Parx plans to re-open turf course in time for Pennsylvania Derby card

Parx racetrack outside Philadelphia plans to resume racing on its turf course later this month, with the goal of having the course race-ready by Sept. 21, when the track runs its richest race, the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby, and 10 other stakes races, according to the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority.

Since Parx closed its turf course last week in response to criticism from horsemen, HISA officials and track-surface experts have conducted tests on the track and met with officials with both the track and its horsemen’s group, according to a statement released Friday morning by HISA. The tests concluded that “there was a noticeable lack of moisture in the track” and that “divots” in the surface had been filled with “growing medium.”

The statement also said that the irrigation system at Parx had been “down for maintenance” at the time the course was inspected on Sept. 2-3. The irrigation system was operational by Sept. 4, according to the statement.

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“Track management has committed to completing additional steps over the next two weeks, aiming to resume turf racing on Monday, September 16 through September 21,” the statement said.

Parx closed the turf course on Aug. 26 after a trainer posted a video on social media showing apparent holes in the surface. A horse suffered a fatal breakdown on the turf course during the Aug. 25 card. The track was barraged by criticism over the condition of the turf course, though the track later that week released a statement contending that the track had been safe for racing on the day of the breakdown.

The Parx statement also said that the Racing Surfaces Testing Laboratory, a private company used by HISA, had evaluated the turf surface in June. Parx closed the turf course in July for regular summer maintenance, and the fatality occurred on the first day that racing resumed on the surface.

Two of the Sept. 21 stakes races are scheduled to be run on the turf, including the Grade 3, $250,000 Turf Monster.

HISA said that racing will not be allowed to resume on the turf until its track-surface experts can re-evaluate the course. HISA, which enforces safety standards at tracks under its jurisdiction, was asked by the track’s horsemen to evaluate the turf surface after officials for the group said that they had received no response from track management about their concerns.

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