Harrisburg, PA — Officials said the experimental cross-breed Pick-4 offered by PENN Entertainment’s two Pennsylvania racetracks in July and early August was a learning experience with mixed results that could lead to other initiatives.

Pari-mutuel wagering on the bet, which employed two Standardbred races from Hollywood Casino at The Meadows and two from Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course, averaged about $4,500 per week over four weeks early on Friday evenings, said Scott Lishia, director of racing at The Meadows. He told the Pennsylvania Horse Racing Commission at its Aug. 29 meeting that although it didn’t generate as much handle as was hoped, it was worthwhile.

“In the end, I think it was great,” Lishia said. “We gained some PR from it and learned some things from it. It was a great building point and hopefully it can come back in some other form.”

“It was a learning opportunity for both of us,” said Eric Johnston, Penn National director of racing. “One thing we learned is not to go up against Del Mar and Saratoga (in the simulcast market). We haven’t given up on it yet.”

Also at the PHRC meeting, Mike Zullinger, director of race and sportsbook operations for Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, said total handle on the Aug. 19 Sun Stakes program was up 11 percent from 2022, while wagering on the product through outlets in Sweden increased 3 percent from last year.

The meeting included a discussion on the experience thus far of Penn National and Parx Racing, which have begun providing their live signals to New Jersey for fixed-odds wagering via MonmouthBets.com (operated by Monmouth Park partner BetMakers). The two Pennsylvania tracks are among others around the United States and Canada that offer their signals for wagering through the online portal or in person at Monmouth Park at special fixed-odds betting terminals.

Joe Wilson, chief operating officer at Parx Racing, told the commission the track’s signal is only behind that of Monmouth in fixed-odds handle. He said there has been some growth “but it has not yet made an impact — the biggest problem is distribution.”

PENN Entertainment and Parx are co-owners of Freehold Raceway in New Jersey. Chris McErlean, vice president of racing for PENN Entertainment, said Freehold has not yet applied for a fixed-odds license.

“We want to see how the market evolves,” McErlean said. “This can only be done in the state of New Jersey.”

As with pari-mutuel simulcast agreements, the two Pennsylvania tracks receive host fees from BetMakers for use of their content, and that money is shared by the tracks and horsemen’s groups under separate agreements.