Pari-Mutuel Wagering Races Into West Texas

AMARILLO, Texas, Dec. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- After years of waiting, West Texans will finally be able to wager on horse racing starting Friday, December 14 when the Saddle Brook Jockey Club opens in Amarillo.

Saddle Brook Jockey Club, located in southwest Amarillo at 4332 SW 45th Ave., is a temporary simulcast facility where the public is welcome to watch and wager on horse racing from tracks coast to coast.

"This is a totally new experience to West Texas," commented Drew Alexander, one of the partners in the venture. "Just think, on the big race days like the Kentucky Derby, Breeders' Cup weekend, the All American Derby and Futurity, West Texans will now be able to come by, put a bet down and be a part of the action," Alexander added.

With more than 40 large TVs and a complete menu, Saddle Brook Jockey Club also brings an exciting new sports bar dining experience to Amarillo.  Here, it is non-stop horse racing simulcast from America's top tracks like Churchill Downs, Keeneland, Saratoga, Santa Anita, Del Mar, Hollywood Park, Oaklawn, Ruidoso Downs and many others.

Saddle Brook is open Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The facility will also be open on all holiday Mondays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.  Parking and admission are free.

Saddle Brook Jockey Club is a wholly owned subsidiary of Saddle Brook Park, the entity that owns the Texas Racing Commission license to build and operate a horse racing facility in Amarillo, and has been awarded live racing dates in 2014. In advance of constructing the track, Texas law permits temporary simulcasting of horse races for up to two years prior to the opening of a new race track, thus paving the way for the Saddle Brook Jockey Club. West Texas natives Drew Alexander and his brother Lynn Alexander are the owners of Saddle Brook Jockey Club. They are excited about debuting pari-mutuel wagering in West Texas and helping to make a positive impact on the Texas horse racing industry.

"A portion of every dollar wagered here goes towards building racing purses at Texas tracks," Drew Alexander explained. "We will be generating a substantial amount of purse money that will help horse racing in Texas. Bigger purses attract better horses and better horses bring out more fans," he added.  It is estimated that Saddle Brook Jockey Club will contribute more than $500,000 a year to Texas racing.

SOURCE Saddle Brook Jockey Club