Overall I like the casino, its layout, entertainment, friendly staff and SOME of the foodservice options. My wife and I are probably down to 3-4 times /year max. Not a big gambler but certainly used to come more often in years past. I will definitely hit this track again the next time I'm in the Harrisburg-Hershey area. But, overall it was a wonderful night out and I even turned a small profit ($54) for my efforts. Officials at Penn National need to look into this, as well as mandatory schooling requirements for the horsemen regarding gate training. One race started with seven and eventually four horses competed. Unfortunately, the starting gate crew at this track is not good, and several incidents that occurred at the starting gate prior to some of the races led to late scratches that dramatically reduced field sizes. As for the races, even though the quality of the thoroughbreds is higher at Parx and at Presque Isle Downs, the racing was good and six of the eight races made perfect sense. Another short walk into the race room is where you place your bets, though there is one outside mutuel desk where you can also wager. The paddock was quite impressive with several tiers from which you could observe the horses, then a short walk back to your table. Once settled, everything was so convenient that we settled in right away so I could concentrate on my handicapping. Other race tracks that I attend should observe the setup here at PN and do the same. No having to get to the track an hour earlier to claim your space. The first thing that impressed us was the plentiful supply of outside seating that was available throughout the evening. The traditional glass-enclosed grandstand is long gone, so we stayed downstairs near the mutuel windows and the paddock to observe the horses prior to each race.

So, this was quite a different experience for us.

Use to attend the races here regularly back in the late 70's and early 80's, but have made very few visits since moving back to western PA in 1981. We prefer the races over slot machines any time. This review is specific to the thoroughbred race track and not the casino.

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