New dog track opens; poker, horses featured

DAYTONA BEACH -- The nation's first new greyhound track in 16 years opens at noon today, but the early crowd won't be watching any canine action.

Instead, hundreds of gamblers will dash to the 50-table poker room, eager to try their luck in surroundings that promise the pizzazz and stylish comfort of a Las Vegas casino. Others will gather in a simulcast gallery to watch televised horse races on 142 LCD color screens. Dog aficionados will have to wait until 7:45 p.m. to see the local hounds give their first chase to Lucky.

The Daytona Beach Kennel Club moved Tuesday out of its hulking white-frame stadium next to Daytona International Speedway to a new $30 million complex at 960 S. Williamson Blvd., about two miles southwest of its old neighbor.

Today's debut marks an effort by Buffalo, N.Y.-based Delaware North Cos., the track's operator, to give gambling a spiffier image in the Daytona Beach market.

"Our other track was 60 years old," said Dan Francati, general manager. "It was time to move on."

Mayor Glenn S. Ritchey said Thursday he welcomes the relocation: "This gives us a magnificent new facility and frees up land along our gateway corridor for redevelopment."

However, Ritchey said the city hasn't endorsed the kennel club's long-range plan to add video slot machines to its new complex.

"We have not been broached on the issue, and it would be up to the City Commission and a vote of the people before we could support it," Ritchey said. "Personally, I'm not in favor of it."

The replacement facility, a 53,000-square-foot, low-slung building three years in the making, will give bettors lots of places to sit down and no stairs to climb. The new layout eliminates grandstands in favor of chairs, benches, dining tables, and single- and double-seat betting carrels, all on ground level. Think Daytona Beach International Airport without the escalators.

The first change visitors probably will notice as they enter the 53,000-square-foot clubhouse is the elimination of turnstiles. The $1 admission fee has been eliminated to build customer goodwill, Francati said.

In the tiled entrance lobby, workers will dispense printed programs, T-shirts and other souvenirs. From there, attendees can proceed straight ahead to the dog-racing area or branch off to the sides for poker or simulcast action. Most of the clubhouse has been carpeted and given subdued, indirect lighting, toning down interior walls bathed in purple and yellow.

Francati said he expects an opening-day crowd of more than 2,000 -- about five times the old track's average attendance. On hand to greet them with be a staff of more than 400.

"We've added about 50 to 60 workers to be dealers and handle hospitality," Francati said.

Some have come from as far as Las Vegas to land jobs, he added.

"The hotels out there are having layoffs," he said.

The spectator section for the dog track seats about 400 people, most of them outdoors.

"At this facility, you'll be much closer to the action," Francati said.

Fans who walk up to the rail will be within a few feet of the 22-foot-wide dirt track. And if they look closely, they might spot an alligator that has taken up residence in the track's retention pond.

People also can watch the races from 80 indoor, air-conditioned seats or a 140-seat dining area of the clubhouse. No admission fee will be charged for the table seating, but a $5-per-person minimum will apply to the tab, Francati said.

Menu prices will run slightly higher than at the old track.

"We've raised a few items, but that's just to keep up with higher commodity prices," Francati said.

Food and beverage service also will be available at the poker tables. While most tables will require bets in the $2 to $5 range, a few will still offer 25- and 50-cent wagers.

"We understand that some of our seniors just want to spend $10 for an afternoon," Francati said.

People who want to smoke will have to go outdoors, he added. "Our whole facility will be smoke-free."

Fewer teller stations will operate in the new clubhouse. Instead, patrons will be encouraged to place bets electronically through terminals, using the club's own brand of debit card, a system that was introduced about three weeks ago. As they bet, they'll accumulate reward points that can be redeemed for food and drinks, souvenirs and other items.

The new track was built by International Speedway Corp. as part of a property swap with Delaware North that gave ISC possession of the old kennel club Wednesday. Daytona International Speedway will use some of the club's land for parking for its July NASCAR race, Speedway President Robin Braig said.

The clubhouse also may be used if there's a need for overflow hospitality space and the clubhouse's air conditioning and kitchen facilities are working properly, Braig added.

Last year, the old track pulled in $20.5 million, according to state regulators. About half that came from dog races on the premises. The rest was generated by the poker tables and bets on televised races and jai alai games at other locations.

For the new track, Delaware North has expanded its poker playing section to 500 seats, a 50 percent increase.

"We estimate the extra tables will generate anywhere from $25,000 to $50,000 a week in additional revenue," said William J. Bissett, Delaware North's president of gaming and entertainment.

Currently, Daytona Beach ranks 10th among Florida's 15 greyhound tracks in its wagering handle. The Palm Beach Kennel Club is tops at nearly $100 million a year.

Someday, the club hopes to add a second building to house video slot machines, but it won't be in the near future. A bill authorizing that form of gambling for the Daytona Beach venue died in the Legislature earlier this year.

"We've designed the building so it will be very easy to add on if the Florida Legislature ever looks with favor on gaming," Bissett said.

Delaware North, grossing $2 billion a year from its sports and tourism facilities, already has video slots at its five horse tracks in New York, West Virginia and Tennessee.

News Journal Online

News Added: 23 May, 2008

Number of views : 146