Penn National, Prairie Meadows resume racing Friday

Penn National racetrack in Pennsylvania and Prairie Meadows in Iowa will join the rapidly expanding field of live-racing venues when they both open on Friday, following long shutdowns due to the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Penn National’s opening-day nine-race card drew 93 entries, while Prairie Meadows’s Friday card drew 71 horses, also for nine races. Penn National last held a live race card on March 14 before shutting its doors on March 16 under government order. Prairie Meadows delayed the opening of its meet from May 1.

The return of live racing at both tracks coincides with the reopenings of their casinos, which provide substantial subsidies to purses. The casinos are operating under significant limitations on patrons under protocols designed to mitigate the risk of spreading the virus, including the closure of most food-service operations at both properties.

Penn National expects to allow patrons to visit the racetrack side of the facility during live racing in its simulcast lounge on the third floor, but capacity will be limited. The simulcast lounge will also be open for wagering seven days a week, the track said.

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Penn National will run on a two-day per week schedule, racing on Wednesdays and Fridays, with a post time of 6 p.m. Eastern. However, the track may add race days to the schedule “based on horse supply and available purse revenues,” the track said in a release.

“It has been a long process for everyone – horsemen, employees, and guests – to get back to this point to restarting live racing, but we are grateful for the response to our returning card,” said Eric Johnson, Penn’s director of racing operations.

Penn National has been open for training since the shutdown, and its available horse population played a significant factor in the large opening-day fields. There’s a $2,538 carryover in the track’s pick 5 pool from the last live racing card.

At Prairie Meadows, the casino’s race and sports book opened on Monday, with social-distancing protocols in place. The track is planning to run Friday through Monday, with a 6 p.m. local post time on Fridays and Saturdays and a 4 p.m. local post time on Sundays and Mondays. The track said that it will continue to offer live entertainment on the track’s apron beginning at 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday “in conjunction with our live racing.”

Prairie Meadows opened its stable area on June 1.