Race analyst gives herself early birthday present

With the 37-day meet at Lincoln State Fair winding down this weekend, pre-race analyst Angela Hermann finishes another chapter in her racetrack career.

Hermann, 22, makes her home in Eagan, Minn., and was raised just down the road from Canterbury Park in Burnsville. She started working at the track when she was 16. Her love of the races came even earlier.

"My parents aren't involved in racing at all. The first time we went to the races I was 9 or 10 and just fell in love with it," Hermann said.

Hermann has worked at Canterbury Park in group sales, guest hospitality, media relations, and in the information departments. Shortly after Sunday's closing day, Hermann will be back on the road to Shakopee to resume her duties.

"I like getting different people involved in the sport I love," Hermann said. "Especially the women, we simply don't have enough women involved as fans in this sport."

Mike Newlin, Lincoln's director of racing operations, was formerly mutuel manger at Canterbury Park. He invited Hermann to come to Lincoln as the pre-race analyst in the paddock this year. She hosts the show and is joined by racing secretary Wayne Anderson when time permits him away from the racing office. Hermann spends her mornings working as an entry clerk.

"This has been an education for me. I've got to see and learn a different side of the sport that I would never have had the opportunity to see otherwise," she said.

Hermann celebrated her 22nd birthday last Saturday following a phenomenal handicapping day on July 4 where she picked the winners of the first eight races on a nine-race card.

"That was fun! And it being on a holiday made it more special," she said. "I had a lot of fun that day,"

* The track bettered last year's total attendance mark of 71,936 last Sunday with 73,325 patrons attending so far this year. Ontrack wagering on the live product is running 9.5 percent above last year's totals and simulcast wagering on the product is up 7.7 percent.