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Developer Cheers Indiana Pari-Mutuel Track Debut

25 November 2002

INDIANA – As reported by the Indianapolis Star: "As two horses trotted down the backstretch at Indiana Downs, Paul Estridge Sr. couldn't contain his excitement.

"He put his fingers to his mouth and let out a loud whistle -- 14 years of planning and dreaming summed up in a few seconds.

"For the first time, horses stepped onto the one-mile limestone track near Fairland. In less than two weeks, the eyes of racing fans will be on the track.

"Track officials Friday held a warmup for the Dec. 6 opening, which will kick off a 19-day meet. Racing will resume in April.

"Estridge, the Carmel developer who hatched a dream almost two decades ago of building a pari-mutuel track, was giddy as a schoolboy Friday.

"…After several attempts to locate in -- or close to -- Indianapolis, Estridge and his band of investors eventually won approval for a 152-acre site next to I-74, just outside of Shelbyville.

"Lately, the tussle over riverboat gambling allocations between Indiana Downs and Anderson's Hoosier Park, the state's other parimutuel track, has befuddled Estridge.

"…`Everybody wants to look at a new track,' said Jim Ewart, director of racing at Indiana Downs. `They're going to come in and take a look. But this track is being built for Indiana horsemen, and we have a wonderful program.'…"

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