Pennsylvania’s Day at the Races, held at Parx on Saturday July 18, 2026, hosts four Pennsylvania-bred stakes along with eight PA-bred restricted races on the undercard. The races showcase the lucrative Pennsylvania breeders’ program with purses and awards for the day totaling over 1 million dollars. Three stakes are named after prominent PA-breds from the past, the Storm Cat Stakes, the Lil E. Tee Stakes, and the Banjo Picker Stakes. The fourth stake is named in honor of a Pennsylvania veterinarian, Dr. Teresa Garofalo.
Do you know that one of the most consequential and influential sires in the world was foaled in Pennsylvania? Storm Cat, by Storm Bird out of Terlingua by Secretariat, was foaled at Derry Meeting Farm in Cochranville, PA. Bred by William T. Young of Overbrook Farm in Kentucky, Storm Cat was born and raised in Pennsylvania. Young planned to sell Storm Cat, but plans changed after he tested positive for EVA. Young decided to keep and race Storm Cat, and he was trained by Hall of Fame trainer, Jonathan Sheppard. At age two, Storm Cat won the Grade 1 Young America Stakes at Meadowlands and was second to Tasso in the 1985 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Stakes. He won an allowance race at three and trained at four, but never raced. He retired from racing and went to Overbrook Farm to stand at stud.
Storm Cat’s initial stud fee was $20,000, but he was not popular. After a slow start, at the peak of his career, Storm Cat’s stud fee reached $500,000, the highest in the country. He held the Juvenile Sire record seven times and was leading sire in North America in 1999 and 2000. He sired one hundred eight graded stakes winners including thirty-five Grade 1 winners. He is best known as a sire and sire of sires that include Tabasco Cat, Forestry, Stormy Atlantic, Harlan, the great Giant’s Causeway, and numerous others. He was also leading broodmare sire in 2012, 2013, and 2014. He lived out his life at Overbrook Farm and died at the age of thirty in 2013.
Did you know that Lil E. Tee was the first Pennsylvania bred to win the Kentucky Derby? Bred by Larry Littman and sold as a yearling for $2,000, Lil E Tee was considered a reject and an “ugly duckling”. His name was inspired by the extrater
restrial in the movie E.T. , and he survived abdominal surgery as a baby. Eventually, he was sent to Calder Racetrack in Florida to race. After finishing second in his first start and winning his next start, he was sold to Cal Partee and shipped to trainer Lynn Whiting at Churchill Downs. His impressive record as a two-year old totaled two wins and two seconds in four starts. At three, Lil E. Tee won the Grade 2 Jim Beam Stakes and was second in the Arkansas Derby. The “ugly duckling” was going to the Kentucky Derby. Ridden by Pat Day, Lil E. Tee was the upset winner of the Derby at 17-1 beating favored Arazi. His next start was the Preakness where he finished fifth, but he skipped the Belmont Stakes. Retiring at age four after winning the Grade 2 Razorback Handicap, Lil E. Tee was sent to stand stud at Old Frankford Stud in Kentucky. He retired with a record seven wins, four seconds, and one third in thirteen starts.
At stud, Lil E. Tee sired one hundred seventy-one winners including eight stake winners. He died at age twenty soon after surgery to repair an obstructed bowel.
Do you know that fan favorite Banjo Picker won stakes at age five, six, seven, and eight? Local favorite Banjo Picker raced at Philadelphia Park for seven seasons. Bred by longtime Pennsylvania breeder, Elizabeth Houghton, Banjo Picker, by Swear by Dixie, retired in 2009 with fifty-two starts, sixteen wins, eight seconds, and seven thirds and earnings of $648,865. He was claimed from Houghton in 2004 for fifteen thousand for trainer Steve Krebs and owner Danny Limongelli. The gelding went on to win four Pennsylvania-bred stakes, and his biggest victory was the Grade 3 Gravesend Handicap at Aqueduct in 2005 where he went off at odds of 47 – 1. He was known for his triple digit speed figures in sprints. Banjo Picker’s first race was in 2003 and his last in
2009. He retired to a farm, but returned to the track for a short time as Kreb’s stable pony until he was adopted.
The Dr. Teresa Garofalo Memorial race is named in honor of equine veterinarian Teresa Garofalo of West Chester, PA who passed away at age forty-seven from Acute Myeloid Leukemia. She had been a member of the board of the P.H.B.A. and established a scholarship fund at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center. “We thought we should remember her for all her contributions and time and effort and support she gave to the P.H.B.A.,” said Brian Sanfratello, executive secretary at the P.H.B.A. “She and her husband established The Rhoads Six Foundation to provide comfort to patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia and to establish research grants and scholarship funds at New Bolton,” he said. Her focus of practice was race horses and equine reproduction.
Each stake offers a $100,000 purse, and all stakes are restricted to Pennsylvania-breds. Pennsylvania’s Day at the Races showcases current, talented Pennsylvania-breds and rewards Pennsylvania breeders.
Cover Photo Banjo Picker – Kim Pratt
