Parx Casino and Racing formerly Philadelphia Park Racetrack and Casino is a Thoroughbred horse racing venue and the largest casino gaming complex in Pennsylvania. Owned and operated by Greenwood Gaming and Entertainment, Inc. Parx also offers online gambling and online sports betting along with off-track betting at two locations. When the track was purchased in by ITB, the racetrack received a new name, Philadelphia Park , a new turf course, and an innovative new way to wager called Phonebet.
In December , the racetrack again changed hands when Greenwood Racing, Inc. Full card simulcasting was added, as well as six off-track locations called Turf Clubs, allowing race fans to watch and wager seven days a week. The new partnership, called Pennwood, was expected to pursue off-track and account wagering in New Jersey. Garden State Park closed in , and was razed shortly thereafter. Simulcasting on cable broadcasting systems notably those owned by Comcast was discontinued in March , and shortly replaced by Comcast with TVG Network , who later joined with Harrah's Chester to bring their own simulcasting betting accounts in October The track became famous as the original home of Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes champion Smarty Jones , who placed second in the Belmont Stakes , narrowly missing the Triple Crown.
In November , it was revealed that Parx was requiring jockeys to sign a waiver as a condition of riding there. It is believed that the waiver stemmed from a court judgement against Parx in favor of the family of Mario Calderon, an exercise rider who suffered fatal injuries in an incident on the Parx backstretch in The Jockeys' Guild said that the waiver contained language "inconsistent with the laws of Pennsylvania" and it would instruct its members against signing it.
On March 19, , a major accident occurred during the 9th race, in which hall of fame jockey Jose Flores was sent to a hospital following the incident. It was announced that he would be placed on life support a day later. The horse however had to undergo animal euthanasia. Flores was pronounced dead on March 22, , at pm. The Pennsylvania Derby which first served as a Memorial Day replacement for the Jersey Derby after the original grandstand at Garden State Park was destroyed by a fire in , was held on Labor Day until when the race was moved to the last Saturday in September.
This brought it closer to the Breeders' Cup World Championships. The Pennsylvania Derby is a 1. Over the past few years, it has evolved into a three-day festival that lasts all of Labor Day weekend at the racetrack, culminating with the running of the Derby. The Cotillion, which has been run since Thoroughbred racing began in Pennsylvania in at the old Liberty Bell Park in Northeast Philadelphia , is a 1.
