Racing commissioner okays track in Raton

THE MUCH COVETED 6TH AND FINAL RACINO LICENSE HAS FINALLY BEEN AWARDED. SANTA FE, TUCUMCARI AND RATON WERE VYING FOR THE LICENSE..... AND TODAY IT WAS RATON THAT WON OUT. SHELTON DODSON HAS THE STORY LIVE FROM THE STATE RACING COMMISSION... SHELTON: WHEN IT CAME RIGHT DOWN TO IT GEOGRAPHY IS WHAT CATAPULTED RATON TO THE TOP. THE STATE RACING COMMISSION BETTING THAT GAMBLERS FROM COLORADO TO KANSAS WILL COME TO RATON TO PLAY THE SLOTS AND BET ON THE PONIES: : 'Aye. The ayes have it. It's going to racing at Raton.' : 'Applause.' WHEN IT CAME DOWN TO IT... THE RACE FOR THE RACINO WAS BETWEEN RATON AND TUCUMCARI. THE LATTER BANK ROLLED BY DON CHALMERS -- THE MILLIONAIRE AUTO DEALER FROM ALBUQUERQUE. : 'We did not take anything for granted and until I heard that final 5- nothing answer I took nothing for granted...so very, very pleased.' : 'We have been going through this for about five years and it is sort of like the anticipation of your first child. And today was the day, it delivered and we're just elated.' ELATED BY THE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT SLOT MACHINES AND HORSE RACING WILL BRING TO NORTHEASTERN NEW MEXICO. THE 50-MILLION DOLLAR FACILITY WILL ALSO BRING IN 300 PERMANENT JOBS. : 'I expect this to help Raton grown. We're about eight thousand people, I want to see us be about 15,000 and generate the taxes that we need to run a community.' WHILE THE SLOTS WILL BE NEW, HORSE RACING WILL NOT. RATON WAS HOME TO NEW MEXICO'S FIRST EVER TRACK MORE THAN 60-YEARS AGO... BUT THEY HAVEN'T RACED THERE SINCE THE TRACK CLOSED IN 19-92. : 'It's been five years that we have been working at it and I think that it is a great day for the City of Raton and the whole northeastern part of the state. Racing started in New Mexico in Raton in 1942 I believe and it is great to finally see it come back to where it's origins were.' THE BRAND NEW FACILITY WILL BUILT JUST OFF I-25 JUST SOUTHEAST OF RATON. THE CASINO WILL OPING LIVE FROM THE STATE RACING COMMISSION.., SHELTON DODSON, EYEWITNESS NEWS FOUR. WE GET OUR HANDS ON THE 9-1-1


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