Old-school South Point ushers in new book

Old-school Las Vegas casinos were known for offering value. Long before glitz and glamour, a free drink, a comp meal and a fair gamble kept customers coming back.

The current casino that best fits the old-school mold is the South Point. Considering the pedigree of owner Michael Gaughan, son of gaming pioneer Jackie Gaughan, it comes as no surprise. His hands-on philosophy truly means the customer comes first.

So, while most casino companies are crying poor and reducing perks and payouts to customers, the South Point is doing the exact opposite. This successful marketing strategy has allowed Gaughan to unveil a major expansion that will include a brand new race book, poker room and space for 500 more slot machines.

To celebrate the race book opening, there will be a special South Point Six handicapping contest today and Saturday. The prize pool will be seeded both days, with $5,000 creating a large positive expectancy.

All money from the entry fees, which are $10 each up to a maximum of five, will be returned to the players. The prize pool each day will be paid out to those who pick the most winners.

Trainer Craig Dollase, who just won the Hollywood Gold Cup with Awesome Gem, will appear in the South Point's race book at 11 a.m. today, as Ralph Siraco of radio show "RaceDay Las Vegas" hosts the event.

The new race book is located behind the sports book. It's about the same size as the old one but will offer more amenities.

This leads to the two most asked questions about the new race book: Will the wall boards still be in use, and will they still sell those popular 75-cent hot dogs? The answer to both is yes.

■ CLOSING DAYS -- Bear in mind that Belmont Park and Hollywood Park will be closing Sunday. Thus, any carry-over pools must be paid out Sunday in advance of Del Mar and Saratoga opening next week.

Also, if you plan an advance study for the Del Mar and Saratoga meets, the Daily Racing Form Player's Guides for the two tracks are out. They are available at all race books in Las Vegas and Laughlin.

■ STEINBRENNER THE HORSEMAN -- The traits that drove the late George Steinbrenner to make the New York Yankees great also shaped his love of horse racing.

I wish someone could have bottled Steinbrenner's will to win and love of the horse and sold it to the next generation of race fans.

Richard Eng's horse racing column is published Friday in the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He can be reached at rich_eng@hotmail.com.