Greyhound Racing 3:
Wagering and Success
Sawyer had become a believer, but he felt that greyhound racing would attract spectators only if they could place bets on the races. Smith was personally opposed to gambling, but he reluctantly agreed. They moved their operation to Tulsa, Oklahoma, and allowed bookmakers take bets. Although Smith's lure mechanism still wasn't perfect, the meeting was a success.
The Tulsa venture also produced the first great racing greyhound, Mission Bay, who won 28 of 30 career races.
After five weeks in Tulsa, Sawyer and Smith moved on to East St. Louis, Illinois. The races were so popular there that companies complained about employees missing work to go to the track, so night racing was introduced and was even more popular.
Despite an average daily attendance of about 2,000 during the five-week meet, the $100,000 track went bankrupt and Sawyer lost interest in the venture. Smith then headed to Florida, where he got the financial backing that made greyhound racing a permanent success.
The first Florida track was built in 1922 in an area called Humbuggus, which was later renamed Hialeah and became better known for Thoroughbred racing. The key to success was night racing, which began in 1925. After establishing that track, Smith moved around the country, helping set up tracks in Erlanger, Kentucky; New Orleans; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Butte, Montana; and East St. Louis once more.
The sport had its fastest growth in Florida. The Hialeah operation closed down in 1926, but other dog racing tracks were established at St. Petersburg in 1925, Miami in 1926, Sanford-Orlando and Miami Beach in 1927. The West Flagler Kennel Club became Miami's second track in 1930 and a track opened at Tampa in 1932.
Meanwhile, greyhound racing had also become very popular in England. Charles A. Munn, an American businessman, in 1925 made a deal with Smith and Sawyer for exclusive rights to use the artificial lure in Great Britain. Munn, with several English backers, formed the Greyhound Racing Association in 1926. Within two years, there were 68 dog tracks operating or under construction in the British Isles.