Parx addresses criticism, defends safety of its turf course

Parx suspended turf racing after a horse fatality on Saturday and reports of unsafe conditions on the course. You can read more here. The track issued the following statement regarding the situation.

The recent spurious comments made by the president of the Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horseman’s Association, Bob Hutt, regarding the turf course at Parx and its executives are patently false and misleading. 

At Parx Racing, the safety of both the horsemen and horses is paramount and has always been our no. 1 priority. To that end, our turf and dirt tracks were certified by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association in 2018 and, in June of this year, the Racing Surfaces Testing Laboratory inspected and approved both tracks. Parx Racing also employs numerous individuals who are experts in evaluating the safety of the tracks and Parx spends significant sums every year to ensure the tracks’ good condition.   

Additionally, jockeys and trainers are always given an opportunity to inspect the tracks prior to racing, and Parx employees consistently collaborate with them to ensure racing safety. We at Parx will not hesitate to cancel racing if we feel that conditions for racing are unsafe, and we can categorically say that we would not have run races on the turf course on Aug. 24 if we felt that it was not ready for racing. Prior to Aug. 24, the turf course had not been run on since July 10. This six-plus-week span between races allowed significant recovery time for the turf course, and the track was well-suited for racing by the morning of Aug. 24.   

Parx Racing welcomes any and all investigatory efforts to be made by the Pennsylvania Horse Racing Commission and the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, a federal agency tasked with overseeing national, uniform integrity and safety rules for Thoroughbred racing in the United States. Parx Racing commits to fully cooperate with both of these agencies’ inquiries and has already hosted a representative from HISA who has inspected the turf track. In addition, Parx Racing has been at the forefront of cooperating with regulatory officials to stamp out the rampant and pervasive use of illegal substances by unscrupulous trainers on their horses, which HISA has sought to address.  

It goes without saying that Parx is saddened by the loss of Causes Trouble during his 33rd career start. Horse racing can be a dangerous sport, and these dangers can sometimes lead to horse injuries without the fault of any individual or entity. For context, according to HISA data, Parx’s fatality rate is in line with or better than the national average and we commit to continue to ensure that it remains so. As for the turf course specifically, prior to the tragic fatality last weekend, there had been only one turf fatality in the last five years. Parx Racing takes pride in the condition of both its dirt and turf courses, as well as all of the successful races held at the track on 150 days out of the calendar year.   

As such, Parx Racing will continue to cooperate with the commission, HISA, or any other regulatory body to ensure the safety of our racing product.