Why doesn't Penn update their website?

[jengersnap]

Well said.

My take on the problem with Woodbine and stalls is most every barn up there is claimed by well-established, rooted outfits. If you look at all the signage, paint, flowerbeds, turn out areas, right down to the doors themselves, you would think these barns were built by and belong to the occupants. Sure, it’s pretty, but it’s also proprietary. They ship out a horse, they have another to fill that stall immediately. They have hopeful clients waiting to get their horse under so-and-so’s roof. They can afford to go through horses like a box of kleenex until they get a couple durable ones and point them at minor stakes and allowance races. How anyone expects to get a shoehorn into that sort of environment is beyond me. I’m sure this is not unique to just this track, but to most any track of A Circuit quality. I’ve shared the Woodbine receiving barn with many a horse shipping in to work or train off a farm because they are small and don’t get a stall up there. It is what it is. Big pond, big fish, minnows need not apply.

[NoBSshoer]

I will harp on this till the cows come home. eventually somebody will let the idea take hold. 2 things that have to happen.

1. A National Governing body of Racing must be established. Just like NFL MLB NHL etc. Rules must be uniform and the same everywhere.

2. Rule must be made that trainer of record saddles the horse. Period. No substitutions, no authorized agents of, no assistants, no flunkies of any kind. Wherever a horse is running that trainer must personally be there to saddle the horse.

If these 2 things would happen it would go a long way toward making it a sport instead of a business at best and an organized crime at worst.

[DickHertz]

NObShoer,

Are you referring to the high percentage barn of Anthony Stabille, all of whom were previously trained by Jamie Ness? What a joke that situation is. Apply for stalls as two trainers so you can get more than you really want. Only at Penn National.

[NoBSshoer]

[QUOTE=DickHertz;4616088]
NObShoer,

Are you referring to the high percentage barn of Anthony Stabille, all of whom were previously trained by Jamie Ness? What a joke that situation is. Apply for stalls as two trainers so you can get more than you really want. Only at Penn National.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, what you refer to is true. I’m sure being from out of town is what track management found most favorable though:rolleyes:

[system]

Pa Breds and elegibility at Penn

I would like to set the record straight on the elegibility rule and the Pa breds at Penn National. First of all starting Feb. 3 all Pa breds will get preference in every race they enter at Penn, they also will recieve an extra 20% of the purse if they run in open races no matter what level they run at. Previously they had to race above $7500 to recieve the bonus and preference on getting in races. If any race has 8 or more pa breds that race will close to pa breds only. They will also write Pa restricted Mdswpt, pa bred mdn 25,000, pa mdn 10,000 and Alw1x and nw2l pa bred restricted races. Witch comes to one Pa bred race every 3 days. They also raised the purses on the Pa bred restriced races to the same purse as the open races in that catergory. Witch up until Feb. 3 the Pa bred restriced races ran for only 70% of the open purses. Just so you all know Philadelphia Park is NOT gonna write ONE Pa bred restricted race in 2010! This is a great start to making a Pa bred program in Pa a success with no help from Philadelpia Park. You talk about the new leadership of the Pa HBPA not doing anything to help the horsemen this is what the horseman at Penn had asked for for a long time and now this leadership got the job done. As far as the elegibility goes Paul Jenkins, the racing secretary, wanted to raise the elegibility in spring of last year and it was stopped saying that the horseman needed more time and Paul told the horseman at that time that starting in Jan of 2010 he would raise the elegibility. But of course certain horseman have selective hearing. The HBPA stopped Paul from what he really wanted to do in 2010 and that was an elegibility rule that stated if you didn’t run first second or third for any claiming price in your last 5 starts you would become inelegibile no matter what claiming price you ran at, the HBPA stopped that. He than wanted horses to get preference to get in any race if they ran first second or third in their last three starts, the HBPA stopped that. He also wanted the elegibility to only let you finnish first second or third for $5,000 the HBPA got Paul to add 4th place to help keep horses elegibile. Does that sound like an HBPA that isn’t trying to help horseman? I guess it depends who you are and who you like and dislike and if your upset that you didn’t get elected. Everybody who praticipates in racing at Penn National can run for the HBPA board or president and everybody who praticapes in racing a Penn can vote. So stop crying about what the HBPA didn’t do for you and next time an election comes around run for the board or president then you can call the shots. But alot of people just want to complain and they don’t want to do the work that comes along with being a board member or president. Also the HBPA sent out over 2500 ballots and they only recieved around 800 back that actually voted. That is terrible so make sure you vote next time! I suggest if you really want to know the truth that is going on with the HBPA you should contact the HBPA office or check out their web site!

[actcasual]

[QUOTE=DickHertz;4612131]
Check out the last update on their “horse racing” site…2006

http://www.pennnational.com/welcome.shtml[/QUOTE]

I thought of this thread when I had to call Penn two days ago. The automated answering service still has all the holiday post times.

[On_the_Farm]

[QUOTE=actcasual;4621891]
I thought of this thread when I had to call Penn two days ago. The automated answering service still has all the holiday post times.[/QUOTE]

If the frontside folks are anything like the majority of backstretch workers who I encountered during my two months there, they’re waiting on someone to “pay me more if you want me to do that.”

[Cherry]

My considered opinion is that PN is far too busy making money off the slots to be bothered with a little thing like horse racing!

Even years ago, after they put in that new (beautiful) saddling paddock and fired the guy that was instrumental in bringing a better class of horse there, it was evident to me that they weren’t interested in upgrading the horse aspect of the racetrack–too much like work and it upset the status quo… :eek: :winkgrin:

Sad, but true… Very upsetting to the true horse person! There was so much they could have done and could still do to promote the track but you never hear a word about any promotions of any sort going on there–all you hear about is the new palace and the slots… :sigh:

[DickHertz]

The problem is larger than PN to be honest. When is the last time anyone heard or saw a good national promotion of the sport by the NTRA OTHER than shows already hitting their target base? Is the NTRA going to do anything on the national level to promote the 2010 campaigns of Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra? My guess is no because Alex Waldrop is the most clueless peson - except perhaps Greg Avioli - when it comes to marketing I’ve ever seen.

[haligator]

Yeppers

DickHertz: <<<My guess is no because Alex Waldrop is the most clueless peson -except perhaps Greg Avioli - when it comes to marketing I’ve ever seen.>>>

Ditto! Mr. Waldrop doesn’t get it. I just thought it was bizarre when he went after the reporter from the NY Times. Uhhhhh, don’t kill the messenger! That’s marketing and PR’s first rule. Listen to the message and see what you can either do to change the problem OR listen and see if you can change the media’s mind.

Does the man have any clue? It’s quite frightening actually.

Hallie

[KBEquine]

[QUOTE=DickHertz;4623856]
The problem is larger than PN to be honest. When is the last time anyone heard or saw a good national promotion of the sport by the NTRA OTHER than shows already hitting their target base? Is the NTRA going to do anything on the national level to promote the 2010 campaigns of Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra? My guess is no because Alex Waldrop is the most clueless peson - except perhaps Greg Avioli - when it comes to marketing I’ve ever seen.[/QUOTE]

My thoughts exactly.