Pompa-Reynolds Relationship Ends
 

Saddened to report that Paul Pompa has re-distributed his stock from Pat Reynolds after a long, productive relationship.

Steve you're so cruel. I didn't need this kind of news on a Monday morning.

:mad:

Wouldn't " repeat " be a more appropriate word than report?

News to me. They scored a G3 win over the weekend with Backseat Rhythm.

Dutrow is getting some of his horses, as well as other trainers.

What gives??

Brain food kicked in.

Pompa cuts ties with Reynolds
By David Grening

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Trainer Pat Reynolds didn't have long to celebrate Backseat Rhythm's thrilling nose victory in Saturday's Grade 3 Hillsborough Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs.

On Sunday, Backseat Rhythm and eight other horses Reynolds conditioned for owner Paul Pompa Jr. were transferred to other trainers as Pompa ended his five-year relationship with Reynolds. Reynolds, who had lost his previous 20 races with Pompa-owned horses before the Hillsborough, said his stable is now down to four.

Backseat Rhythm, who won the Grade 1 Garden City last year, and two others were moved to Kiaran McLaughlin at the Palm Meadows training center while four horses, including 3-year-old maiden winners Dubinksy and Well Positioned, were transferred to Richard Dutrow Jr., who coincidentally, is stabled right across the way from Reynolds at Gulfstream Park. Bruce Brown in New York and Greg Griffin in Tampa each was given one horse.

Pompa, who lives in New Jersey, recently underwent gall bladder surgery and was unavailable for comment. Jack Brothers, who among his many hats in the racing industry works as a quasi-agent for Pompa, said Pompa didn't want just one trainer anymore.

"It was a tough decision. Paul does think a lot of [Reynolds]," Brothers said. "What it boiled down to was with young horses and with the horses coming through the program he thought he would be better served if they were spread around a little bit."

Brothers didn't rule out Pompa reuniting with Reynolds at a later date.

"I know Paul's hoping no bridges were burned and the door's open for possibilities down the road," Brothers said.

Reynolds said he was hurt by the fact that he was told of his firing by Brothers and a van driver on Sunday morning and not Pompa himself.

"After a five-year run, a face to face or at least a phone call would have been nice," Reynolds said. "Maybe there's an e-mail somewhere in cyber space that's going to arrive, I don't know."

According to Daily Racing Form statistics, Reynolds and Pompa teamed to win 74 races from 439 starters and purse money of more than $4.1 million since the beginning of 2004. Reynolds was the original trainer of Big Brown, whom he saddled to an 11 1/4-length debut score in a maiden turf race at Saratoga on Sept. 1, 2007. Pompa later sold 75 percent interest in Big Brown to other owners, and the horse was transferred to Dutrow, who guided him to victories in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness last year. Big Brown won an Eclipse Award as the nation's top 3-year-old.

"His status has changed and the bar is a little higher," Reynolds said of Pompa. "The board of advisors I guess just didn't approve of me anymore."

Reynolds, 57, said he would most likely try to open a public stable, but didn't discount the possibility of taking a break from training.

"I'll do the best that I can do," Reynolds said. "I'm still standing. I've been through a lot worse."

As a side note, Mr Grening obviously isn't familar with Tampa Bay Downs referring to a "Greg Griffin" in the article when his name is Greg Griffith, a 20% winning trainer at the current meet who stables many horses for the Kinsman Stable/George Steinbrenner.

Ohhh look at all that gossip. They should contact the producers of Jockeys.

Kinda sounds like one of the reasons Larry Jones is getting out of the business .Owners.Pat is a good trainer.I would hate to see him get out of the game.

I had to laugh at this. Very funny. I just think it makes sense to spread your horses around and it does sound like they haven't been a successful pair in awhile. Good Luck to both.

It took me a while, but now I get it......you were trying to one-up SCUDS in the dopey post department.

Good job.

This thread is on the verge of having the most post deletions on site.

Well, the guy is what? 1 for 35 this year? His lone win came in a grade 3 (by a nose) with a horse who was winning grade 2, and grade 1 races last year. She got a Beyer of 91. So, Pampa lets him have that 10k. He could of made the change earlier, and he wouldn't of got that 10k. Pampa gave him 10% of whatever they sold 75% interest in Big Brown for. I do think it was a no brainer to make the change, and not just because of this slow year. The overall body of work has not been anywhere near what other trainers could of done in this time they've been together. Say anything you want about how crazy I am etc., but in the end, this guy wasn't getting results that other people could of gotten with the same horses. Maybe they shouldn't have been getting their results. Maybe they're doing something wrong, and he isn't. I don't know, but moving his horses was a no-brainer. It's been a no-brainer for a long time. He should think the guy for sticking with him longer than he probably should have. An objective look at it will show the results weren't even close to being good enough.

So, in other words, if a trainer's barn gets cold, his owners should just move the horses to another trainer. I get it.

That may, or may not, be what happened here. But hey, it's the internet, keep guessing away.

I like both parties involved. I wish them both only the best. Pat's a good trainer. I hope things work out for him.

You guys are too close to it to be objective. If it was just this year, then I could see hanging in there. The results haven't been good enough. You haven't given any reason to stick with him(other than he's a nice guy.) You guys have got shows, and don't want to upset anyone for down the road. Maybe he'll do better with claimers. Andy,you're is so worried about a 1 for 35 trainer, huh. You can be his 1st new client. That's a better way to support him than to say he had acceptable results(when he just didn't.)

Don't try to bolster your argument by accusing me of things that aren't true. My show has zero to do with my opinion. I am friendly with both Paul Pompa and Pat Reynolds. I'm not even discussing what might have actually happened here, but I do know that what you are saying is BS, as both men had a lot of success together up until this year at Gulfstream.

Don't put words in my mouth. It's tiresome, expected, but tiresome. You say I'm " so worried about " Pat Reynolds. Please, find the post of mine here that backs up that statement. Otherwise, respond to what I post, not what you imagine I posted.

You can't be objective about it. Considering what horses he's been given by the guy, the success together hasn't been nearly as good as it would have been with these other trainers. You're too close.

I think Paul Pampers handled the split like a big baby.


See what I did there?

LOL.

You just don't give up. Nothing you said makes any sense whatsoever in relation to what I posted. Nothing.

I give you consistency points.

After saying your friendly with the trainer who got fired, everything you're saying makes perfect sense, because you are too damn close.

I am friendly with BOTH Pat Reynolds and Paul Pompa. I have said nothing either for or against either party in this particular situation. Anyone who can read would see that is the case. My comments were in response to your mistaken contention that this meet was not an aberration. That also doesn't mean that Paul didn't have a valid reason for making a change. None of us know exactly what went down. Unlike you, I don't choose to guess about that which I don't know in this particular situation.

Just so you understand, I knock the chances of horses both owned and trained by people I am friendly with every single racing day, on the air. I am nothing if not objective. I understand, you don't listen, which is fine, but stop pretending you do.

Uh, no. You're not being objective in this situation. There's not been nearly enough success to continue the partnership. Have no idea why you can't see that(oh yea...he's your friend.) Should of moved to someone else years ago. Don't care why he did it. He's late.

I'm not being objective? I haven't expressed a single opinion about this situation other than to correct your incorrect comment that this meet was not an aberration. I have zero opinion about the split between Pompa and Reynolds. How could I? I don't know the reason....and nor do you.

The guy has 4 horses. You're telling me I am incorrect about the level of success he has had before this year, but the guy has 4 horses. I am not at all surprised that he only has 4 horses, because (unlike you) I don't think he did enough with what he had. From what I can see, your ideas about the level of success he has had the last 5 years are over-estimates (due to subjectivity.) I don't know him. I like his last name. I have nothing personal against this person. I just don't think he has done enough with what he has had to run. Simple as that.

Other than winning a Grade 1 and Grade 2, and placing in three other Grade 1s, with Backseat Rhythm, kindly tell me about all the other horses he has underachieved with.

who cares..good luck to both partys.. why is andy too close . wtf is that scuds.. he knows both partys so what..and again who cares.. maybee he will spread his horses out and find that he was happy before..if not pat will do ok
hes a good trainer..i just dont get the badgering of andy because he has a show..from what ive seen the last few years here andy calls a spade a spade..

Ummm...maybe Big Brown.

No reason that horse should have won his debut by less than 12.

Too long a list. Cut to the chase, and give me another example of someone he's done as well with in the last 5 years(b.t.w. she's all out to run a 91 Beyer for him right now.) If he was successful with what he had, then he'll have other clients wanting the same. We will see. I think he'll do o.k. as a claiming trainer.

Thanks you for answering my question.....you can't name one....not because there might not be some examples.....but because you have no idea who he has trained for Pompa in the past and how they did.

It's been fun. Now I have to finish Thursday's card......and see which friends of mine have horses running that can't win.

andy do you think kiaran or ricky will improve the stock they get from reynolds and if they don't will pompa shift them back to pat?

No, I can do it, but it would be quicker (and a much shorter list) to give me the success. Besides, why do you want me to do that? You're just gunna tell me they weren't good enough. The only thing that matters is the success. We can both agree on the one you mentioned. We aren't gunna agree on the reasons for the failures. I can give you names. You can come up with bull excuses forever.

Of course you can.

I've got to come up with a name for this type of post. It's that of one who is the direct opposite of a player hater.

I know it's very early, but if all the parties involved really apply themselves I think this has Thread of the Year potential.

You know you're gunna come up with excuses for each one. Give me the G1 G2 WINS he had with Pampa's stuff. No, I am not gunna put names of his failures up here. That's the trap you keep pushing. I'm fully aware you're capable of making excuses. Gee, we're going to disagree. We aren't gunna disagree about the success. You gave me 1, and it didn't get turned down.

And you are too far from it. It's very easy to run someone else's business and make decisions from afar -- and I am not saying it was a bad decision at all. It's also very easy to say other trainers would have done produced more, better results, etc. Great theory there and two people can argue about that in perpetuity.

Like Andy said, I don't think anyone here knows exactly what went on and why the split occured. Why do people feel the need to guess, throw darts at reasons, etc.? This is not the first time a big owner has split up with Pat. Pat also has never run a vast public stable. While I don't think he's ever been private (maybe he has), he's often been in the game of having a lot of horses for one owner, maybe two. He's just that kind of guy, and if you know him, his history, etc. you would understand that. He's a character and I say that in a positive way. The racetrack is full of them.

I am sure when one of the horses steps up and wins, gets a first grade, throws up a new lifetime best, or something -- then it will be time to say "Told you so"

Eric

Since others are throwing darts -- JMHO -- besides results, there were some politics here as well.

BTW, I know neither of these guys. Pat might say hello to me walking by, but I don't think he knows my name, face and who I am. We've claimed from each other, but that's about it.

Eric