Starting with the Friday evening October 16 program at 7:05 p.m., The Isle Pompano Park is offering free programs for it’s own live cards to all on-track patrons and horsepeople
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“We’ve studied it and just finalized our plan late in the noon hour on Wednesday to move forward with this initiative as quickly as possible,” says The Isle Pompano Park’s Director Of Racing Operations, John Yinger. “There is a cost to doing it but we feel it can only drive on-track attendance and handle in the the right direction. Already the feedback is overwhelmingly positive from horsepeople and the fans here on Wednesday night that we informally mentioned it to.”
He adds the South Florida track is going into a hurry up offense to get the word out.
“We’ve fast tracked our ads with local media and we’re doing our best to get the word out there on Thursday and Friday for free programs on live racing here,” Yinger adds. “From the immediate feedback I’ve had in my travels we could see the benefits very quickly when we go to the gate here on Friday evening. We feel it’s just a fan friendly thing to do for our customers and a goodwill gesture for our horsepeople too.”
Williams’ Fab Filly Finds Her Stride
The Wednesday evening October 14 program featured the opening leg of the Orchid-Pelican Series for two-year-old Florida-bred trotters.
Your Not My Friend stepped up with a rock-solid performance in the first of two $4,500 purse divisions for fillies. In rein to her owner and trainer Robert Williams, Jr. of Bell, Florida, the Famously-Shes A Loan miss was parked well past the quarter by overwhelming favourite Jeanie Marie with Warren Harp in :30.4. Your Not My Friend was not intimidated by having the favourite breathing down her neck the rest of the way past quarters of 1:01 and 1:31.1. Even though the track was rated as good early on the card due to a late afternoon rain, Your Not My Friend was flawless in holding Jeanie Marie at bay to stop the clock in 2:01.1 for her first career win.
Pocohontas Fame won the other filly division as the prohibitive favourite in 2:02.2. Bob Robert trains this filly by Famously-Native Pine for Amante Standardbreds of Delray Beach, Florida. She’s won six of seven starts this year and it was one of four winners reined in on the card by Wally Hennessey. Captain Daves Girl with Tom Sells and Shes A Winner with Tom Wantz followed Pocohontas Fame under the wire.
In the only colt and gelding division in the opening round of the Orchid-Pelican Series, Amante Standardbreds was again a winner with Be Famous. The homebred colt by Famously-Celebrity Descent controlled things all the way to win handily in 2:03. Mel Turcotte trains this four-time winner in six rookie starts, and it was part of a four win night for Bruce Ranger. Im Possible and Ima Lightningstorm were next under the wire.
Henri Filion, Jr., now a resident of Loxahatchee Florida, broke through for his first training and driving win of the meet with claiming trotter Tad Bit More for a 10-1 upset in the ninth race. Filion owns the Windswept Balance-Elsie Tad nine-year-old gelding. He gave his horse a class drop for this test and made an equipment change with the addition of earplugs. Filion made a patient drive pay off with a sweeping move to the front going into the final turn. It was also a ‘French Connection’ exactor as Jasmin Gagnon of St. Jerome Quebec held second with Wildfire Windy to join Filion on the ticket.
(Pompano Park)
Bettors will bet more money
Bettors will bet more money if they think they get something for nothing, if tracks have for instance looney nights where food, drinks, programs for a dollar the place is packed so what are we missing. Give the gamblers a free program maybe they will come out if there saving two bucks. Its only two dollars and im sure they will think they are getting a deal and bet a lot more. Most of these tracks want to put it to the patrons charging awful prices for food and beverages and wondering why the place is empty. Am I the only one that notices this
It is about time that a
It is about time that a racetrack offers free programs. For years no one has charged a slot player for the privilege of playing slot machines. Why should a horseplayer have to pay for a program just so they may make an intelligent wager? Of course, this is a first step as programs are being made available only to on-track players. All players; on-track, off-track or via the internet should have basic programs avaialble for free.