Eight colts are entered to race Friday, June 2 in the tenth edition of the $400,000 guaranteed Grade 2 Penn Mile Stakes at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course. It's the signature race of the Grantville track, which is celebrating its 51st anniversary this year.

The race, for 3-year-olds on the turf, is one of 6 stakes on the eleven-race evening card. Post time is 5 P.M. for the night of top-notch racing that includes 4 Pennsylvania-bred stakes and 4 turf races.

"The Penn Mile is our premier event, and we are pleased to attract the best of the best in racing since the inaugural running of the race in 2013," stated Eric Johnston, director of racing operations for Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course.

"We have had multiple graded stakes winners run in the race, and Bobby's Kitten won the race in 2014 and went on that year to win the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. There is lots of competition right now because all the tracks are open in the Northeast, but we are fortunate to attract the top horses, trainers, and jockeys for the Penn Mile.

This year, for added flair, NBC's race caller for the Breeders' Cup and Kentucky Derby and Preakness, Larry Collmus will be calling the stakes races. We also have a guaranteed Pick 5 pay out. The purses for the day total over $1 million, so it should be a great night of racing," added Johnston.

Entries for the Grade 2 Penn Mile include the two early favorites, Major Dude and Candidate.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, Major Dude, the well-bred son of Bolt d'Oro, won this year's Grade 3 Kitten's Joy Stakes at Gulfstream Park and has earned over $400,000 in his career. Candidate is trained by Arnaud Delacour and was second to Major Dude in this year's Kitten's Joy Stakes.

Other entries include three PA-breds, Movisitor, Fletcher, and Upstate and Back.

Stakes placed Tuskegee Airmen, trained by Parx trainer, John Servis, is also part of the eight horse field. "I never ran him on the turf, and I always wanted to because he has a nice big foot, and I think he should handle the turf," said Servis.

"I'm running four horses that night. I got Huntingcoco in March from Baffert in California. She's a PA-bred, so he thought he would send her to PA to run with PA-breds. She's running in the New Start Stakes for fillies going 6 furlongs on the dirt. Peach Perfect never ran on the turf either, but we think she will like it. Why not give it a try?"

The four Pennsylvania-bred stakes on the card are the New Start Stakes for 3 year old fillies on the dirt at 6 furlongs, purse $100,000, the With Anticipation for 3 year olds and up on the turf going 11/16th mile, purse $100,000, the Lyphard Stakes for fillies 3 years old and up on the turf at 11/16th mile, purse $100,000, and the Danzig Stakes on the dirt for 3 year olds, purse $100,000.

Also on the card is the Penn Oaks for three year old fillies on the turf, purse $150,000.

Parx trainer, Eddie Coletti, Jr. plans to run 3 year old Keithsendshelloooo in the Danzig Stakes that night. "I had this race in mind for my horse all along. I was aiming for this race, so I freshened him up during the winter, and he's back training now. He's doing great, and I hope he runs as good as he did last year. The races on Penn Mile day are a great venue for Pennsylvania-breds. It's a night to display and showcase our talented young PA-breds and participate in the lucrative incentive program we have in the state," explained Coletti.

A son of Uptowncharlybrown and owned and bred by the Uptowncharlybrown Stud LLC, Keithsendshelloooo is one of the early favorites along with Gordian Knot in the seven horse field.

Beginning at 4:30P.M., Larry Collmus, NBC's sports' announcer, will be on hand to meet fans and welcome them to an exciting night of top class racing that includes turf specialists, graded-stakes winners, Pennsylvania's finest, and Hall of Fame trainers and jockeys.

Larry Collmus to Call 2023 Penn Mile

The voice of thoroughbred horse racing's Triple Crown and Breeders' Cup World Championships will serve as the race caller for Penn National Race Course's signature event next month.

Larry Collmus, of NBC Sports, will take the microphone at the Grantville track to call the $400,000 Grade 2 Penn Mile on Friday, June 2, the track announced Tuesday.

Collmus will also handle the race-calling duties for the other five stakes races on the card, including the $150,000 Penn Oaks and four $100,000 Pennsylvania-bred stakes.

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The 2023 edition of the $400,000, Grade 2, Penn Mile will be contested on Friday, June 2, 2023 at Penn National Race Course.

Post time for the Penn Mile Day card will be 5:00 pm (ET). Nominations closed Wednesday, May 17, 2023.

Now in its tenth running, the one-mile event for 3-year-olds on the turf will headline an exceptional evening of racing which will also include the $150,000 Penn Oaks, $100,000 Danzig Stakes, $100,000 New Start Stakes, $100,000 Lyphard Stakes, and $100,000 With Anticipation Stakes.

Inaugurated in 2013, the Penn Mile was granted Grade 3 status in 2015 and upgraded to a Grade 2 in 2017. Previous Penn Mile winners include Kenneth L. Ramsey's homebred Bobby's Kitten, who lived up to his post-time favoritism in 2014 for Chad Brown and jockey Javier Castellano and went on to win that year's Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint.

In 2016, the Canadian Champion filly Catch a Glimpse, trained by Mark Casse, won the Penn Mile prior to completing her career with earnings of $1.8 million. Last year's Penn Mile champion Wow What a Summer lit up the toteboard at odds of 83-1 for conditioner James Lawrence, II and runner-up Annapolis, trained by Hall of Fame conditioner Todd Pletcher, went on to win three stakes in 2022, including the Grade 1 Coolmore Turf at Keeneland.

The $150,000 Penn Oaks (listed) has also showcased many exemplary turf distaffers, including 2019 champion Regal Glory. The daughter of Animal Kingdom added nine stakes wins following her Penn Oaks victory and was honored with the 2022 Eclipse Award for Champion Turf Female.

"We are looking forward to hosting the Penn Mile, Penn Oaks and four additional $100,000 stakes for Pennsylvania-breds on June 2," said Eric Johnston, Director of Racing Operation for Penn National. "The race continues to attract the nation's elite horses, trainers and jockeys to central Pennsylvania."