In Nashville, Souichi Terada reported Coca-Cola and Dr Pepper were "added to the Bridgestone Arena beverage roster while Pepsi was jettisoned for next season." The Predators now join Vanderbilt and the Titans as "part of the Coca-Cola family." The Predators were the "last Pepsi holdouts in the Nashville market" (TENNESSEAN.com, 7/5).
PANEL PROJECT: In Minneapolis, Don Jacobson reported the Univ. of Minnesota's Field House will "sport a new exterior envelope" under a recently approved $7.4M renovation that will also "see the installation of a new track and artificial-turf flooring." Over the years, the facility's panels "deteriorated," and will be "removed and replaced with new exterior insulated metal panels and a translucent aluminum glazing system, giving the Field House a modern, updated look." Design work is to be "completed this summer with construction beginning in September" (STARTRIBUNE.com, 7/5).
IN THE WINNER'S CIRCLE: In Ft. Lauderdale, Craig Davis notes Gulfstream Park's spring meet was a "big winner," and "posted records for the total and average betting handle despite six fewer days of racing than in the past." The "total handle" for the meet, which concluded Saturday, was $334M, up $22M over '17. The "average daily handle topped" $6M for the "first time since Gulfstream began running in the spring" (South Florida SUN SENTINEL, 7/6).
Gulfstream Park's total handle for the spring meet, which concluded Saturday, was $334Mgetty images
