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Business As Usual

Racing
#861

I, for one, cannot wait for this information to come out, Dick. Too bad they let Delahoussaye have stalls again, and let’s pray none of his horses break down.

As a quick aside, I spotted a familiar name in the 3rd race chart tonight. Trainer Juan Serey, who saddled Sir Tyler T to a $55 upset, was a former leading “juice” guy in Jersey, who disappeared from the scene for a while after a nasty dispute with his brother, Mario. The dispute centered around horse ownership, purse earnings, and some payola to the horsemen’s bookkeeper at Monmouth Park. Juan Serey was known for his prowess at claiming horses, then stepping them up and winning right off the bat. Not surprised he gave a leg up to Jennifer Jennings for tonight’s victory … she’ll ride anything.

#862

Don’t worry. Darryl thinks he is in the clear, but he’s not. He’s in the crosshairs as much as anyone.

#863

Purse Cut of 10% on the way

A purse cut of 10% is on the way for Hollywood Casino at Penn National. Once table games hit in July, which the horseman get ZERO in revenue from, purses at Penn National will be cut another 25% by the end of the year and the track will officially become “Mountaineer East” except they get a cut - albeit small - of the table games revenue. Within 3 years, they’ll be running for $7,000 pots and $15,000 MSW races once again mostly due to poor leadership. The longtime Grantville trainers who feel like they hit the lottery will once again be struggling like for so many years before. One way to remedy the problem would be to actually try and improve the simulcast product to which there has been nothing to improve the poor video feed and the takeouts are one of the worst in the country. So, despite one of the highest average field sizes per race, Penn struggles to get $1.2-$1.3 million in handle.

The purse cut is despite a cut of 29 racing days. I’m sure the cry next year will be to not race in January and February and cut more days to keep purses intact. I’ve never seen a more poorly run backside that lacks leadership than what I see at Penn National.

#864

vets at work

.

#865

[QUOTE=DickHertz;4767544]
A purse cut of 10% is on the way for Hollywood Casino at Penn National. Once table games hit in July, which the horseman get ZERO in revenue from, purses at Penn National will be cut another 25% by the end of the year and the track will officially become “Mountaineer East” except they get a cut - albeit small - of the table games revenue. Within 3 years, they’ll be running for $7,000 pots and $15,000 MSW races once again mostly due to poor leadership. The longtime Grantville trainers who feel like they hit the lottery will once again be struggling like for so many years before. One way to remedy the problem would be to actually try and improve the simulcast product to which there has been nothing to improve the poor video feed and the takeouts are one of the worst in the country. So, despite one of the highest average field sizes per race, Penn struggles to get $1.2-$1.3 million in handle.

The purse cut is despite a cut of 29 racing days. I’m sure the cry next year will be to not race in January and February and cut more days to keep purses intact. I’ve never seen a more poorly run backside that lacks leadership than what I see at Penn National.[/QUOTE]

Hey Dick, rather than bitch about the status quo, why not do something about it? I ran and won a seat on the board of directors at Penn National when I didn’t like the way things were being handled. I wasn’t able to fix all of racing’s ills but I was able to push my own personal agenda. If you aren’t part of the solution, you are part of the problem.

#866

Hidden Ownership?

Monday March 29, 2010
Philadelphia Park

Iron Man Surprise
Race 3
Post 10
Trainer: Jay Budrewicz
Owner: Michael Gill

Wednesday March 31, 2010
Penn National

Iron Man Surprise
Race 6
Post 16 (Also Eligible)
Trainer: Darrel Delahoussaye
Owner: Henry S. Witt

Someone has got some 'splainin to do.

#867

policy on euthanization on grounds

anyone know?

#868

[QUOTE=WhaWhaWhat;4771028]
Monday March 29, 2010
Philadelphia Park

Iron Man Surprise
Race 3
Post 10
Trainer: Jay Budrewicz
Owner: Michael Gill

Wednesday March 31, 2010
Penn National

Iron Man Surprise
Race 6
Post 16 (Also Eligible)
Trainer: Darrel Delahoussaye
Owner: Henry S. Witt

Someone has got some 'splainin to do.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, this is making it’s way around the backside the last couple of days. It’s also worth noting that Philly’s card for Monday and Penn’s card for Wednesday both took entries on Friday. So someone called Philly Park Friday morning and entered Iron Man Surprise for Monday’s card as Trainer Jay Budrewicz/Owner Michael Gill and someone also called Penn and entered the same horse for Wednesday as trainer Darryl Delahoussaye / Owner Henry S. Witt Jr. So, who is training this horse?

Anyone want to bet the PA Racing Commission does absolutely nothing about this?

Business as Usual

#869

Hey Dick, check out the Paulick Report this morning, he must keep on eye on this thread:

http://www.paulickreport.com/blog/gill-again-one-horse-two-owners/

#870

I’m sure Mr. Paulick has plenty of sources and is very in touch with the Gill situation. I don’t think he reads this thread, but who knows. I give Ray credit for covering stories about a developing situation than many others seem to ignore.

#871

Penn National adopts anti-slaughter rule. Any trainer whose horse is found at a killer pen will face the loss of their stalls. Let’s see how the enforcement goes once someone’s horse is found to be at a killer auction - or how Penn deals with horses going direct to Canada from local farms.

Good job Penn Gaming. Let’s make sure this rule has teeth and isn’t just lipstick and good PR.

#872

Hard to have this policy without offering alternatives for the horsemen— uh oh, that would mean someone would have to pony up some bucks…and hire the right person to implement the program…more bucks…

PNG (with or without the horsemen’s association) would have to put their money where their lipstick is…

#873

Retirement program like “Turning For Home” for PennNat may be in the cards:

www.pathoroughbred.blogspot.com

#874

Again, not holding my breath here. And certain piece of crap trainers can’t even be bothered to call when a specific horse needs to be retired and has a place to go, but sends him off instead. What makes you think they will endorse a program like TFH, esp if it means they might have to GOD FORBID pay into it. This whole stinkin’ track needs to be mucked out big time. Sorry, recent events have got me going. No one remembers that racing should be about the horses…

#875

[QUOTE=BeverlyAStrauss;4776767]
Again, not holding my breath here. And certain piece of crap trainers can’t even be bothered to call when a specific horse needs to be retired and has a place to go, but sends him off instead. What makes you think they will endorse a program like TFH, esp if it means they might have to GOD FORBID pay into it. This whole stinkin’ track needs to be mucked out big time. Sorry, recent events have got me going. No one remembers that racing should be about the horses…[/QUOTE]

:sigh: Such a shame. I have to be honest: the first thing that crossed my mind when I saw the press release today was “HA!”… I’d love to think that they will actually enforce it, but we are talking about the same company that welcomed Mike Gill… and has given stalls back to a trainer with a highly questionable record… And I’m well aware that I haven’t even heard the half of it!
But, I’d love to see Penn National Gaming actually put their money where their mouth is, and step up to the plate. So I suppose I should remain cautiously optimistic… :confused:

#876

(Deleted)

#877

[QUOTE=DickHertz;4777117]
AppJumper,

Any word on whether Suffolk is letting Gill run there?[/QUOTE]

I haven’t heard anything official… I do think that Marcus Vitali (Gill trainer at Suffolk last year) isn’t being welcomed back, but I haven’t seen anything official on that - I heard that he was ranting about Suffolk and certain employees last week. So perhaps he was informed of the final decision. I do know an awful lot of his (and Gill’s) horses “vanished” last summer, never to be heard of again. Some that never actually started there. So I would assume it has something to do with that.

I would suspect that Gill wouldn’t be allowed back either, but… I don’t have the official word.

#878

The shippers and trainers at Penn already have a very effective system for sending ottbs to slaughter that none of us can break into. So Penn Gaming can step up to the plate and look grand without actually doing a thing for certain tbs.

I do know there are some great trainers at Penn National who just don’t go the slaughter route. I wish I could remember the name of the trainer whose farm I went to with a Polo pony prospect. He had one as well and we met the buyer at his place and sent our horses off with the same person. We talked for a long time about racing at Penn National and he was as upset as any of us about some of the stuff that some trainers do.

I really wish I knew how many trainers are like this man vs those who are heavy handed with drugs and sending horses to slaughter.

#879

(deleted)

#880

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