One year we had guests put $5 in a hat, but they could each pick who they wanted. We figured it was closer to how actual wagering works than having them draw random names. The winnings got divided between the people who picked correctly. And the winners still ended up with much better odds than at the track.
The NY Post/Daily News usually do visually appealing spreads on the field- full color of the jockey silks. I put those out for the guests to peruse.
Also highly recommend asking GPK to send you his picks and print that out for the guests. Not only did he write a hilarious email, he also gave out the winner.
