Derby Lane meet ends on positive note

By DON JENSEN, Times correspondent
Published July 1, 2007

ST. PETERSBURG - Derby Lane entered its 82nd season with an old philosophy and a new "It's Your Ticket!" motto. It was a recipe for success.

Boosted by increases in interstate handle and live on-track wagering, Derby Lane posted positive financial statistics for the 2007 campaign.

The meet ended Saturday with Magic City Kennel's Phenomenal Dream ($7) winning the St. Petersburg Derby, earning $13, 000 for his first stakes victory in front of 2, 794 fans. In the Derby Consolation, Mega Racing's Starz Supreme ($13) won the $4, 400 first-place paycheck.

Derby Lane heads into its first live year-round racing season Monday.

"We had a very good year, " Derby Lane president and chairman of the board Vey Weaver said. "We went back to what we've always done in the past, and our business picked up again. It was a wise decision to do that."

Fans welcomed Derby Lane's return to a schedule that emphasized racing in the evenings instead of matinees.

In statistics available for 224 performances from Jan. 1 to June 24, interstate wagering on the Derby Lane product was up 12.2 percent over last year at $36, 015, 363. Live on-track wagering increased 4 percent at $22, 114, 552. Simulcast wagering on other greyhounds, thoroughbreds, standardbreds and jai-alai was up 0.2 percent at $54, 018, 565. Those numbers helped offset a 13.6-percent decrease in intrastate wagering at $25, 435, 064. Derby Lane's all-source handle totaled $137, 583, 544, a gain of $930, 439.

Another high note for Derby Lane was its card room. Poker revenue from July 1 to May 31 was $5, 614, 963, up $589, 172.

"That's a very strong number because we did that with 26 less Sundays, " Weaver said.

Attendance was 483, 812, a performance average decline of 31 fans.

First-year operation Filipelli & O'Donnell won the kennel title with 239 victories. Hometown Boy of Floyd & Porter was the top greyhound with 18 wins. Season-best times were recorded by LaRosa Enterprises' Kaias Sequoyah (30.28 seconds at 550 yards) and McAllister Kennels' Turbo Penske (37.06 at 660). McAllister's Flying Stanley won the Derby Lane Million on March 3 when the track posted season-high totals in attendance (8, 275) and handle ($1, 079, 091).

[Last modified July 1, 2007, 01:15:09]