The Meadows today honoured the memory and legacy of the late Catherine Baker Knoll, former Pennsylvania lieutenant governor, by naming one of its top races for her.
To be known as the Catherine Baker Knoll, the race for two-year-old filly pacers is contested each year during Grand Circuit Week, when harness racing’s finest young horses compete at the Meadows. The track will stage the inaugural Catherine Baker Knoll on Saturday, August 1, 2009 as a companion feature to the Delvin Miller Adios, the Meadows’ richest event. Formerly known as the Fred Jamison, the Catherine Baker Knoll is projected to offer a purse exceeding $100,000.
David Wiegmann, acting general manager for the Meadows, said the tribute recognizes Knoll’s important contributions to Pennsylvania harness racing.
“Catherine Baker Knoll was a force in the development of a robust harness racing industry that is an important source of valuable jobs and revenue for the Commonwealth,” he said. “She was a loyal friend of, and advocate for, harness racing, and we are delighted to memorialize her vital role.”
The first woman elected Pennsylvania lieutenant governor, she served in that position in the administration of governor Ed Rendell from 2003 until her death in November 2008. That post highlighted a career of public service that included two terms as Pennsylvania treasurer. The McKees Rocks native also was a longtime Democratic Party official and activist.
The late lieutenant governor Catherine Baker Knoll was one of the most dedicated public servants in Pennsylvania. “She beat all the odds to rise to the second-highest position in state government," said state representative Tim Solobay. "Like the fillies that will compete in the race that bears her name, Catherine Baker Knoll was strong, determined and never let anything stand in the way of her dreams.”
(With files from the Meadows)