Lincoln track report

Dime superfectas have proved themselves a success, as action on the wager continues to improve each week. Payoffs on last weekend's cards ranged from a season-low $4.76 to a healthy $214.72 for the 10-cent wager. The pools on superfectas have averaged right around half of what is wagered into the trifecta pool each race, but at 10 cents per combination, the number of patrons playing the new wager is obviously much higher.

"We've had a younger crowd out here this year, and I think the dime superfectas are benefiting us," said mutuel manager Greg Hosch. "It allows the smaller bettors to bet like the big boys."

Hosch implemented both the dime superfecta and a 50-cent pick four on the final four races for each card. Nebraska State Racing Commission rules limit the superfecta to races that have eight or more entrants, and the bet cannot be offered on races with a coupled entry.

The pick four has also been a strong success, with pools averaging nearly triple what pools on the rolling pick three have generated.

* The racing commission picked up additional funding and assumed more responsibility for covering the costs of postrace testing, relieving the tracks of that expense, under a bill that has raised the takeout on exotic wagers by 1 percentage point, to 25 percent. The commission's take of the sum wagered at each track during the calendar year was raised from 0.4 percent to 0.64 percent. To offset the additional cost to the racetracks, the tracks were then allowed to increase the takeout on exotic wagers.

* Dennis Collins posted a four-bagger on Sunday's card for his best day of the meet. Collins scored aboard Joyote ($9.60) in the fourth, then won three straight with Raising Ransom ($15.40) in the sixth, Waxweeed Flower ($40.80) in the seventh, and Wapella ($10.80) in the eighth.

Dan Beck and Roger Gomez both suffered injuries prior to the second race on Sunday and took off their mounts for the remainder of the day. They are expected to ride this weekend.

Leading rider Curtis Kimes has moved his tack back to his regular circuit in Oklahoma, at Fair Meadows Tulsa. Kimes scored 24 wins in the opening four weeks of the season. R.D. Williams, last year's defending champion, is second with 18 wins.