Dale Capuano, the leading thoroughbred trainer in Maryland, bet the 2 horse, Storm Boot Gold, across the board in the seventh race at Aqueduct. Storm Boot Gold broke into the lead and Capuano said: "Stop the race."
By the time the race had run its course, however, Capuano's horse had conceded the lead in the stretch and finished second. Still, Capuano won, because he had bet Storm Boot Gold to finish first, second or third.
The trainer waited for the flashing lights and the simulated sound of dropping coins to signal his victory on the newfangled betting machine known as the Horse Wizard.
Capuano became one of the first in Maryland to play the glitzy machines yesterday at the grand opening of the Horse Wizard Lounge at Laurel Park. Designed to resemble a slots machine and attract novice bettors to horse racing, the Horse Wizard made its debut at a private gathering of track officials and racing insiders.
The 36 machines will open to the public tomorrow when Laurel Park conducts racing for the first time since March. While racing took place at Pimlico Race Course, workers rebuilt the dirt racing surface at Laurel and completed other track upgrades, including construction of the Horse Wizard Lounge.
The success of the machines remains to be seen, but their intent is clear. Joe De Francis, president and CEO of the Maryland Jockey Club, said that racing, especially racing in Maryland, is criticized for not doing anything to attract new patrons to the tracks.
"That's exactly what this is all about," De Francis said. "This is the most far-reaching, ambitious undertaking to expand racing's fan base and attract new customers to horse racing in my 20 years in the business."
The machines are the brainchild of Frank Stronach, founder and president of Magna Entertainment Corp. Magna owns or operates 14 horse tracks, including Pimlico and Laurel Park. It has installed Horse Wizards in five of them.
At Laurel, workers installed the 36 Horse Wizard terminals and 24 TV monitors in an underutilized corner of the clubhouse. That corner now is the most attractive room at the track. Its blue lighting creates a nightclub mood, and its lively atmosphere resembles a casino or sports bar.
"I think it's a very good effort at trying to bring new people into the track," said Lou Ulman, a member of the Maryland Racing Commission as well as an owner of racehorses. "It looks like Magna's making a real solid effort to improve Maryland racing."
