by Mike Curry

Live racing at Penn National Race Course will be suspended after the racing card on September 20 so the track can begin resurfacing the entire racetrack cushion.

The project is expected to last through October.

“This project was originally being prepared as part of our 2009 capital planning process but accelerating the work will assist our track maintenance staff in their efforts going into the fall and winter racing seasons,” said Rob Marella, director of racing.

Joe Santanna, president of the Pennsylvania Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association , said the racing surface at Penn National had become a growing concern.

Penn National expects to mix approximately 8,000 tons of silt and sand for the new track cushion to form a depth of about 3 1/2 inches around the one-mile racetrack.

The limestone base will undergo repairs to some areas on the outside of the track.

“The base incorporating the inner racing paths is in solid condition, but with removing the entire cushion we are provided the opportunity to firm up the outside portions of the base as well,” Marella said.

“We are building some time into the project to account for possible weather factors, but feel confident the work can be done in a timely basis so the downtime affecting our horsemen and track-related staff is held to a minimum.”

Santanna said in April the Pennsylvania HBPA had an opportunity to have a racetrack expert analyze the racetrack at Penn National and agreed to cover the cost, but Penn National expressed no interest in allowing that to happen.

“For about the last year, our board, the HBPA board of Pennsylvania, has had some concern about the racetrack surface—just because those guys that go up there every day came back and said that the racetrack needs some attention,” Santanna said. “We go through winterization and summarization, so you do have some changes with the racetrack.”

Santanna, who is also president of the National HBPA, said a rash of breakdowns from April through June led the Pennsylvania HBPA continued to intensify their efforts to get the track resurfaced. They sent letter in June indicating that it had become an emergency and needed to be done sooner than originally budgeted for 2009.

Penn National subsequently contacted a racetrack analyst, who determined that the racetrack needed resurfacing, and Penn National agreed to begin the process on September 20.

“In this age of health and welfare of horses, it’s extremely disrespectful to our members who make the investment and work with the horses 24-7 to have them go up there and snap their leg off,” Santanna said. “We’re absolutely delighted that they finally agreed to get the track analyzed by an independent party, and that report clearly indicates that the racetrack surface is in need of repair. We are delighted that they have agreed to accelerate the capital project immediately.

“It will require some temporary difficult time, because we race year-round, and if we are going to go five or six weeks without the ability to train we are trying right now to find some systematic, orderly, and safe way to get horses relocated.”

Santanna said the Pennsylvania HBPA asked Penn National consider installing a synthetic surface and offered as an example Presque Isle Downs, which he said has had only three breakdowns since April 10. Santanna said the request to open discussions about installing a synthetic surface was denied.

“I understand it is their racetrack and their property, and they have the right to feel the way they want to feel,” Santanna said.

Mike Curry is editor of Thoroughbred Times TODAY