Assistant Starter

We’re always looking for talent that believes in having fun. At PENN Entertainment, you’ll get to be a part of an exciting industry, where the days and nights are fast paced. You’ll work with an incredibly diverse set of co-workers driven by their enthusiasm for helping people find and have more fun. You’ll also get to work at a company that cares about your career growth and will help you get the support you need to expand your possibilities. 

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• Responsible for loading race horses in the starting gate before post time and serving as back-up for the Head Starter by performing the following duties in order to assist in reaching profitability, guest satisfaction, workforce strength, and compliance goals.  
• Serve as a right hand for the Head Starter.
• Maintain a log of all horses that come to the gate during training hours.
• Log how the horse is handled while being loaded in the starting gate. This is called putting "Marks" on the horse.
• The Starter is assigned a horse to handle. They must load the horse to the best of their ability with the information given.  - Report any problems with the horses or the gate to the Head Starter.
• Handle race horses and load into the starting gate.
• Responsible for maintenance of the starting gate such as washing gate to keep it clean.
• Inspect batteries for any problems.
• Set numbers on top of the starting gate, making sure that the number on the stall matches the number assigned to the horse being loaded into the gate.
• Morning work consists of schooling horses or breaking these horses from the gate. Once a new horse is ready, the Asst. Starter sends them to the Head Starter for an application for an OK card.
• Have the trainer bring the horse to the gate in the mornings, continually, until the Head Starter feels the horse has overcome the problem and is taken off the Head Starter's list.
• Also, working with horses that have some problems while trying to load them into the gate.
• Must carry out all duties assigned by the Head Starter.
• Seasonal Time-Frame Off - end of March, whole month of April.

• Knowledge of Thoroughbred horses.
• Ability to handle horses weighing in excess of 900 pounds.
• Preferably one to two years of prior experience as an Asst. Starter.
• Ability to read and comprehend simple instructions, short correspondence, and memos.  
• Ability to write simple correspondence. 
• Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one situations to customers, clients, and other employees of the organization.
• Ability to add and subtract two digit numbers and to multiply and divide with 10's and 100's. 
• Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out detailed but uninvolved written or oral instructions. 
• Ability to deal with problems involving a few concrete variables in standardized situations.
• Must qualify for a license with the Pennsylvania State Racing Commission and meet any credentialing requirements of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.  

• Walking 25% of the time.
• Sitting 25% of the time.
• Standing 35% of the time.
• Bending and lifting 15% of the time.
• Lifting/moving maximum of 25 lbs.
• Ability to see 20/20, color, and/or peripherally.

We’ve grown to become the leading provider of integrated entertainment, sports content, and casino gaming experiences thanks to our 43 destinations across North America, online sports betting and iCasino via ESPN BET™ and theScore Bet Sportsbook and Casino®.

Being an industry leader means more than being a purveyor of fun. We are also committed to values like diversity and sustainability — for our community, our team members, our vendors, and our planet. 

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Equal Opportunity Employer