Penn National adds five stakes for horses bred or sired in Pennsylvania

Penn National bulked up its 2013 stakes lineup by adding five stakes for Pennsylvania-bred or Pennsylvania-sired horses, including two on its biggest night of the racing season.

The track in central Pennsylvania near Hershey announced Friday that the newly created E Dubai Stakes for 3-year-olds and up and the Silver Train Stakes for fillies and mares will be included on the June 1 six-stakes program headed by the inaugural running of the $500,000 Penn Mile. The restricted stakes will be worth $60,000 apiece and will be contested at six furlongs on the main track.

The June 1 card, one week before the Belmont Stakes, also features the $250,000 Mountainview Handicap, the $150,000 Pennsylvania Governor’s Cup, and the $50,000 Penn Dash.

“It’s terrific that we were able to add two races highlighting some of Pennsylvania’s most talented homebreds and stallions to what should be the biggest day of racing ever held at Penn National,” said Dan Silver, director of racing operations. “We have to thank the Pennsylvania HBPA for helping make these state-focused stakes a reality.”

Penn National also announced the creation of a pair of $60,000 turf stakes for Pennsylvania-sired runners, and that the track is bringing back its traditional fall feature for Pennsylvania-bred 2-year-old fillies, the $75,000 Blue Mountain. The Smarty Jones and the Wiseman’s Ferry, both scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on grass, will anchor the track’s first Pennsylvania Owners Day on June 22. Aside from the two new stakes that evening, every race will be for Pennsylvania-bred horses.

Collectively, the five restricted stakes added Friday to the six open stakes on the 2013 stakes schedule total $315,000. In 2012, Penn National presented seven $75,000 stakes for Pennsylvania-breds, with a total purse value of $525,000.