Parx Racing outside of Philadelphia has suspended live racing for a minimum of two weeks due to the Coronavirus situation, according to David Osojnak, the track’s director of racing. Parx management informed horsemen via text on Friday morning that racing would be suspended starting with Saturday’s program. Saturday’s card was the first that would have been run since the coronavirus was declared a pandemic earlier this week. Parx did not take entries on Friday for Monday’s card as scheduled. “We told our horsemen that due to the public health concerns posed by the coronavirus, live racing at Parx will be suspended for a minimum of two weeks,” Osojnak said. “As of now, training hours remain the same, however, that is subject to change. This decision has been made to help protect and maintain the health and safety of our employees, horsemen, horses and customers.” The casino at Parx did remain open. On Saturday afternoon, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf held a press conference during which he said all non-essential public spaces in Bucks and Chester counties in Pennsylvania will be closed, according the Morning Call, a paper based in Allentown, Pa. Parx is located in Bucks County. Currently, Parx races three days a week – Monday, Tuesday, and Saturday. Beginning April 1, Parx is scheduled to add Wednesdays to the calendar. Osojnak said that horsemen based at Parx would be permitted to run out of town. “We want to let our guys run and make a living somewhere,” he said. “We’re doing this out of extreme caution. Of course, I am disheartened. Of course, I would love to race. The bigger picture is to try and protect the people.” In other news, Osojnak confirmed that the Pennsylvania Racing Commission suspended the license of trainer Marcos Zulueta, one of the now 29 individuals indicted by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York in a horse-doping scandal. According to the indictment, Zulueta, and others, assisted Jorge Navarro by obtaining, shipping, and administering misbranded and adulterated PED’s for Navarro’s benefit. Zulueta was the fourth-leading trainer at Parx in 2019 with 53 wins from 248 starters. He ranked third in wins at Parx in 2020 with 14 wins from 45 starters. Osojnak said Zulueta is part-owner of a majority of the horses he trains and was being bought out by his partners. Osojnak believed the majority of Zulueta’s horses that he had no ownership interest in were being transferred to Jamie Ness, the second-leading trainer at Parx.