The Michael Gill/Penn National Riders Saga
 

i was amazed when gill received votes for an eclipse this year. those voters should have their ability to vote revoked!

Good for the jockeys to speak up.

Good for those jocks. Gill and his cronies have been know to literally cut corners for years. This latest rash of breakdowns should be the final straw.

Really great article... I hope they boycott his a.ss everywhere.

Shame about the horses. Other owners are out there claiming and running horses super aggressively, just without killing them.

Not to defend Gill at all but how about some statistics behind the breakdown rates for all his entries, for claimers versus alw races. The piece talks about him starting more horses than anyone else but has had many breakdowns, think it said 14 at Penn National.

Seemed like a hit piece without a lot of research behind it.

I think this post was without any research behind it...

I play Penn once a week and try not to throw out any horses owned by Gill in my multi race wagers. They have a tendency to either run way over their past performances or unfortunately alot of the time as noted die.

I think the more important number is the number of breakdowns specific to the owner compared to others.

For the jocks to go and do this, for an owner that runs a shitload of horses for slot enduced purses, well, it says a whole hell of a lot.

The article talks about the vets which is the bigger issue. Scummy owners exist in forms other than Michael Gill. Paragallo anyone?

2005 Eclipse Award owner Michael Gill. It is an honor indeed to be awarded an Eclipse.

Man he looks like the character from the Sopranos.

He had a thousand starts at Penn National last year alone.

Whenever you claim the types he does - very cheap horses with speed and often more proven ability than the level he claims them from .. you're going to get a whole lot of cripples.

And with the purses the way they are at Penn .. it's that much harder to kid gloves a cripple.

I guess he could always look to claim slower and sounder horses ... and win a whole lot fewer races and lose a tremendous pile of more money.

Or he could instruct his trainers to handle his army of many cripples like they're Ghostzapper .. and nurse them through four races a year campaigns .. while the fewer starts result in him losing more money and getting a lot less action.

Inner track recorde holder at 5 1/2 F Melodeeman. 47-9-9-9 $258,161.
http://www.equibase.com/static/chart...012110USA2.pdf

I think it's pretty well known in Penn National circles that you just don't claim off Gill. I'm pretty certain you don't say the same thing about 99.7 percent of the other connections that run up there, including the Scott Lakes of the world.

my point exactly...I know the guy basically could give a rats arse about the cripples he is claiming and running but its more a product of his business model.

I don't remember seeing his better bred horses having near the same issues a few years ago.

i'm sure everyone will sleep better knowing it's all part of his business model.

He can't get stalls in NY....so blame Penn Nat.

Well the guy has Cole Norman training for him at his farm....that should say enough about the guy...he is no good