“The people on the backstretch are going to have to do what they are supposed to do,” he said. Wolf also caused problems for the racing and breeding industries when announcing a budget plan in which he proposed to take $204 million in slots revenues away from racing and use the money for college scholarships.ĭeBunda said the state is still taking the threat of the coronavirus seriously and that horsemen and backstretch workers will need to be extra careful. Bucks County, home to Parx, and Dauphin County, home to Penn National, are both “yellow” counties. Last month, Governor Tom Wolf said that the tracks would not be allowed to race until the counties in which they are located moved on to the “green phase,” which was when restrictions would be lifted on all businesses in the state. “So, it was impossible to open next week.”Įven though the Pennsylvania tracks will be among the last to reopen after being closed due to the coronavirus, the situation could have been worse. “We had hoped to open earlier, but, because of the protocols that will be in place, people need to be retrained and they have to buy some new equipment,” DeBunda said. He said it would take longer to start racing at Presque Isle Downs because there are not any horses currently stabled there.

Todd Mostoller, who heads the horsemen's groups at Penn National and Presque Isle Downs, said he hopes that Penn National will start racing again June 19. The Pennsylvania Department of Health has given permission for the state's Thoroughbred and Standardbred tracks to resume racing.Īccording to Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association President Sal DeBunda, Parx will resume racing June 22.

Parx casino reopen