Five Tracks to Host MATCH Series Race Days in 2019

After a successful return of the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championships in 2018, this year the series will feature a format change that will allow each participating track to take a day in the spotlight.

As many tracks try to create big-event days, the new format will allow each track to promote its MATCH Series day of racing. In 2018, races were offered at different tracks on the same days or weekends, but this year each participating track will have an individual day to offer four MATCH Series races.

The 2019 series will debut April 20 at Laurel Park. It will then move to Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course June 1, Delaware Park July 13, and Parx Racing Sept. 2. It will conclude Sept. 28 with "Championship Day" at Monmouth Park.

There will be four divisions: 3-year-olds and up sprint-dirt; 3-year-olds and up sprint-turf; 3-year-olds and up fillies and mares sprint-dirt, and 3-year-olds and up fillies and mares long-turf. Each division this year will offer five stakes races.

The divisions have seen several changes from last year, when five divisions were offered. A long-dirt division for 3-year-olds and up and a turf-sprint division for fillies and mares offered in 2018 have been eliminated. The fillies and mares long-turf division is new this year. 

This year's 3-year-olds and up sprint-turf division will offer a pair of 7 1/2-furlong races to allow for some variety in that division.

"We were thrilled by the successful return of the MATCH Series in 2018," said Alan Foreman, creator of the series and chairman and CEO of the Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association. "Despite the most challenging weather conditions in Mid-Atlantic history, the series exceeded all of our expectations, and we are proud and excited to bring it back. We learned a lot in our return last year and have tried to make changes that are the product of numerous conversations with series participants, horsemen, track management, and fans."

The purse for each series race will be $100,000, with a total purse pool of $2 million. Bonuses for owners and trainers will total $375,000, with $75,000 in divisional bonuses, $50,000 to the overall series winning owner, and $25,000 to the winning trainer. In addition, there will be breeders' bonuses totaling $40,000.

Horses competing in MATCH Series divisions earn points per race based on participation and order of finish, and the leading points earners in each of the divisions, as well as the overall owner and trainer points leaders, win lucrative bonuses. In addition, the breeders of each competing colt/gelding and filly/mare earn points, with the breeders earning bonuses for horses that win their divisions.

"We think the 2019 series will be a credit to Mid-Atlantic racing and generate tremendous interest and enthusiasm throughout the racing industry," Foreman said. "MATCH is an enormous undertaking, and the remarkable collaborative effort of all of the MATCH partners is unprecedented in the industry."

The MATCH Series is a collaboration of racetracks, horsemen, and breeder organizations in the Mid-Atlantic region, which comprises the largest daily concentration of Thoroughbred racing in the United States. They each contribute to the marketing, purses, and bonus pool.

The participating organizations are the Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association and its affiliates in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania; the Maryland Jockey Club (Laurel Park); Delaware Park; Greenwood Gaming and Entertainment (Parx); Penn National Gaming Inc. (Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course); Darby Development (Monmouth Park); the Pennsylvania Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association; the Maryland Horse Breeders Association; the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association; Thoroughbred Breeders Association of New Jersey; and the Delaware Certified Thoroughbred Program.