MEC Pennsylvania Racing Services, the company that operates the racing side of The Meadows Racetrack & Casino in Washington County, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Neither racing nor gambling will be interrupted, a racetrack spokesman said. "It's business as usual," said David La Torre.

MEC filed its initial Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization petition last week in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the District of Delaware, along with a list of creditors 230 pages long.

MEC's parent company used to own The Meadows, but sold it in 2005 to Millennium Gaming Inc. and Oaktree Capital Management. Millennium then hired MEC to operate the racetrack.

The parent company, Magna Entertainment Corp., likewise filed for bankruptcy protection in March, with a list of creditors that includes the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association and the New York Racing Association. Magna, in turn, is the subsidiary of Magna International Inc., a Canadian automotive supplier.