About
The Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association (PTHA) works hard to protect and provide for the Parx Racing horsemen through the guarantee of live racing, horsemen’s rights, health care and pension for horsemen, benevolence programs, and more. Parx Racing and the PTHA have been recognized throughout the industry as a starting point for stricter medication rules and other important legislative issues through the foresight of President Bob Hutt, Executive Director Jeffrey Matty Jr. and the PTHA Board of Directors.
In addition, the PTHA has created the Horsemen’s Purchasing Association (HPA) and Turning for Home. The HPA offers quality products at discount prices, including feed, bedding, supplements, and tack. Turning for Home is a racehorse retirement program that has safely retired over 4,000 horses from Parx Racing since 2008, and is considered a model program for the racing industry.
Here are just some of the many things the PTHA currently provides:
- Horsemen’s Purchasing Association
- Turning for Home, Inc.
- PTHA Charities, Inc
- Open every day except Saturdays and Sundays (check office hours for any changes)
- Full line of fax and copy with all copies and racing-related faxes free of charge
- Accept mail for mailing
- At least one notary on-site every day
- Pull BRISNet & Equineline reports for purchase
- Computer with Internet access connected to printer available for use in-office
- Free wi-fi Internet access
- Provide licensing and forms for other racing jurisdictions
- Provide training charts
- Free Parx Racing programs for owners and trainers
- Overnights for Mid-Atlantic racetracks
- Condition books for Mid-Atlantic racetracks
- Sales catalogs
- National and regional racing and breeding publications available for use in-office
- Trophy race weekly where winning trainer receives an embroidered PTHA paddock blanket and the owner receives a trophy that holds a 5×7″ win photo
- Sponsor of Craig Donnelly’s Parx Racing Analysis
- Instrumental in obtaining construction of all new barns on the backstretch
- Used shavings removal
- Fire and disaster Insurance for horses on the grounds
- Healthcare Benefits for Stable employees
- Health insurance available for eligible trainers
- Dental insurance for eligible trainers
- Optical insurance for eligible trainers
- Pension plan for eligible trainers
- Life insurance plan for eligible trainers
- Burial plan for eligible stable employees
- Write appeals for rulings against horsemen
- Lobby in Harrisburg for horsemen’s rights and the future of racing in Pennsylvania
- Represent horsemen before the Board of Stewards, Pennsylvania Racing Commission and State Legislature
- Annual Horsemen’s Awards Dinner
- Annual Owners Appreciation Day
- Annual Pennsylvania Derby Day Celebration
- Annual Parx Hall of Fame Induction
- Shared sponsorship of Easter dinner, Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas Day dinner, and Christmas luncheon for backstretch employees with the RTCA, as well as children’s holiday parties.
- Patha.org Website with up-to-date information, horse adoption page and current press releases
- PTHA Newsletter blast emailed monthly
- Let’s Go Racing, a weekly TV show produced by the PTHA featuring PTHA’s Dani Gibson and turf writer Dick Jerardi, producing by Bruce Casella and Chris Griffin.
- Let’s Go Racing Parx Website and fan base promotions.
- Pertinent racing information available in office
