When Dan Schaap, a 50-year-old attorney from Canyon, Texas, passed through the Lone Star Park turnstiles at 12:45 p.m. to watch Saturday's $300,000 Texas Mile (gr. III), he became the Grand Prairie racetrack's 10 millionth visitor since the facility first opened for business on May 3, 1996."I can't believe it!" Schaap said. "This is amazing. We're here celebrating my son Aaron's 13th birthday and we flew up here from Amarillo to take in some horseracing and a pair of [Texas] Rangers games. What a weekend!"As a result, Schaap received two lifetime admission passes to Lone Star Park, a lifetime parking pass and a $100 betting voucher. Also, Schaap and his guests – sons Aaron and Will and co-worker Wade Arnold – took in the races from a luxury penthouse suite overlooking the finish line.
"I've been to Ruidoso Downs and Santa Fe Downs [racetracks] years ago in New Mexico, but this is my first time here," he said. "I heard a lot about it and tried to make it up for last year's Breeders' Cup, but I had a scheduling conflict. I'm sure glad we made the trip here today. We'll never forget this place and I'll sure be coming back."
