Harrisburg, PA — Hollywood Casino at The Meadows was able to complete a few capital improvement projects during its week-and-a-half break in early April, but another project was delayed because of poor weather conditions.

Scott Lishia, director of racing at The Meadows, told the Pennsylvania Horse Racing Commission during its April 30 meeting that the new, much larger video board was installed in two days, and there was an upgrade in the HVAC system in the paddock. Combined, the two projects cost about $440,000.

But rain and snow, he said, led management to postpone the usual renovation of the racing surface. Lishia said the surface is fine, and the track will target an upcoming weekend with forecasted good weather to work on it.

In other Standardbred updates, Mike Zullinger, director of race and sports book operations at Mohegan Pennsylvania at Pocono Downs, said pari-mutuel handle on the live product so far this season is up 2-3 percent. Barry Brown, director of racing operations at Harrah’s Philadelphia Casino & Racetrack, said handle through the first seven days of the meet was up year over year.

Tom Chuckas, the PHRC Thoroughbred Bureau director, said the commission has reached a tentative agreement with the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority and Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit, which oversees the HISA Anti-Doping and Medication Control Program for Thoroughbred racing in the state, on assessments and money-back credits. A few state agencies must sign off on the agreement before the PHRC can ratify it, probably at its meeting in late May.

Chris McErlean, vice president of racing for Penn Entertainment, which owns The Meadows and Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course as well as tracks — Thoroughbred and Standardbred — in other states, thanked the PHRC for its efforts.

“HISA in general has been a mixed bag,” McErlean said. “These credits go a long way toward helping defer costs. Pennsylvania has made it as painless a process as is possible.”