Penn National world series of handicapping.

[Stillriledup]

I know this contest, which was extremely popular back in the day, went out of business for some reason about 10 years ago. Anyone have any stories from this contest, old school stuff?

Seems like with the new NTRA tourney, contests like this are a thing of the past...but, maybe, with the extreme popularity of the NTRA contests, old school contests, like this one, can make a comeback?

[Elliott Sidewater]

Yeah I played it once in the early years, probably 1974 or 75. Got blown out of the contest early, but stayed anyway to see it play out. Back when NY didn't run during the winter, busloads of rude crude new yawkers used to come down to Liberty Bell in the late 60's and early 70's to play the cheep hawses. Cigar smoking, partially intelligible cursing, and flinging losing tickets is what I remember the most.

Anyway, I happened to be seated next to a NY guy in the contest and he lasted longer than I did. I liked talking to other players back then, because I was still learning. I had a horse in the last contest race that I loved, and mentioned it to my new buddy, who was stuck for a considerable amount of real money after blowing out of the WSH. The horse won for fun but was bet down from 8-1 on the program to 2-1 and paid $6.60 to win. The NYer practically went nuts, chasing after me literally screaming that the horse didn't pay enough. New York horseplayers.....unbelievable.

[proximity]

I know this contest, which was extremely popular back in the day, went out of business for some reason about 10 years ago.

the world series of handicapping was eliminated during the rick schnaars era and later brought back as a shadow of its former self. not sure where they'd have space to hold the old-style tournaments today? maybe upstairs in the banquet room(s)?

just poor management to ever stop such a trend setting and popular event which brought gamblers in for three days multiple times a year (there were qualifiers too).

[TBred17Roan]

Two things I remember about the tournament. Once when I was there a hurricane passed through the area almost causing a cancellation but somehow they got the track in shape to race that night. Back in the day the racetracks tried to put on a product at all costs and now they will cancel when an ominous cloud passes overhead. The other weather related thing I remember was when the temps were over 100 degree's and the tournament area had no air conditioning. Giant fans were the only thing that kept the players from overheating. Man...........I miss the WSH at Penn.

[ldiatone]

i played 3 times in the aug. round. finished 27th the first year 2 out of going to the fiinals in Oct. next years played and didn't go far. one guy i remember was waiting for a horse to run and made the mim. wagers. i guess he bet all his bank roll on the horse. didn't see him again. sent my money in the next year and they sent it back as it was canceled. Penn used to run thrus -sun. the tourny was fri-sat-sun, and then penn discontinued sun racing and tired to add the CT races for sun and that wasn' a hit.
one thing that was cool they did all the scores manually and called them out as a couple people wrote them on the boards for each player.

[turfeyejoe]

I was there many times for the finals in October and it was always fun. Charlie Eckman was the colorful host. Charlie called everybody "Leader" when he would greet you.
Probably my favorite story had to do with a guy who got away with cheating. Late in the tournament, there were very few players left with any money. You had to write your bet on a card and hand it to an employee when it was 7 minutes to post. The cheater was in a row where there were still 4 or 5 players. His closest rival was in a row by himself. So when it was time to collect the cards, the cheater stationed a crony in a spot where he could immediately see the opponent's bet as the card was publicly posted. Then the crony would dash over and tell him the bet and the cheater would match whatever the other guy did so the person could not pass him. It worked because the cheater had a few extra precious seconds to delay turning in his card because the employee had to go down a long row collecting multiple cards while the other poor guy was in a row by himself, so the employee just collected his card and immediately posted it.
The funniest thing was that another contestant ... a guy who had been caught cheating at a contest at Delaware Park and was later revealed to be a Russian spy ... screamed that cheating was going on. But because he was like the little boy who cried wolf, nobody believed him or paid attention to him.

[ldiatone]

I was there many times for the finals in October and it was always fun. Charlie Eckman was the colorful host. Charlie called everybody "Leader" when he would greet you.
Probably my favorite story had to do with a guy who got away with cheating. Late in the tournament, there were very few players left with any money. You had to write your bet on a card and hand it to an employee when it was 7 minutes to post. The cheater was in a row where there were still 4 or 5 players. His closest rival was in a row by himself. So when it was time to collect the cards, the cheater stationed a crony in a spot where he could immediately see the opponent's bet as the card was publicly posted. Then the crony would dash over and tell him the bet and the cheater would match whatever the other guy did so the person could not pass him. It worked because the cheater had a few extra precious seconds to delay turning in his card because the employee had to go down a long row collecting multiple cards while the other poor guy was in a row by himself, so the employee just collected his card and immediately posted it.
The funniest thing was that another contestant ... a guy who had been caught cheating at a contest at Delaware Park and was later revealed to be a Russian spy ... screamed that cheating was going on. But because he was like the little boy who cried wolf, nobody believed him or paid attention to him.
turf, do you still have the little "lapel pins" they handed out? i do.

[Milkshaker]

This was a well-run contest, well worth a 400-mile drive for me to enter the prelim rounds a few times in the late 1990s.

Penn PR boss Fred Lipkin once told me that on one occasion early in the WSH, the overall winner ($40,000) immediately asked to call his wife. While Fred listened off to the side, the winner told his wife, "Honey great news--I came in second and won $20,000!"

Mind you, this was pre-Internet; the guy was banking on his wife not being able to check up on the actual results while pocketing the remaining $20K without having to reveal it to her.

Although the proliferation of online "qualifiers" in the last few years is good i na way, the once bountiful glut of independent online and individual racetrack contests has vanished over the last 3 years or so (mid-2000s you could play real-money online tourneys almost every weekend).

The takeover of YouBet by TS killed some great online opportunities between rival betting companies. As for the contests at tracks, the slicing & dicing of marketing budgets during the recession is to blame from my point of view.

[ldiatone]

speaking of fred lipkin, the wife and i were in atlantic city nj at one of the casinos buffets and i had my Penn National sweat shirt on and while passing a table a guy says to me "nice shirt". i said i know you, fred lipkin himself.

[camourous]

The only thing i remember about it was telling my father (tbred17roan) to pick Andy Mike on day 1, horse paid $60 to win, i went up there saturday and i walk in and he just shook his head....also Bold Family Star not getting up, My Favorite getting nosed, Musical Crystal at 40-1 with Syvial Yetsook getting beat by Teresa Canary. Great tournament though, 3 days 10 races a day 12 horses in most of the races, sad that its gone.

[PIC6SIX]

I played the PEN contest many times. It was difficult enough just to qualify for the finals, which I did twice. The worst thing about that contest was noted turf writers got a free entry to the finals without ever having to qualify. That was really a terrible way to treat the entrants who paid the fee to enter. The other bad thing was no AC, just some fans blowing. The one good thing was that Charlie was a fun person.

[MJC922]

Was fortunate enough to have made it into the '96 finals by virtue of a win in FL's Grand Prix of Handicapping. Looking back I remember a lot more detail about winning that one though than I do about the PEN contest itself. In the grand prix I played it safe early, staying pretty much even until later in the card when I knew I had a horse waiting in a perfect scenario, it was Privileged Company from the outside post with Clive Beech riding. We can all agree Clive sits funny on a horse but in my mind he can outbreak almost anyone. So I made the maximum bet on her, she ended up paying $20 or so which put me clearly in the lead to stay.

The aftermath presented a complication. My cousin (and we were close at the time) was getting married during the PEN contest. So here I had this automatic entry into the finals at PEN - I felt like I couldn't let the opportunity slide. I told my cousin I couldn't attend his wedding and I don't know that his mom and sister have ever really 100% got over that. My cousin played too now and then so I think he was more understanding about it.

As for the PEN contest itself, I was accustomed to handicapping cheap claimers going into it, so I thought I might at least have a prayer. In those days I played full-time at FL and was a devoted trip handicapper. My edge was coming from local knowledge and race watching observations neither of which I had any of at PEN. Needless to say I got dusted and was heading home a few races before it was wrapped up. During the contest there was a good vibe though. The guy I had to sit next to was super friendly (unlike me trying to keep to myself) he wanted to show off the printouts from his spreadsheet, the output of which looked to be Sartin-like. Regret not getting his name. When I got up and strolled to the paddock I noticed Davidowitz was out there. It was cool to have some of the big names around especially ones a lot of us looked up to. On the one hand you might have some slight resentment about the big names getting invited without actually 'earning' their way in, but that was a brilliant move in my opinion because having some big names involved just added to the atmosphere. It was a fun experience, unfortunately the closest I came to hitting anything were three deer that jumped out in front of my car on the drive home.

[Buddy]

I finished third in 1997 and won $20,000. The coin dealer from Baltimore had 6 different people playing for him and a kid that didn't know a horse from a hot rod won the $100,000. I would have been second but that coward looked over my back and seen who I bet in the last race and he was a little ahead of me and he made the same $500 win bet on the horse I picked #12 .The horse paid $12 and his move cost me $20,000 more between second and third.

[Buddy]

I played in every contest from 1977 when they started up till it ended in 1999. I have played in contests all over America and a few in Canada and this contest run by Charlie Eckman was the best by far of any I have ever played in. Charlie and Al Kalo were my favorites. The second year Andy Byer had a huge lead going into the last race and he jumped up on table and declared no one could catch him. Will some women but her 10% limit on a long shot and beat Andy. He NEVER came back Ever.

[ManU918]

WTF?

[proximity]

WTF?

:D

yeah, it's like buddy just woke up from a coma and had to tell us this. i'm pretty sure i've seen that clown he's talking about with the multiple entries doing the same thing at the delaware tournament a couple times though. i'd know the name if i heard it.

[ronsmac]

I played in every contest from 1977 when they started up till it ended in 1999. I have played in contests all over America and a few in Canada and this contest run by Charlie Eckman was the best by far of any I have ever played in. Charlie and Al Kalo were my favorites. The second year Andy Byer had a huge lead going into the last race and he jumped up on table and declared no one could catch him. Will some women but her 10% limit on a long shot and beat Andy. He NEVER came back Ever.
That's classic.

[proximity]

That's classic.

legend has it that the loss caused beyer to head for new england to pace the long rocky beaches searching for answers. :D

[mistergee]

Host always remindex me of george c scott. He did a great job and contest was alot of fun