(TRENTON) – Legislation Assembly Democrat John Burzichelli sponsored to further promote Atlantic City by allowing it to host horse races on the beach this October has been signed into law.
The law (A-4149) enables Atlantic City to host the American Palio Celebration.
The Atlantic City American Palio will be a series of horse races conducted on the beach in Atlantic City in mid-October.
The event is an Americanization of Palio, a race in Siena, Italy, that has been run for the past 700 years. In Siena, the horses race one half mile around the Town Square, while the American version will have horses competing in the American classic distance of three-quarters of a mile on the Atlantic City beach.
American Palio will have a total of 50 horses competing in a series of elimination races that will narrow the field to the 10 runners who will race for the American Palio Championship.
“This has all the making of a fun and great event, the type of which we’ve been trying to lure to Atlantic City to highlight it as a top-flight entertainment destination,” said Burzichelli (D-Gloucester/Salem/Cumberland). “This will attract horse fans, sports fans, families and those simply looking to see a unique event on the beach in the autumn. Changing state law to allow for this great promotion is the least we can do as we continue striving to make Atlantic City a great place to visit and spend time.”
“We can all look forward to getting this done and to a fun and interesting weekend in Atlantic City,” Burzichelli added. “This is all part of our overall effort to attract people to this great destination.”