The Pennsylvania Governor’s Cup Handicap, the oldest stakes at Hollywood Casino at Penn National, will get a $50,000 boost in its purse to $100,000 this year as part of the richest stakes schedule in the history of the track.
The 36th Pennsylvania Governor’s Cup will be held Aug. 1. It will be run at five furlongs on the turf as it has been the last few years.
The Jenny Wade Stakes for fillies and mares on the grass returns to the Penn National stakes schedule. The $60,000 event will be run July 31.
“The two rich turf races on back-to-back nights certainly present attractive options to horsemen with major stakes barns in the Mid-Atlantic region,” Penn National racing secretary Paul Jenkins said in a statement.
The state-bred stakes schedule has been expanded, with more than $800,000 up for grabs at Penn National.
The 2008 schedule will include the richest single day of racing in track history when Penn National hosts the Roanoke, Nepal, Robellino, and Power By Far stakes May 30. Each of the races for Pennsylvania-bred horses carries a guaranteed purse of $75,000.
Restricted stakes action begins with the $75,000 Danzig and $75,000 Wonders Delight Stakes on May 8. The $75,000 Lyphard Stakes and the $75,000 Dear Jane Stakes will be run, July 18, followed by the $75,000 Ligature Stakes July 25.
The fall slate includes the $75,000 High Yield Stakes on Oct. 30, and the $75,000 Blue Mountain Futurity for 2-year old fillies on Nov. 6.
First post at Penn National is 6:45 p.m. EDT. The track currently races Wednesdays through Saturdays.
