Editor's note: On Sunday,February 21, Thoroughbred Times Mid-Atlantic region correspondent Tom DeMartini and his fiancee attended the races at Philadelphia Park. Below is Tom's account of the trip. I have only edited it for basic spelling/grammar. The style and content are his.--EdD
TRIP REPORT: Philadelphia Park; Sunday, February 21
by Tom DeMartini
I took the soon-to-be wife to The Pha on Sunday for her first live racing experience and met a friend for lunch in the gourmet Fifth Floor Dining Room. You [readers] really need to hear about the current conditions that Philadelphia Park patrons must endure.
When you turn in to the property off Street Road, the new Parx Casino dominates the landscape. All the trees were taken down and you take in the enormity of the new casino, complete with three big video boards that can be seen from Street Road. The traffic patterns have been altered, so you need to navigate a little roundabout through the property to get to the racetrack.
The racetrack building hasn't been touched. They've walled off all of the floors that were used for the casino. The lone portion of the first floor near that paddock that was utilized for racing and wagering is still there, as is a lonely little wagering trailer on the apron. They kept the little concession stand there and added a few tables. The snow was piled high on the apron benches, making them inaccessible. The concrete near the walking ring and paddock is cracked and the paint peeling.
There is one person at the front selling programs and [Daily Racing] Forms. On the Fifth Floor, they got rid of the person selling programs and installed a vending machine! You buy the programs and the little Daily Racing Program out of a vending machine! I was told management laid off the program sellers and it's down to the one lady downstairs--on live racing days only. On simulcast days, you must buy programs out of the vending machine.
There is one person at the front selling programs and [Daily Racing] Forms. On the Fifth Floor, they got rid of the person selling programs and installed a vending machine! You buy the programs and the little Daily Racing Program out of a vending machine! I was told management laid off the program sellers and it's down to the one lady downstairs--on live racing days only. On simulcast days, you must buy programs out of the vending machine.
Is the price of the Form going up?? A big sign says that effective March 1, the price of a DRF increases to $6.75 from $6.25. I wonder if the Form is increasing the price on that date, too, or if The Pha is increasing the 'convenience charge.' The Craig Donnelly tip sheet is sold for $2. I didn't buy one because I didn't think about it, but I should have!
Two fist-sized holes adorned the wall near our table, likely caused by an angry patron. The TV on the table was broken and they gave us a remote so I could change the channels and use the volume controls.
The menu choices are considerably reduced. However, the saving grace is that the food is reasonably-priced and fresh with good-sized portions. The coffee is still strong and good.
The racing was the usual fare. The soon-to-be wife hit the early double. I hit the middle double, just missed a pick three and hit the 10-cent super on the finale for a few bucks. So we paid for lunch and went home with some pocket change.
They put new self-service terminals up that are way too high for most people to access. You have to look up and reach up to touch them!
I wonder whatever happened to The Guest Service Guarantee that was printed in the program during the Hal Handel era. I remember how Hal used to say how proud he was of the clean bathrooms. Well, one of the stalls had the door totally ripped off. Probably another angry patron. The bathroom was in need of attention.
A message scrawled over the urinal stated: "Get a deal with Churchill you clowns."
I've been informed that in the 2009 report submitted to the Racing Commission by Greenwood Racing, average live attendance at The Pha was somewhere around 350 per day. Looked like about 500 Sunday if I had to venture a guess. And I was told PhoneBet handle was down 20% for the year.
Then, there was a shouting match at the teller windows, featuring an old guy and a middle-aged guy. It deteriorated into name-calling--C-sucker, M-F'er--and "come on, let's go" as if they were really going to fight. Meanwhile, some other guy was saying, "Come on, there are women and children around." The rest of the patrons didn't look away from their programs or TV's.
So we ventured over to Parx following the finale. Really swank. A Vegas-style joint. If I didn't know I was in Bensalem, I'd think I was in Vegas. Place was crowded and noisy with a band playing. Lots of smoking. The soon-to-be wife won a few bucks on a $1 slot and I made her take the money and run.
It's a sin if they don't do something with the racetrack building. I've been told they are planning on a poker room on the track's second floor. I hope something is done sooner than later, because it's a really inhospitable place to attend the races.
It's a sin if they don't do something with the racetrack building. I've been told they are planning on a poker room on the track's second floor. I hope something is done sooner than later, because it's a really inhospitable place to attend the races.
It's also really difficult to find by road, now - they've taken down all the signs that used to point to 'Philadelphia Park' and replaced them with pointers to 'Parx' - if it took me, as an actual racing fan, over a year to figure out they were the same thing, I imagine that's lost any potential business from non-locals who might be passing through.
ReplyDeleteTerribly smokey in there. The governor should burn in Hell with smoke being puffed in his face for Eternity for not enforcing the Summary Offence of not smoking in no smoking areas - as there are plenty of state police on the grounds.
ReplyDelete"A message scrawled over the urinal stated: 'Get a deal with Churchill you clowns.'" Love it!!!
ReplyDeletewho needs that dump when you have Harrahs now.
ReplyDeleteWithout the Casino there would be no racing at all.
ReplyDeleteAnd yet, Philadelphia Park is attracting horses from California simply because the purses are high due to slots.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, an average on-track attendance of 350 people? That is beyond pathetic, even in the ADW era. Think about it, the home track of Smarty Jones attracts fewer people daily than your neighborhood Blockbuster.
Racing and slots are the most bizarre economic model yet, one that makes no sense and simply won't last.
The place is a toilet. But it has been since Greenwood bought it in the early 1990's. Their business plan has always been to give racing fans the shaft. They're cutting racing jobs left and right, slashing salaries, putting as little money into the racing operation as they can. It's too bad the Greenwood Boyz are making money hand over fist from the slots. They are absolutely the worst racetrack management in the country.
ReplyDeleteCome to delaware park.No smoking,tellers smile,good food and they have real trees in the paddock.
ReplyDeleteeverything is so true but fact that there is NO security makes me wonder what would happen if such was needed --- the 5th floor hot dog stand sells all leftovers from the dining room (and that fact comes from the girls who work there and dont get along) --- WHERE IS THE BOARD OF HEALTH ??? THIS TRACK IS A MESS !!!!
ReplyDeleteYes where is the board of health --- the 5th floor hot dog stand has flies all over the open dish of onion and the containers for the ketchup just drip on the counter --- no hairnets on the workers and they dont wear gloves while serving the food --- YES PHILADELPHIA PARK IS A DIRTY MESS ====
ReplyDeletestopped in last night ---- the crowd on the 5th floor was about 20 people ---- bought a slice of pizza and no word of a lie must have been there for days --- then to top off matters the young blonde behind the counter is doing her homework and bitching she's making no tips --- no security to be found === DUMP DUMP DUMP DUMP
ReplyDeleteHorsemen at Pha really get the shaft, have you seen the barn area? What a dump indeed! Thank God for the slots or the horsemen would be running for a ham sandwich. Try to make a bet thru PhoneBet, darned near impossible since they have very few operators working and now Comcast is going to remove the races from their programming. Management at the Pha says they don't know why, want to bet they need to kick in on the price? Want to bet they won't? As a 20 year Comcast customer I called and canceled my service. I'll go to Direct-TV or some other provider and get some races from somewhere.
ReplyDeleteHow about the paddock area at Philadelpha Park? If I owned a horse, no way I would let mine go in there! The PRGA should sue to get the needed repairs. Yes, Greenwood doesn't care at all about the racetrack. All the workers are fed up, and I don't blame them. Do a class action suit, see how fast Greenwood responds!
ReplyDeleteTom and his soon to be wife ?Do you know how many soon to be wifes this man has had focus on the article not your personnel life .Who care?
ReplyDelete