by Frank Angst
 
The Pennsylvania Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association has reached an agreement with riders at Penn National Race Course to increase mount fees.

The Pennsylvania HBPA plans to increase mount fees for losing riders to $75. The horsemen’s group also announced its plans to increase mount fees to $75 at Presque Isle Downs if it can reach an agreement on increasing start fees to $200 for owners of unplaced horses.

“Now that we have integrated purses from gaming into the overall purse structure, we have come to the point where this increase can be accommodated by increasing the losing purse to owners to $200 per horse or the existing percentage, whichever is greater,” said Pennsylvania HBPA President Joe Santanna. “It is a win-win situation and we are fortunate to be in position to take this action.”

The HBPA worked with two jockey representatives: the Jockeys at Penn National and the Jockeys’ Guild, which handled Presque Isle negotiations. The increases will begin on August 20 at Penn National while the HBPA said it would continue talks with Presque Isle.

“We hope that the HBPA and Presque Isle Downs can quickly work out their disagreement so that the new agreement is implemented,” Jockeys’ Guild National Manager Terry Meyocks said.

Frank Angst is senior writer of Thoroughbred Times