As temperatures in the Philadelphia area have risen to steadily above freezing, the turf course renovations at Parx Racing have begun.
"We want to thank the horsemen and women for their collaboration and patience as we begin the process of renovating the turf course," said Joe Wilson, the Chief Operating Officer at Parx Racing. "We expect this course will be held to the highest safety standards and we are looking forward to the return of turf racing here at Parx."
"Our horsemen deserve this, Pennsylvania Racing deserves this," said Jeff Matty, the Executive Director of the PTHA. We are very much looking forward to this joint venture with Parx Racing Management giving us the ability to offer multiple racing surfaces to our horsemen, on-top of the great programs already in place here at the PTHA."
The process began on Wednesday, April 8 and is being installed by Hummer Turfgrass System, Inc. based out of Manheim, Pennsylvania.
They are partners with the Philadelphia Phillies and the Philadelphia Eagles and most notably installed the soccer field at Subaru Park, the home of the Philadelphia Union. The installation is being overseen by Logan Freeman of C6 Turf Management, LLC who brings vast experience in the racing industry including previous work with Laurel, Pimlico and Gulfstream Park. The sod is being provided by Tuckahoe Farms in Hammonton, New Jersey.
"The renovation of the turf course is going to provide the horsemen and women with a valuable asset and bring the excitement of turf racing back to Parx," said Freeman "It's a privilege to be providing oversight of the project and working with management and stakeholders during this process and the future maintenance of the turf course."
The sod is being provided by Tuckahoe Farms in Hammonton, New Jersey.
"We are really looking forward to being able to card turf races again starting this fall and renewing top quality turf racing at Parx," said David Osojnak, the Director of Racing at Parx.
"Seeing this project is a clear sign that spring has sprung here at Parx Racing," said Kate DeMasi, the newly elected PTHA President. "I'm proud of the work our PTHA organization has done, in partnership with Parx, to make this a reality for our horsemen."
The installation is scheduled to take approximately four weeks to complete.
(Editor's Note: The prior Parx turf course came under repeated criticism for wear and tear and its overall condition. An August 2024 BloodHorse story about the turf course can be read here.)
This press release has not been edited by BloodHorse. If there are any questions please contact the organization that produced the release.
