Recap: My Pennsylvania Derby Day at PARX

[Stillriledup]

Originally Posted by levinmpa

Parx, AKA Philly Park has had free parking/free admission for as long as I can remember. I spent many days at the track in the mid 90's and only had to fork out a couple of bucks for the program, which contained PP's for the live racing and all of the simulcast tracks, which are numerous. This was many years before the casino, so they have always been horseplayer friendly as far as parking and admissions. They always had large numbers of self service tote machines to punch up your own ticket, so I never got shut out. My only gripe with Philly Park was the high takeout rates, that still exist. 30% on trifectas is just thievery. After the casino was built, the players still got no takeout relief. This is my biggest gripe with the Racino situation in PA and other states. The tracks get a windfall from the casino, but the horseplayers never receive any benefit. Why not seed a Pick 6 or Pick 5 pool and reduce takeout to stimulate handle. It seems like a no brainer.

I'm glad to hear they had a nice turnout. I've always liked that place and wish them well.

Don't bet trifectas. Problem solved!

[proximity]

when you live in pennsylvania the joke somehow just isn't as funny.

[takeout]

Originally Posted by Stillriledup

Don't bet trifectas. Problem solved!

Or supers, or pick-3's, 4's or 6's.

[Redboard]

Gar

Glad you had a good time. Parx will never be confused with Saratoga, Keenland or even Delaware Park, and the current era of casino supplements leading to these pumped up purses can’t last . But it’s fun that the national spotlight of thoroughbred racing shines for one day on Parx - very proud day for the local horsemen/horse racing fans, including myself. I was there outside around the picnic area and I thought things went surprisingly well. I was shut out betting on one race because the lines were too long, but that was it. It did take 16 minutes to get out of the parking lot which was not bad considering it was the most crowded I have ever seen it. Thankfully there were only 16k, and not 25k. You were smart to sit at the top floor area. But you did miss Sheena Parveen, which some of you may have saw on TV, but, the camera does that woman no justice. Seeing her in three dimensions is a religious experience.

Dick Jeradi wrote an article on Monday about it here:

http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/...e_success.html

[lamboguy]

Parx will get some type of subsidy up until the year 2019. the horsemen rule the place and don't want a good racing program there. customer's aren't stupid, they don't want to attend to watch junk.

no doubt they had a great program for that one big racing day, the PA Derby. it looked to me like they had over 20,000 people there even though the number listed on equibase was less. there were a lot of people that showed up late in the day. the live handle was shy of $1 million, and the total handle was about $10 million. the people that run the place think that was great. to me it looks like they want to settle for mediocrity.

[onefast99]

Originally Posted by SandyW

Not my home track as I was from New Jersey, but I made a lot of donations their in my younger days.
They always were very customer friendly.

Do you remember Outer Voyage who ran the Monmouth, Meadowlands Keystone circuit....

[affirmedny]

Originally Posted by dirty moose

Hey NYRA, you hear that word, FREE..........

Why get on NYRA and not Chuchill & Pimlico?

[lamboguy]

i think they let you into Aqueduct no charge

[TheGarMan]

Originally Posted by Redboard

Gar

Glad you had a good time. Parx will never be confused with Saratoga, Keenland or even Delaware Park, and the current era of casino supplements leading to these pumped up purses can’t last . But it’s fun that the national spotlight of thoroughbred racing shines for one day on Parx - very proud day for the local horsemen/horse racing fans, including myself. I was there outside around the picnic area and I thought things went surprisingly well. I was shut out betting on one race because the lines were too long, but that was it. It did take 16 minutes to get out of the parking lot which was not bad considering it was the most crowded I have ever seen it. Thankfully there were only 16k, and not 25k. You were smart to sit at the top floor area. But you did miss Sheena Parveen, which some of you may have saw on TV, but, the camera does that woman no justice. Seeing her in three dimensions is a religious experience.

Dick Jeradi wrote an article on Monday about it here:

http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/...e_success.html

Thanks for the link, I have long been a fan of Dick Jerardi. (Both his horse racing and college basketball musings are solid ) Sheena Parveen? Yea, I caught a look at her down around the winners circle, she looked amazing.

[castaway01]

Originally Posted by Redboard

Gar

Glad you had a good time. Parx will never be confused with Saratoga, Keenland or even Delaware Park, and the current era of casino supplements leading to these pumped up purses can’t last . But it’s fun that the national spotlight of thoroughbred racing shines for one day on Parx - very proud day for the local horsemen/horse racing fans, including myself.

As someone who spent 100 days a year at Parx for more than a decade during my misspent youth (guess it went on a bit past my youth), it is remarkable that the "big tin box" hosts races with these kinds of horses. PA Derby Day drew 20,000 back then too, so I'm not sure 16,000 is such a great crowd, but you did have a show on the Comcast network as well as California Chrome. Fifteen years ago, rattling around the place with 500 people on a weekday, it didn't feel like we'd see a Derby winner there anytime soon. Then came the slots. Of course, if you know the company that owns the track and the story behind it, it makes Churchill Downs look warm and fuzzy by comparison (do a Google search). Also, all the track has really proven is if you fund your purses with your extremely lucrative casino, you can get the Derby winner. It's not the story of brilliant management, just brilliant lobbyists who greased the right people to get a very favorable deal. On the other hand, people like Keith Jones, who is a good guy and called a lot of crap races over the years, and some of the trainers and riders now making a nice living, I am happy for them.

[dirty moose]

Originally Posted by affirmedny

Why get on NYRA and not Chuchill & Pimlico?

I live 5 min from Belmont.

And yes AQ is no charge, for good reason. AQ has the best simulcast room around, brand new and all. BUT it's still AQ