Dog-gone fun on a Saturday night: Dog racing at Commerce City's Wembley Park.

• Author: Stevens, M. Eastlake
• Position: Brief Article

YOU MIGHT SAY THAT COMMERCE CITY WENT TO THE DOGS IN 1948. BUT NOT JUST ANY DOGS. GREYHOUND RACING IN COLORADO WAS APPROVED BY A POPULAR REFERENDUM THAT YEAR, and the intersection of 62nd Avenue and Dahlia Street in Commerce City has been home to the lean, swift racers and their fans ever since.

On any given Saturday night, Mile High Greyhound Racing at Wembley Park is apt to attract 2,000 or more recreational bettors, a few professional handicappers and other dog watchers.

They're everywhere -- studying race cards, leaning into the betting windows, waving triumphant fists as a race unfolds, or just listening to local bands play live music between the night's 15 races. It's pure entertainment, with a little money on the line.

On summer and fall nights, lower levels of the clubhouse at Wembley teem with spectators. Lines at beverage stands and betting windows are long. In the grandstand, patrons of all ages and sizes crowd the rail to watch the greyhounds run. And up on club level, patrons dine in the restaurant, relaxing in air-conditioned comfort.

Even in the lower levels, bettors can take in more than a dozen big-screen televisions and bet on up to 16 greyhound and horse races simulcast from tracks throughout the country, including dogs running at Pueblo Greyhound Park, and horses running at Arapahoe Park in Aurora.

The live racing season at Wembley runs from June to February, Mondays through Saturdays, but there is no break in the wagering. During idle months at the track, the facility serves as an off-track betting site, with races televised from Cloverleaf Kennel Club in Loveland and other venues. And for some, betting at Wembley is more than a diversion. It's a livelihood.

"We have about 10 professional handicappers at this track who make a living betting," says Steve Rose, general manager and an employee of the track for 22 years. "These handicappers will sometimes purchase videos of the races from us, and will typically bet on one to three races per card." Bettors must be 18, but greyhound owners, like owners of horses that race, can be of any age.

A DOG'S LIFE

Greyhounds were originally introduced in the United States to control pests. Now, of course, they are big business, with top greyhound studs worth up to half a million dollars.

It is not unusual for a "top dog" to win more than $30,000 in a season. A dog with an exceptional record is likely to be put to stud after four years of racing (the animals live 12 to 14 years on...