About six months or so ago I was writing an article on Ellis and at the end of a long conversation, the new owner asked me this question: If limited to just one item, what single change would be most important to players? It turned out that my suggestion of a dramtically lower takeout for either one race each day, or one entire card each week, was very similar to the response he got when he asked Cary Fotias the same question.

For the Ellis meet, which opens today, Ron Geary has reduced the takeout on the late pk4 to 4%, which is lower than what I suggested, and which I believe is the lowest takeout ever on any bet at any track anywhere. My theory was that if horseplayers put their money where their mouths have been for many years, the industry will have no choice but to sit up and take notice. Of course, that will only happen if, starting later today, players actually step up to the plate and support someone who is a horsplayer himself, and who has already done, and can be expected to continue to do, more for players than many of the "big" tracks will ever do.