It’s opening day at Gulfstream Park today. Once upon a time, I treated the start of the track’s annual thoroughbred racing meet like a national holiday. Not any more.

The place depresses me now. Ever since Gulfstream underwent its extreme makeover a few years ago, I just don’t like going there. To me, it lost its racetrack soul, turned into a casino that happens to have a racing oval attached to it.

Oh sure, the quality of the top races is still as good as ever, with Kentucky Derby hopefuls taking the opening strides of their 3-year-old campaigns here.

But the day-in, day-out rhythms of the place no longer appeal to me.

In the good old days, I’d take opening day off from work, spend the morning with the Daily Racing Form and then bask in the sunshine in a chair near the paddock, cocktail in hand. It made me appreciate everything about living in South Florida.

Today, I’m in the office. I have no interest in the opening card. The few times I actually go to Gulfstream, usually for big race days such as this Saturday’s Hutcheson Stakes, I spend most of my time in the poker room.

There’s not much comfortable space to soak in the sun anymore. And making matters worse this year are the construction cranes hanging over the paddock area. It’s part of the next phase: the retail/condo complex in what used to be the main parking lot.

I hate to wax nostalgic but I really do miss the old place.

Questions for you: What do you think of the new Gulfstream Park? Do you go more or less than you used to?

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Gulfstream Park had its media day Dec. 20, in preparation for horse racing season, but they also took us around the casino. (Tom Jicha will cover the horse part elsewhere).

Here's what I gleaned:

The Penny Slots industry has boomed, according to VP of Gaming Steve Calabro. It's also a misnomer; people like the penny machines because of the choice -- bet 25 cents here, 50 cents there, with a max of $1.80. Also, the bonuses are in play, same as on other machines.

The idea of varied betting appeals to me, not much of a slot player, because there's decisions involved. He notes that even places such as Bellagio on Las Vegas are planting more penny slots, because people like 'em.

Video Poker will be up and running by the time racing season starts, Jan. 2.

They're going to make for a better high-limit area, move the games away from the crowded area they're in now. HIs quote, on high rollers: "You look around, most places have the same games. Where you can differentiate yourself is on service."

Slots also will grow because of the state's recent allowance of linked progressive jackpots -- a bunch of machines pulling for one pile of loot -- an upgrade from the stand-alone jackpots that have been in place.

Overall, addressing reports of Gulfstream lagging: "You need to have the right stuff. The right denominations and the right themes."

And if you don't like the idea of the parking at Gulfstream -- there's construction everywhere -- they'll soon start a new feature: Lucky License plate giveaway, for those who have to park in outlying areas. Hey, lemonade from lemons, baby, lemonade from lemons...

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