TUCSON, Ariz. - The bowling lanes on the lower level of the new $350 million racino at The Meadows harness track near Pittsburgh, and the upscale pharmacy in the M Resort casino in Nevada herald a new era in gambling: the racino and casino as mega-mall.

The Meadows's bowling complex, complete with exclusive VIP lanes, is designed to bring new faces to the track's spacious racino.

The pharmacy and a gas station operated by the casino in Nevada both accept points awarded for slot pay as payment for co-pays for medication or a tank of gasoline.

NEW YORK - The Belmont Park spring-summer meeting that ends Sunday featured only a few star turns, and may be best remembered for a historic run of miserable weather that compromised the turf-racing program and delayed the development of 2-year-olds. The good news is that these losses could well turn out to be gains for the 36-day stand that begins at Saratoga Wednesday.

DEL MAR, Calif. - The crew at the Doug O'Neill stable had less than a day to celebrate their title at Hollywood Park earlier this week when cold reality rose up to smack the joy right out of them.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Ben Craft was bent over and sweating on a recent Del Mar morning, hard at work putting a set of St. Croix aluminum racing plates on the two very large front feet attached to Monterey Jazz, the horse to catch in Saturday's running of the $350,000 Eddie Read Handicap.

DEL MAR, Calif. - When a steady noise suddenly stops, there is a tendency to look up and exclaim, "What's that?"

This happened at the Hollywood Park meet just put to rest, when for the first time in a year and a half, the leading rider of a major Southern California meet did not answer to either "Hey, Rafael!" or "Mr. Bejarano."

DEL MAR, Calif. - Del Mar opens on Wednesday for its 70th season of racing surrounded by grim economic indicators.

Gas prices in Southern California have crept back to more than $3 a gallon. Unemployment in the state has hit 11 percent. What was once described as disposable income, many times spent on a carefree day at the races, is now being diverted to such luxuries as rent, food, and health insurance.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - The favorite pastime of those with a vested interest in the California version of Thoroughbred racing does not currently appear to be the racing itself. Want evidence? How about this: there are more prospective buyers rumored to be seriously interested in acquiring Santa Anita Park than there are horses entered in the Sunset Handicap on Sunday, closing day of the Hollywood Park meet.

NEW YORK - There will be 14 Breeders' Cup races over two days at Santa Anita this year, but Cup officials said last week that for 2010 and beyond they may have to consider eliminating some of the newer races in the series. The organization is running a $6 million operating deficit this year that is unlikely to be eliminated any time soon, given a 20 percent decline in nomination revenues due to a depressed breeding market, and a 10 percent nationwide betting decline to date in 2009.

If races must reluctantly be cut, which should stay and which should go?

Despite its best efforts to thin the ranks with injuries and render the rest of the season trivial, the 3-year-old division is still lashing out for attention, sending representatives in every possible direction, over a variety of surfaces.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - There is nothing like a clean, fast, main track 1 1/4-mile race to provide a little clarity. For that the current crop of older runners can thank Rail Trip, the 2009 winner of the Hollywood Gold Cup.