The Pennsylvania Horse Racing Commission in late November approved requests for a total of 331 Thoroughbred racing programs for 2025.
Parx Racing was awarded 150 dates, Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course 105, and Presque Isle Downs & Casino 76. The total is down from the 350 dates awarded for 2024—Parx (155), Penn National (115) and Presque Isle (80).
For 2023, the three tracks were granted 385 live racing programs.
Parx will begin its year-round schedule Jan. 1 and race through Dec. 31. As usual, there will be racing three days a week on a Monday-through-Wednesday schedule with some exceptions to accommodate live racing on four Saturdays and one Sunday in May and June, and Saturday, Nov. 1. The Pennsylvania Derby will be held Saturday, Sept. 20.
Parx will be dark from July 28-Aug. 17.
Penn National, which this year had a couple of scheduled lengthy breaks in live racing, will race from Jan. 1 through Dec. 19. Racing will be held three nights a week (Wednesday through Friday) in January and late April through August; two nights per week (Thursday and Friday) in February, March and December; and two nights a week (Wednesday and Thursday) in October and November with a few exceptions.
There will be no live racing at Penn National from Jan. 11-Feb. 5, March 29-April 22, and Sept. 26-Oct. 21.
The Presque Isle meet runs from May 19 through Oct. 23 with racing mostly three days a week on a Monday-through-Wednesday schedule from May through September and four days a week (Thursdays added) in October. The exceptions are a five-day week (June 30-July 4 for the holiday) and Friday, Sept. 19, for the Masters Stakes program.
The state’s three Standardbred tracks were awarded 413 live racing programs to bring the statewide total to 744 for 2025.
Original source credited to tharacing.com
