Will Rogers Downs, Claremore, OK, April 14, 2008

That was sure kind of disappointing last night in OK City, when I'd expected so, so much of the new dynamic revitalized slots track. But tomorrow's always another day, and now tomorrow was today, and I was backtracking a bit, back to Tulsa and beyond, to visit the mighty Will Rogers Downs, a newly minted slots track/Indian casino that I just KNEW would fulfill every expectation of The Gospel of Slot Racing. What fabulous changes would I find from the last time I was here, and it was but a poor, struggling non-slots track?

My goodness, would you look at that ...
IT HAS A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT AWNING OVER THE DOOR!

There actually had been some changes inside, mostly related to adding a rather sad looking and not so busy little slots area at the back of the facility, and a restaurant of sorts, but all my buddies were still there in the two glassed in simulcast areas, smoking and non, and there appeared to be zero change of any sort out front where the live horse racing was to take place, with the possible exception of many less policemen wandering around giving you the eye, and maybe less gravel out front, and more grass. A small but spirited crowd was on hand on this pleasant Monday afternoon.

Jockey Ashton Fitzpatrick was also on hand.

A really killer BBQ lunch was also on hand, at a reasonable price. I remember this from last time. Yum!

Admission was also free now, for what good it did. There were far more people on hand the last time I visited this track and there was an admission. A pleasant enough diversion for an afternoon, but a sorry, sorry disappointment for The Gospel of Slot Racing. Onward and upward.