Horse racing is alive and well in Pennsylvania, and whether you like to go to the track, hang out at the OTB, or bet horse racing online, the Keystone State is a great place to do it!
Horse racing in Pennsylvania may date all the way back to state founder William Penn, since legend has it that Race Street in Philadelphia got its name because that's where he liked to race his horses. Hunting Park, the first one-mile trotting track in the United States, opened in the early 19th century in Philadelphia; though it was a park by 1855, more tracks have come and gone over the years, keeping the sport of kings alive and well in the state.
Whether you love Thoroughbred racing or harness racing, or you can't decide which one you love more, Pennsylvania is a great place. Thoroughbreds shine at Parx in Bensalem (a suburb of Philadelphia), Penn National in Grantville (a stone's throw from the capital, Harrisburg), and Presque Isle in Erie. Harness racing thrives at Pocono Downs in Wilkes-Barre, Harrah's Philadelphia, and The Meadows in Washington. With off-track betting locations and great online wagering options in the state, you're always close to the action!
Recommended Online Racebooks
Although there are six tracks and some OTB locations scattered across Pennsylvania, it is a big state and depending on the season it may be a long drive to get to a place to bet in person. Fortunately, even if you live a busy lifestyle, you can be part of the horse racing action at any time of year from anywhere in Pennsylvania by betting at an online racebook!
Online racebooks offer quick, easy, and trusted betting on races in Pennsylvania and all over the world. In addition to the bets you can make at the track, many online racebooks also offer futures wagering, prop bets, and more that you used to only be able to find at a casino.
Online racebooks are also excellent options because they offer bettor rewards that you'll never find at the track or the OTB. These include sign-up bonuses, deposit bonuses, referral benefits, and even horse racing rebates that pay you cash or betting credit for every wager you make. Online racebooks are a win-win: they're convenient and they let you build your bankroll faster than ever!
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Pennsylvania Horse Racing Tracks
With six races across the state, make sure to explore your options and find your favorite tracks to visit or bet!
Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Tracks
Whether you live in western, central, or eastern Pennsylvania, you're not far from a place to enjoy Thoroughbred racing in Pennsylvania.
Parx, located in the Philadelphia metropolitan area, hosts live Thoroughbred racing through most of the year. There's a three-week break in late July and early August, but except for that traditionally hottest part of the year, you can come to Parx and see live horses all year long! Parx has a dirt track in use through its entire racing season, as well as a turf track that is in use when weather permits.
Penn National, nestled in the mountains in central Pennsylvania, offers Thoroughbred racing most of the year as well. There are three-week breaks through parts of January, April, and October, but otherwise you'll hear the call to post.
From late May through late October, you can also enjoy racing in western Pennsylvania at Presque Isle Downs in Erie. Presque Isle conducts all its racing on a synthetic Tapeta track, making it an interesting and unique handicapping and betting challenge.
Pennsylvania Harness Tracks
With three different harness tracks across the state, there's Standardbred racing action in Pennsylvania all year long.
Pocono Downs, in northeastern Wilkes-Barre, gets underway in mid-February and runs harness racing all the way through late November. The Meadows, just southwest of Pittsburgh, hosts live harness racing all year long except for a week in April and a week in September. Harrah's Philadelphia is in action from mid-April through the end of December.
Horse Races in Pennsylvania
These are the major horse races of the year in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Races
At Parx, stakes racing happens much of the year but the flagship day is Pennsylvania Derby Day in September. The card features a full day of stakes featuring top horses all over the country. Three-year-old dirt route horses take the biggest spotlight of all in the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby (G1) and the $1 milion Cotillion (G1), rich races that are also often major preps for the Breeders' Cup.
The highlight of the Presque Isle Downs season is the Presque Isle Masters (G2) in mid-September, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for fillies and mares aged three and up that often has an outside influence on the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. The crowning race of the Penn National season is the Penn Mile (G3), a feature for three-year-old grass horses. The race is run in late May or early June every year, and is the only graded race on the Penn National calendar.
Pennsylvania Harness Races
Pocono Downs is the highest-profile harness track in Pennsylvania. The richest races on its calendar include the $300,000 Earl Beal Jr. Memorial for three-year-old trotters and the Max Hempt Memorial for three-year-old pacers. Pocono is also on the regular rotation to host the Breeders Crown, the end-of-year championships of harness racing. Pocono has held the Breeders Crown in 2010, 2013, and 2018.
The premier race at The Meadows is the Adios Pace, a prestigious race for three-year-old pacers. It is run in late July. The biggest day of the year at Harrah's Philadelphia is Liberty Bell day in early October, a day that features prestigious stakes for trotters and pacers, both two-year-olds and three-year-olds.
Off Track Betting in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania is a great state for betting the horses no matter what kind of racing you prefer. All six tracks offer not only live wagering but also simulcast betting at races around the world, and most tracks also host a few local off-track betting locations so you can get together with your friends in a sports-bar environment to bet the horses.
Whether you choose to meet at the track, bet at an off-track betting parlor, or bet from anywhere online, there will always be a perfect way for you to watch and wager on horse racing in Pennsylvania.