Yonkers Bans Pena

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Published: August 8, 2011 08:18 am EDT

He has been a lightning rod for the North American harness racing industry since he made the move to the United States' East Coast just a few years ago, and now trainer Lou Pena and his winning ways have worn out their welcome at Yonkers Raceway

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A report this past weekend by the New York Post dropped the bombshell that officials with Yonkers Raceway recently informed Pena that his entries would no longer be accepted at the purse-rich half-mile oval.

Pena told the New York Post that he received a call from Yonkers Raceway Race Secretary Steve Starr on July 29. According to Pena, Starr told the 42-year-old conditioner that, "For the best interests of the sport, you must leave (Yonkers Raceway)."

Seeing as though none of his horses have produced a positive test since his ascension up the Yonkers training ranks, Pena, the track's leading conditioner this year by leaps and bounds, believes that he has been shown the door at the track due to his dominance over his rivals.

The report has quoted Pena as saying, "(Yonkers) officials told me, 'Slow down. Don't win so much.'"

This year, Pena's Yonkers starters have won 242 races. His closest rival in the Yonkers trainers' race has only won 82 dashes at the half-mile oval this year. Overall this year, Pena's outfit has sent 1,399 starters postward and recorded 443 victories, 233 second-place finishes and 151 thirds. His Universal Trainer Rating currently sits at an ultra-sharp .445, and his horses have raced their way to more than $6-million in purse earnings. He was also Yonkers' leading trainer for the 2010 campaign.

The article explains that officials with Yonkers did not want to discuss the situation with the New York Post, but the track's vice president, Bob Galterio, did issue a statement, which simply said that, "At this time, we do not feel it is in our best business interest to have Mr. Pena participate at Yonkers Raceway."

"I'm crushing the opposition -- it's totally technique training -- and these people are crying; they're not happy," Pena was quoted as saying. "I've become the most hated man on earth. If you're good, you must be bad."

(With files from the New York Post)

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