Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino
Sunday, December 13, 2009
General manager
Harold Payne named Sportsman of the Year
Harold Payne, general manager of Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino, was named
El Paso's Sportsman of the Year for 2009 in an article in El Paso Inc.
newspaper. Following is the article as it appeared in the issue of Dec. 13-19,
2009.
"Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino is located just outside the El Paso city
limits but Harold Payne is a full-fledged El Pasoan and what he has done for the
Sunland operation is of legendary proportions."When he took over as general
manager in 1990 the track was in such dire conditions some horsemen were
abandoning the track. He pleaded with and cajoled enough of them to stay and
keep the track going by dangling hopes of a casino in the future. When the
casino became a reality in 1999 and brought in revenue, Payne, with the blessing
of owner Stan Fulton, oversaw installation of improvements in facilities and
purses that have made Sunland Park Racetrack the jewel of Southwest horse
racing. And this year, through years of hard and relentless work by him and his
staff, the Sunland Derby was graded, which will give the track and El Paso even
greater national prominence."