Winter wonderland?

Horsemen in Pennsylvania are understandably upset that both Philadelphia Park and Penn National Race Course have cancelled a slew of cards the last few weeks due to the snowy and icy weather conditions, but this is not a new phenomenon, by any means.

Because both racetracks have dirt surfaces, it is a rare winter, indeed, when live racing isn’t shut down at some point during January, February and March.

While digging through the archives the other day, I ran across an article I wrote in Daily Racing Form from 17 years ago that could have just as easily been written today.

Entitled “Horsemen Struggle to Cope with Freeze,” and dated January 27, 1994, the story describes the angst of Philadelphia Park horsemen over the poor track condition and the loss of racing days, which in turn meant a loss of their income.

“Winter racing is brutal for both man and beast, but the deep freeze that gripped the Delaware Valley this month and forced the cancellation of 10 live cards at Philadelphia Park since January 11 has tested the endurance of the hardiest horsemen,” it began.

The article goes on to say that sub-zero temperatures froze the main track solid the second week of January, and track superintendent Roy Smith said he was “forced to jackhammer holes in the surface so that standing water could be swept into them.”

“I feel very good about the condition of the track now,” Smith was quoted as saying. “It’s got its color back, and I’ve got about a two-inch cushion for training.” But, he added, he was unsure when live action would resume.

Trainer Pam Shavelson, a longtime resident of the Philadelphia Park backstretch, said in the article that the suspension of both racing and training placed a “horrible financial burden” on horsemen.

“There’s no income from purses, yet horses still eat everyday and you still have to meet payroll,” she said.

The bitter cold snap also wreaked havoc with the plumbing in Philadelphia Park’s barns.

“Two pipes burst in my barn – one at both ends,” she went on to say. “One blew at 7 o’clock at night, and maintenance didn’t arrive until 4 a.m. It was a real mess.”

Bursting pipes from the extreme temperatures also created chaos in the barns of J. Michael Rogers, Uriah St. Lewis, Bob Dodds and Bob Camac, the story reported.

Jockey agents were also interviewed, with Jack Servis, agent for Tony Black and Jeff Lloyd, stating that although he was going skiing, he plans on cutting his vacation short to maintain his contacts both at Philadelphia Park and Garden State Park.

“You’ve still got to maintain your contacts and keep the goodwill,” said Servis.

While the name of the racetrack has changed to Parx, and both Servis and Camac are sadly now deceased, one thing has stayed the same – winter racing in the mid-Atlantic region continues to be a problem for track maintenance workers, horsemen, and horses.

Check back in 17 more years, and you’ll likely be reading more of the same.

And they're off at snowy Philadelphia Park.  Photo credit: USA Today.