Run for the roses; Friends of Dorothy

I’ve got a horse right here, his name is … no, not Paul Revere but Game Winner and he’s favored to win the annual run for the roses at Churchill Downs. At least that’s what Kentucky Derby Online Betting says. KDOB predicts the following order of finish:

1. Game Winner
2. Improbable
3. War of Will
4. Code of Honor
5. Bourbon War
6. Mucho Gusto
7. Tacitus
8. Country House
9. Hidden Scroll
10. Haikal

We’re not big on horse racing, as you know. Still, since Churchill Downs has gone heavily into “historical racing,” it’s worth mentioning how the real item is working for them. Since Tacitus won the Tampa Bay Derby and Haikal took home the trophy from the Gotham Stakes, it’s odd to see them so far in the back of the pack. And, if you like long shots, Teeth of the Dog (30-1) is your boy.

* I’ve never heard of Marshmello or Jason REVOK (that’s how he spells it) but Station Casinos is betting that you have, ergo their new media push. It’s a big splash to reintroduce the reinvigorated Palms to the public. Unfortunately for Station the company has chosen not to make the video share-able (but sharing is caring, Frank), which will forfeit some eyeballs. Even so, I’ll say that it’s very impressive, even dazzling and looks like it cost as much as a presidential campaign.

* Some slot themes have gotten out of hand. Case in point, Scientific Games‘ new Munchkinland slot. When my sister and I were kids (which I regret to say was a long time ago) we watched The Wizard of

Oz every year, hence my lifelong crush on Judy Garland. Now if the adventures of Dorothy and friends in the land of Oz aren’t the stuff of a “kiddie slot,” I don’t know what is. Industry regulators ought to be more stringent about the themes that they approve, which have long since blurred the line between what’s appropriate to a casino and what belongs in a pinball arcade. As my wife would say, in her uncanny Margaret Hamilton voice, “These things must be done delicately.”

* Whilst on the subject of slots, Mohegan Sun is trying another skill-based one-armed bandit from GameCo. Titled Riches of the Golden Dragon it can be found outside the buffet. Mohegan Sun appears to be taking a cautious view of this latest SBS: It has only ordered three.