Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course announced today that the $300,000 Grade 2 Penn Mile and the $100,000 Penn Oaks will return again to the Grantville, Pennsylvania turf course after a one-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 shut down. The 2021 Penn Mile card will be contested on a Friday for the first time with the event slated for May 28.
“We are excited to once again offer the Penn Mile as it signals a return to normalcy,” said Eric Johnston, Director of Racing Operation for Penn National. “The race has quickly established itself on the national racing calendar by bringing the best horses, horsemen and jockeys to central Pennsylvania while also helping to establish some of the highest betting handles in Penn National history.”
The Penn Mile, first run in 2013, quickly achieved Grade 3 status in 2015 and was minted as a Grade 2 in 2017 by attracting notable Grade 1 winners such as Catch a Glimpse, Bobby’s Kitten and Force the Pass. The 2019 edition of the Penn Mile produced the second largest betting handle in Penn National’s 49 year history with the top five all-time wagering handles at Penn National Race Course all having occurred on the Penn Mile racing program.
“We are pleased with the success of the Penn Mile and appreciate the recognition it brings for our racing program, as a whole,” said Todd Mostoller, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania HBPA.
First Post for the day is scheduled for 6:00 P.M. EDT, with the Penn Oaks, also at one mile on the turf, being run at approximately 7:15 P.M. and the Penn Mile at 7:45 P.M.
