The Michael Gill/Penn National Riders Saga

[10 pnt move up]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

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.

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.