From a Charles Town release
Beginning with the $1,500,000 Charles Town Classic (G2) at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races on April 19, Horse Racing Radio Network (“HRRN”) – the Eclipse Award-winning broadcast organization based in Lexington, Kentucky – will become the exclusive radio home for the remaining 5 events in the 2014 Penn Gaming Racing Challenge. In addition to Charles Town Classic day, the HRRN team will provide coverage of Penn National’s Penn Mile card on May 31, the Race for the Ribbon program at Charles Town on September 20 as well as Zia Park’s Land of Enchantment day and Penn’s Thanksgiving Eve Racing Festival, both of which take place on November 26 and round out the series.
Much as it did in 2013, HRRN’s live Charles Town Classic coverage will originate on site with the West Virginia Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association acting as the presenting sponsor for the two hour show. HRRN’s Charles Town Classic broadcast, presented by the West Virginia Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association can be heard nationwide on SiriusXM and will be available worldwide via live streaming on the HRRN website, www.horseracingradio.net. Additional information along with specific broadcast times and channels will be announced prior to April 19.
“We’ve had a great partnership with HRRN over the past few years and we look forward to them adding value to the Charles Town Classic card and Penn Gaming Racing Challenge series as a whole,” said Erich Zimny, Charles Town’s Vice President of Racing Operations. “As the exclusive radio providers of Triple Crown coverage and the Breeders’ Cup, HRRN’s peak visibility periods fit very well with not only the spots on the calendar occupied by the Charles Town Classic and Penn Mile, but also the Zia Park Oaks and Penn Thanksgiving Eve Racing Festival cards in November.”
HRRN’s award-winning broadcast team will be anchored by HRRN President, Mike Penna.
“After luring Game on Dude, Ron the Greek and others in 2013, Charles Town has continued to build the Classic into one of our sport’s premier events,” said Penna. “Now, we’re extremely excited to add the other events in the Penn Gaming Racing Challenge to our broadcast slate and help the series start building the same momentum. We are looking forward to showcasing not only the West Virginia thoroughbred industry to our nationwide audience again, but those in Pennsylvania and New Mexico as well.”
The Charles Town Classic, which still rates as the country’s richest race outside of the Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup, will be one of 13 races on April 19 and serves as the feature on a card that includes the $200,000 Sugar Maple presented by CANTER Mid-Atlantic, the $100,000 Robert Hilton Memorial presented by Budweiser and $50,000 Webb Snyder Charles Town Dash. Post time for the first race on Charles Town Classic day will be 5pm EST, with the Classic itself scheduled to go off at 10:30pm EST.
On May 31, the second running of the $500,000 Penn Mile is on tap as part of a card that also includes the $200,000 Mountainview Handicap, $150,000 Pennsylvania Governor’s Cup and $100,000 Penn Oaks. The 2013 Penn Mile card, also covered by HRRN, shattered virtually all of the track’s single day pari-mutuel records and will again kick off at Penn’s standard first post of 6:00pm EST.
On September 20, Charles Town offers up the Race for the Ribbon, headlined by the track’s second graded race – the $500,000 Charles Town Oaks (G3). The Oaks is joined by a trio of races worth $100,000 apiece in the Researcher, Wild & Wonderful and Pink Ribbon.
The final two events in the Penn Gaming Racing Challenge take place on November 26. On its second Land of Enchantment card, Zia Park will play host to the second running of the $300,000 Zia Park Oaks as well as the $200,000 Zia Park Derby. Following the races in New Mexico, Penn National takes the spotlight with its Thanksgiving Eve Racing Festival featuring the $200,000 Fabulous Strike Handicap in addition to the $100,000 Swatara.
The Penn Gaming Racing Challenge kicked off in January with the Houston Ladies Classic night at Sam Houston and binds the 6 events through points awarded to owners, trainers and jockeys based on their participation and results in addition to containing other incentives for the connections of horses participating in multiple series races. The Penn Gaming Racing Challenge ultimately rewards the winners of the year-long series with a waiver of stakes fees at Penn Gaming tracks for an entire year as well as a trip to the Penn National Gaming owned M Resort in Las Vegas.
(Featured image, of Game On Dude in the Charles Town Classic, by Coady Photography.)
