Live racing and training at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course will be suspended following the Sept. 20 racing program for a resurfacing project of the entire racetrack cushion. The unexpected shutdown of the Pennsylvania racetrack is believed to be due to track conditions that have resulted in a high number of recent catastrophic breakdowns, based on information from horsemen.

The project, which will include about 8,000 tons of silt and sand that will be mixed to create the new track cushion, is expected to last until the end of October, which means about six weeks of racing–roughly 25 programs–will not be offered. In addition to the new material, the underlying limestone base at some areas on the outside of the track will be repaired.

“This project was originally being prepared as part of our 2009 capital planning process, but accelerating the work will assist our track maintenance staff in their efforts going into the fall and winter racing seasons,” director of racing Rob Marella said in an Aug. 29 statement. “The base incorporating the inner racing paths is in solid condition, but with removing the entire cushion, we are provided the opportunity to firm up the outside portions of the base as well.

“We are building some time into the project to account for possible weather factors, but feel confident the work can be done in a timely basis so the downtime affecting our horsemen and track-related staff is held to a minimum