DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa. — They’re off!
Hundreds gathered at Penn National Race Course in Dauphin County for a race of national significance.
“This is our Kentucky Derby, this is the Penn Mile day, it’s our biggest race of the year, it’s a great card of over a million dollars up for grabs for the horseman, plenty of betting opportunities, and a lot of talent here, you got some world class jockeys, it’s a who’s who of racing right now,” said Racing Operations Director, Eric Johnston.
Competing in this year’s Penn Mile is Frankie Dettori who’s racing in Pennsylvania for the first time.
“You know I like to go to new places; it mentally keeps me young, new challenges, and this is definitely one,” Dettori said.
Dettori is internationally recognized for his competitive spirit.
He hopes to return to Europe with another victory on his record and a new trophy in his arms.
“You know obviously I ride on a lot of big tracks around America, so I’ll give the public a chance to see me on the local track; it’s good for them and it’s also good for me,” Dettori said.
This year’s race has a $400,000 purse and is expected to be paid out across the top five horses.
“We do that on these days because that’s our marque day, this keeps us relevant out there in the landscape of the rest of the racetracks but that’s the equivalent to three days of racing for us on a normal day,” Johnston said.
An event like Penn Mile takes about 3 months to put together.
But organizers say it’s worth it to see everyone’s hard work pay off and for some to win big.
“I don’t want to take all the accolades for the day because it is a team effort,” Johnston said.
To view the course’s racing schedule, click here.
