Pena Talks

Lou Pena was scouting out Pompano Park this weekend and was interviewed during Saturday night's racing program.  In the interview, it appears the legal challenge to get back into the Meadowlands is at an end as he said in his interview with Pompano's Frank D Salive  "I think for now I have exhausted all of the legal avenues of appeal so I'm at their mercy on whether The Meadowlands would take my entries in the future".  Pena is appreciative that Yonkers, Pocono and Chester are still accepting his entries.  At the present time, he has thirty-five horses at Gaitway Farms in New Jersey.

According to the press release, Pena claims that he has been told by "senior" management at the Meadowlands lower than Jeff Gural that this suspension may be temporary in order to give other trainers a head start in 2012 and he may be allowed in later in the season.  Now, I have no inside information, to contradict what Pena has said, but based on the fact he is not allowed to race at Tioga Downs or Vernon Downs, he may have been better off talking to Jeff Gural directly.  The best scenario I could see for Pena at the Meadowlands is if his entries would be accepted only for stakes races like the Meadowlands Pace.  There has been some speculation that Pena's three month exclusion at Yonkers Raceway was done so others would have a chance to rack up some wins, but after Gural's pronouncement on integrity, I just don't see Pena returning to the Meadowlands anytime soon.

Anyway, Pena did indicate he is considering joining some of his former California colleagues at Pompano Park in the fall if he is accepted and would be sending some of his better horses down to race there if he is permitted to race in Florida.

Trottingbreds in the News: For those not familiar with trottingbreds, here is an article in Tampa Bay Online about the only track, Sunshine Raceway which is dedicated to the trottingbred sport.
Sad Story:  It is never a pleasant story when you see children fighting over a parent's estate.  Apparently this is what is happening over the estate of Joseph Parisi, the prior owner of White Birch farms in New Jersey.  It has gotten so acrimonious that it has made the New York City newspapers.