The sadness that is Parx

[Calzone Lord]

If anyone wants a good laugh, check out the 5th race at Parx from May 19th.

An open $12,500 claiming race on the main track was carded with a field of just six horses. The purse for the race was a mere $30,000.

Four of the six horses scratch ... in fact, local trainer Phil Aristone had 2 in there and scratched them both.

The other two horses to scratch were: Tyzach (1-for-3 on an off-track, and ran his best figure this year in his only off-track start) and Roman Games (also 1-for-3 on an off-track) ... they also both had Wet track Tomlinson numbers of 419 or better, if you're into Tomlinsons, which I'm not.

As the two runners remaining in the field were being entered into the starting gate... bettors (and by bettors, I mean Parx faithful suckers) were left with a choice between the 2/5 favorite Lemon Zing or the 4/5 shot Charlie Bull.

They opted, in a big way, for Lemon Zing (driving his odds down to 10-cents on a dollar right before the gate opened)

Here is the video replay:

http://www1.drf.com/displayVideo.do?...=D&country=USA


And hats off to the track announcer at Parx for having fun with this joke of a situation. During his call, he brought up Affirmed and Alydar and Sunday Silence and Easy Goer.

[my miss storm cat]

Awesome race call!

[pweizer]

It looked like the 3 borrowed the Dee Tee silks for the race.

And you are right, that was pretty sad.

Paul

[joeydb]

This is my home track. Unfortunately, they have been trying to kill it in favor of going all slot machine and table games for a long time.

They don't even advertise. It's all "Parx - so Vegas."

It ain't easy being a race fan in the Philly area.

[richard burch]

not like we havent seen 2 horse races before...what is the difference between this and chantal and smith match racing....and that was promoted as some big deal with jockey interviews and blah blah....please spare me.

[declansharbor]

Originally Posted by joeydb

This is my home track. Unfortunately, they have been trying to kill it in favor of going all slot machine and table games for a long time.

They don't even advertise. It's all "Parx - so Vegas."

It ain't easy being a race fan in the Philly area.

If it wasn't 2013, I'd agree with the bolded. Esp, with NY being as close as it is.

[ShadowRoll]

Originally Posted by joeydb

This is my home track. Unfortunately, they have been trying to kill it in favor of going all slot machine and table games for a long time.

They don't even advertise. It's all "Parx - so Vegas."

It ain't easy being a race fan in the Philly area.

If you hit traffic right, it's less than a 40-minute drive down 95 to Del Park. The quality of horses isn't much better than Philly (probably worse), and the cards often turn into a parade of favorites (since opening day, faves have won 48%), but it sure is prettier and the takeout isn't as usurious.

[Calzone Lord]

Originally Posted by richard burch

not like we havent seen 2 horse races before...what is the difference between this and chantal and smith match racing

Yes, what is so bad about having a match-race scratch-fest in a $12,500 claiming race with a $30,000 purse right in the middle of a weekend race card?

Philadelphia is a huge population center ... it's one of the five largest cities in the US by population and it has been for a very long, long, long, time.

The kind of product that is passing for horse racing there is disgraceful. It's very uninteresting racing, and the takeout rates are so draconian, that they're among the very highest IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY!

Parx has a massive population center, they have slots, they have all of the table games Vegas has, and yet their horse racing product is terrible despite tremendously high purses.

Why don't they do everyone a favor and quit horse racing there. Just write the horsemen based at Parx monthly 'Welfare checks' from the slots and table revenue, and let them take their horses to other places to compete and better fill cards.

Not that Penn National or PID are any less when it comes to being monuments of waste with uninteresting racing, dramatically high takeouts, and skimpy betting pools.

[richard burch]

Originally Posted by Calzone Lord

Yes, what is so bad about having a match-race scratch-fest in a $12,500 claiming race with a $30,000 purse right in the middle of a weekend race card?

Philadelphia is a huge population center ... it's one of the five largest cities in the US by population and it has been for a very long, long, long, time.

The kind of product that is passing for horse racing there is disgraceful. It's very uninteresting racing, and the takeout rates are so draconian, that they're among the very highest IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY!

Parx has a massive population center, they have slots, they have all of the table games Vegas has, and yet their horse racing product is terrible despite tremendously high purses.

Why don't they do everyone a favor and quit horse racing there. Just write the horsemen based at Parx monthly 'Welfare checks' from the slots and table revenue, and let them take their horses to other places to compete and better fill cards.

Not that Penn National or PID are any less when it comes to being monuments of waste with uninteresting racing, dramatically high takeouts, and skimpy betting pools.

so is what your suggesting that when they a track, (parx or other) has only 2horses left in a field, they not run the race? give betters refunds on pick 3's, pick 4's, etc....or just give them the all button for that race and move on.

I have seen other tracks end up with this same situation with 2 or 3 horses in a race. didn't Rachael blow away 2 other horses by 19 lengths in the mother goose? that was just as pathetic.

or, are you just picking on parx in general?

[Clip-Clop]

Originally Posted by Calzone Lord

You really should be hired as a racing executive... you'd fit right in perfectly.

In plain English and as simple as possible, Parx is a joke because the takeout is ridiculously high.

It doesn't matter if you have a massive population center, insanely large purses (12k claimers running for a $30,000 purse) slots, and table games ... if you keep your takeout at an oppressive level, your track will never have a chance to capitalize on any of it.

If anyone thinks the Parx horsemen and their workers benefit from the high takeout ... they're incredibly stupid.

The high takeout (which have trended much higher all the time) is mainly what has hurt this game for decades after decades ... and slots and table games (welfare checks for horsemen) are band aids. Technological improvements have made it much easier and more convenient to place a bet than ever before ... but that coupled with inflation is where the growth has been.

I'll try to make it even simpler:

Sky high takeout: Everyone loses. The biggest loser is the sport in general.

Low takeout: The track wins. The trainers win. The owners win. The stable employees win. The Jockeys win. The bettors win. The sports grows. And the biggest winner, is the sport in general.

And yes, if you think Rachel Alexandra facing off against two other eventual Grade 1 winners in Flashing and Malibu Prayer in a 3 horse field is the same as match-race between cheap claimers running for a $30,000 purse ... you should be hired as a director of racing tomorrow.

You should go speak to Washington.

[Calzone Lord]

Originally Posted by Clip-Clop

You should go speak to Washington.

It's futile.

No one cares.

And worst of all, most people are too clueless to even understand.

[richard burch]

Originally Posted by Calzone Lord

You really should be hired as a racing executive... you'd fit right in perfectly.

In plain English and as simple as possible, Parx is a joke because the takeout is ridiculously high.

It doesn't matter if you have a massive population center, insanely large purses (12k claimers running for a $30,000 purse) slots, and table games ... if you keep your takeout at an oppressive level, your track will never have a chance to capitalize on any of it.

If anyone thinks the Parx horsemen and their workers benefit from the high takeout ... they're incredibly stupid.

The high takeout (which have trended much higher all the time) is mainly what has hurt this game for decades after decades ... and slots and table games (welfare checks for horsemen) are band aids. Technological improvements have made it much easier and more convenient to place a bet than ever before ... but that coupled with inflation is where the growth has been.

I'll try to make it even simpler:

Sky high takeout: Everyone loses. The biggest loser is the sport in general.

Low takeout: The track wins. The trainers win. The owners win. The stable employees win. The Jockeys win. The bettors win. The sports grows. And the biggest winner, is the sport in general.

And yes, if you think Rachel Alexandra facing off against two other eventual Grade 1 winners in Flashing and Malibu Prayer in a 3 horse field is the same as match-race between cheap claimers running for a $30,000 purse ... you should be hired as a director of racing tomorrow.

why didn't you just say that? and what does it have to do with a match race?

[cmorioles]

Almost got another match race in today's 2nd at Belmont. If only that vet could have found one more ailment!

[Cannon Shell]

Parx doesn't even try. Zero effort. None. When you feel as a horseman that Penn offers a greater chance as a longer term viable racing program you have serious issue. But as in so many other area's of racing a select few are absolutely cleaning up and it just happens that those are the people calling the shots.

[PatCummings]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

Parx doesn't even try. Zero effort. None. When you feel as a horseman that Penn offers a greater chance as a longer term viable racing program you have serious issue. But as in so many other area's of racing a select few are absolutely cleaning up and it just happens that those are the people calling the shots.

I gave a presentation in front of some horsemen reps at Parx in late 2010 and suggested if they lobbied for one fairly minor change, it could yield $11 million more in annual handle. Essentially, I never heard back.

[jms62]

Originally Posted by PatCummings

I gave a presentation in front of some horsemen reps at Parx in late 2010 and suggested if they lobbied for one fairly minor change, it could yield $11 million more in annual handle. Essentially, I never heard back.

That is an awful lot of handle? What was the change and how did you come up with 11 million for the change?

[joeydb]

Originally Posted by ShadowRoll

If you hit traffic right, it's less than a 40-minute drive down 95 to Del Park. The quality of horses isn't much better than Philly (probably worse), and the cards often turn into a parade of favorites (since opening day, faves have won 48%), but it sure is prettier and the takeout isn't as usurious.

I do go to Delaware Park too. They also have fun tournaments there. I like the track. It is a clean, well kept up place to play.

[dino]

Originally Posted by cmorioles

Almost got another match race in today's 2nd at Belmont. If only that vet could have found one more ailment!

Agreed. Perfect track conditions and only 3 starters. I imagine the scratches will get over their ailments in a week or so. Vets that pull this BS should be suspended.

[PatCummings]

Originally Posted by jms62

That is an awful lot of handle? What was the change and how did you come up with 11 million for the change?

It's only like $50,000 a day extra when you run 200+ days a year.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by PatCummings

I gave a presentation in front of some horsemen reps at Parx in late 2010 and suggested if they lobbied for one fairly minor change, it could yield $11 million more in annual handle. Essentially, I never heard back.

The regime in charge are lawyers who have been entrenched there for years, building a personal fortune while making dubious decisions for the people they represent. The "salaries" plus commissions they make on horsemans activities like the tack shop "co-op" and horse rescue are far greater than the number the incoming NYRA CEO will make.

Meanwhile handle is at embarrassing levels, the track does whatever it wants without a peep from the horsemans association and anyone that makes waves conveniently sees their stalls disappear.