HRTV to Air Penn National Gaming Challenge
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Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course, Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races, and Zia Park Racetrack & Casino announced HRTV will provide coverage of the remaining five events in the Penn Gaming Racing Challenge, as well as the West Virginia Breeders' Classics.
Similar to what the network aired for the events the previous seven years, HRTV will provide coverage, complete with in-studio commentary and analysis by network talent for each of the six event days.
"The last eight years has produced a partnership between HRTV and the Penn National Gaming tracks that's turned into a staple of our event day coverage," Erich Zimny, vice president of racing for Charles Town, said in a release. "Starting out as coverage of a single event with less than $700,000 in purses back in 2008 and growing into year-round coverage of events spanning multiple tracks worth in excess of $5 million in purse money is a testament to the mutual benefits the relationship has provided."
The first of the events arrives April 18, with the seventh running of the $1.5 million Charles Town Classic (gr. II). The prospective field is currently headlined by Shared Belief, the top-rated horse in the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings. In addition to the Classic, the April 18 program will also feature the $150,000 Sugar Maple presented by CANTER Mid-Atlantic, the $100,000 Robert Hilton Memorial and a quartet of stakes races for West Virginia-breds.
BALAN: Shared Belief Traveling East for CT Classic
The Classic will be run during the day for the first time, with a 12:45 p.m. EDT first post. The Classic is scheduled to go off at approximately 6 p.m.
The $500,000 Penn Mile (gr. III) will be run for the third time May 30 as part of a card that also includes the $200,000 Mountainview Handicap, $150,000 Pennsylvania Governor's Cup, and $100,000 Penn Oaks. The first race on Penn Mile Day is scheduled at Penn's standard first post of 6 p.m. EDT.
Following the Penn Mile, sophomore fillies take center stage on Charles Town's Race for the Ribbon program Sept. 19 as the $350,000 Charles Town Oaks (gr. III) is run for the seventh time. Additionally, the card includes a pair of $100,000 stakes in the Wild & Wonderful and Pink Ribbon Stakes.
The final two events in the Penn Gaming Racing Challenge take place on Thanksgiving Eve, Nov. 25, when New Mexico's Zia Park presents the third Land of Enchantment Day, highlighted by the $300,000 Zia Park Oaks as well as the $200,000 Zia Park Derby.
Following the races in New Mexico, Penn National takes the spotlight with its Holiday Racing Festival featuring the $200,000 Fabulous Strike Handicap in addition to the $100,000 Swatara Stakes.
While not a part of the Penn Gaming Racing Challenge series, HRTV will also provide coverage of West Virginia Breeders' Classics XXIX on Oct. 10. The races and purses for the West Virginia Breeders' Classics will be released at a later date.
The Penn Gaming Racing Challenge kicked off in January with the Houston Ladies Classic night at Sam Houston Race Park and binds the six events through points awarded to owners, trainers, and jockeys, based on their participation and results, in addition to containing other incentives for the connections of horses participating in multiple series races.
The Penn Gaming Racing Challenge ultimately rewards the winners of the year-long series with a waiver of stakes fees at Penn Gaming tracks for an entire year, as well as a trip to the Penn National Gaming-owned M Resort in Las Vegas. The inaugural Penn Gaming Racing Challenge was won in 2014 by owners Ken and Sarah Ramsey, as well as Chad Brown and Javier Castellano in the trainer and jockey categories, respectively.