PA Development Fund Helped Trainer Beattie Build Stable

The Pennsylvania Race Horse Development Fund is producing features on people who have benefitted from the millions of fund dollars invested into local economic development, farm expansion, and job creation. Following is the second feature in a series.

 

Todd Beattie, trainer

Todd Beattie grew up in Antigo, Wisc., the same town as Racing Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas. Strongly influenced by Lukas, Beattie knew from an early age that horse racing was his calling. Due to the harsh winters that only permitted seasonal racing, Beattie followed his siblings to Pennsylvania.

He quickly fell in love with Central Pennsylvania and its bucolic landscape and quality of life. He settled in as a trainer at Penn National Race Course, where he raised his son while training horses year round.

Beattie, widely known for his talents as a trainer, was in demand all along the East Coast. The Race Horse Development Fund created new economic opportunities that allowed Beattie to stay in Central Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania's investment paid off: He was able to add two Equicisers to his training facility; expand his barn to 40 talented horses, attract clients from across the country, and continue to race at Penn National because of the changes in the purse structure.

"If Pennsylvania didn't start the Race Horse Development Fund, I would've moved on long ago," Beattie said. "Pennsylvania invested in us, and we turned right around and invested in Central Pennsylvania. We pay local farms a great deal to buy the goods we need to care for our horses. We invest in high-performing horses with impressive pedigrees, and we race here in Pennsylvania."

Since the Race Horse Development Fund was created, Beattie has found success with Pennsylvania-bred Fabulous Strike, a Tea Party Stable homebred whose career spanned 28 starts where he won 15 times and placed six other times. More recently, Beattie trained eventual grade I winner Taris, who got her start with Beattie at Penn National.

Today Beattie can still be found working with his son at Penn National, training several 2-year-old fillies who, according to Beattie, have that special sparkle in their eyes.