Trivia Contests

Having been rescheduled from May 2 to running without spectators on June 27, the Virginia Gold Cup is celebrating its 95th year. The event usually draws around 60,000 participants and its tailgate and hat contests are exceptional.

On Saturday, June 27, the Virginia Gold Cup will be livestreamed starting at 12:30 p.m. EDT. This is the first time the event has been run without spectators, due to COVID-19. Jockeys, trainers, grooms and only essential personnel are allowed on the race grounds. The livestream is available at no cost and may be seen at this link: http://nsa.network.video/.

Typically, the Virginia Gold Cup is run in May on the same date as the Kentucky Derby, and is one of the largest steeplechase events in the nation. It has often been considered Virginia's answer to the Kentucky Derby.

Virtual tailgate and hat entries will be accepted by uploading photos to Virginia Gold Cup social media: www.facebook.com/vagoldcup, www.instagram.com/virginiagoldcup/ or @vagoldcup. Be sure to include #vagoldcup2020. Entries must be sent by midnight Saturday, June 27. Winners will be selected by 5 p.m. on Monday, June 29 and notified on the week of June 29.

The winning tailgate (first place) will receive an Oakwood Box to the 2020 International Gold Cup. Runners up and hat contest winners will receive Gold Cup t-shirts, commemorative cups, and Gold Cup hats. For the tailgate contest, three winners will be selected in first, second and third place based on creativity, theme and quality of menu. For the hat contest, five winners will be selected—most glamourous, most outrageous, best racing theme, best men's hat and best child's hat.

In addition, the Virginia Gold Cup will run trivia questions on its social media platforms throughout the day asking questions about the livestream. First respondents with correct answers will be able to win tickets to future Gold Cup races, hats, shirts, etc.

“We hope some of our many Virginia Gold Cup fans will celebrate the day with safe-distancing watch parties, tailgating and hat contests,” stated Dr. William Allison, chairman of the Virginia Gold Cup Association.

With race meets having had to cancel all spring, many in the horse industry are facing unprecedented hardship. The steeplechase community has come together to try to maintain the employment of more than 1,000 jockeys, trainers and many others on farms who exercise and care for the horses. The 95th running of the Virginia Gold Cup will provide purse money for participants. Even more importantly, it will provide a viable and tangible boost to keep many working in the equine industry employed.

The equine industry is important to Virginia's economy. A 2018/19 report by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services reported that the horse industry brings more than $2 billion annually in economic development to the Commonwealth. The report noted that there are more than 183,643 horses in the state that provide approximately 38,874 jobs. It also stated that there are 30.5% or one million households that contain horse enthusiasts.

“The viability of the horse industry is an important component for the Commonwealth's economy,” Allison added.

For more information on the 95th running of the Virginia Gold Cup, visit vagoldcup.com.

The 2020 Virginia Gold Cup Races are presented by Brown Advisory, the Virginia Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, the Virginia Thoroughbred Association, Virginia Equine Alliance and the Virginia Breeders Fund.

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