Win, place, or show.

• Position: Evanston, Wyoming draws large number of customers, trainers, owners and jockeys to Wyoming Downs horse race track from Utah, generating revenue which eventually makes its way back into Utah

Originally a railroad town, Evanston was assured permanence in 1871 when Union Pacific constructed machine shops and a roundhouse. Today the trains continue to roll past Evanston, but it is a different type of track that draws many Utahns to this southeastern Wyoming border town. Though many visitors pass through Evanston on their way to several recreation areas, including Jackson Hole, Bear Lake, and Flaming Gorge, Evanston is better known in Utah for access to horse racing, liquor, fireworks, and community attractions. Evanston business owners readily admit they are more than willing to cater, to, and even depend on, those who find Utah's recreation or drinking laws a little too stifling.

Wyoming Downs is Evanston's best known and biggest tourist attraction. Since 1985, the race track has been a major economic factor in Evanston. "We have the single largest economic impact on the economy of Evanston," said Jay Joyce, owner of Wyoming Downs since 1990. Joyce says the track is marginally profitable - breaking even last year - but it does not attract too many big spenders. "Our average wager is only $48 per person, per day," he said, "compared with $300 at Santa Anita." The track does not attract too many major gamblers because only a dozen bets are offered each racing day, compared to 1,200 at larger tracks. "We're no big threat to the big tracks," he said. Though the big bettors don't flock to Evanston, Joyce depends on the Utah crowds to come, admitting that a change in Utah's betting laws could close the track. "About 85 percent of our business comes from Utah," he said. To insure that Utah customers keep coming, Joyce focuses nearly all of his advertising efforts on Utahns. But much of the Utah money that goest to Wyoming Downs finds its way back. "Since many of our customers are Utah residents, and since many of our trainers, owners, and jockeys are from Utah, a lot of money from this track goes back into Utah," Joyce said.

With a desire to take even more of that money back to Utah, weekend partiers, gamblers and race fans board a "fun bus" in Salt Lake for the 80-mile drive to Evanston. Donna's Tours, based in West Jordan, offers a fun bus every Saturday and Sunday of Wyoming Downs' Memorial Day to Labor Day season.

Family Entertainment

One distinct advantage of the race track, over other gaming events, is that entire families can participate in horse racing. "We are family-oriented entertainment," said Joyce. "Most of our customers...