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[Jeff P]

Back in the early 2000's, shortly after he bought Turf Paradise, one of the things Jerry Simms did was hire a dozen or so strippers to mingle with the customers in the clubhouse and act as customer service reps.

Early on they were everywhere. You (almost literally) couldn't get up from a table and walk to the windows without one of them stopping you and asking if she could help you in any way.

But if you took a minute to talk with one, it was pretty obvious they didn't know an exacta from a show parlay.

One time I asked one of them where she was from. And when she answered Chicago, I asked her what she thought about the idea of no more harness racing at Sportsman's Park. She gave me this blank stare - the kind of blank stare that says I have no idea what you just said.

It took a few weeks, but I began to suspect it was a bad idea - and probably a waste of money.

The new track owner must have decided it was a bad idea too. Because one day after a few weeks most of them weren't there any more.

To the guy who might bring his wife and kids out for a Saturday at the races, I'm thinking it had to be a turn off for the wife -- who over the next few weeks would let him know in a hundred subtle ways -- that a day at the races might not be the right place for the next family outing.

And to the (back then) hundreds of regular horseplayers who attended almost daily -- it was always about the betting.



-jp

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