SPARTA, Ky. - Jerry Carroll is a gambler. But he's no sucker.

Beyond the ponies he likes to play at the track and the blackjack he enjoys at casinos, Northern Kentucky's žber-developer has made lots of smart bets - and millions of dollars - over the years by being ahead of the next big thing.

In the 1970s he developed hundreds of thousands of square feet of commercial and office real estate in and around Nashville. In the early 1980s Carroll bought a broken down Florence racetrack and created Turfway Park, a thoroughbred-racing showplace.

In the 1990s he got into the auto racing game and turned 1,000 acres of Gallatin County farm land into the Kentucky Speedway. At just four years old, it is already the host of three nationally televised races.

Carroll is now focused on two new conquests:

• Landing a NASCAR Nextel Cup (formerly Winston Cup) race for the speedway.

• Persuading state lawmakers and Kentucky voters to legalize gambling so he can develop a Las Vegas style mega-entertainment casino, preferably on or near Northern Kentucky's riverfront.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Ernie Fletcher pledged last week to help Carroll with the former.

But has he also committed to assisting with the latter?

Last Thursday, in the speedway's media room, Fletcher and his lieutenant governor running mate, Steve Pence, committed to spending state cash and their own political capital in helping Carroll bring a Nextel Cup race to Gallatin County.

In return, Carroll and famed retired racecar driver Darrell Waltrip, a Kentucky native and speedway consultant, endorsed the Fletcher/Pence team.

"I'm a big believer in a can-do man," Carroll said. Carroll says having Fletcher's administration on board with the speedway's plans will make a difference in getting that Nextel Cup race. It certainly can't hurt.

But by pledging to help the speedway get roads that are already planned and tax breaks that have already been granted but just need to be extended, Fletcher didn't exactly take the biggest political lead in history. Why wouldn't a gubernatorial candidate or sitting governor back a big generator of tourism dollars like the Kentucky Speedway?

Which led to speculation that Fletcher and Carroll's political marriage has more to do with gambling than racing.

Both denied they have had any "detailed" talks about gambling. Fletcher continues to maintain that he is morally opposed to gambling and it should be up to the voters of Kentucky if they want casinos, video slots at thoroughbred racetracks or a combination of both.

Carroll had been hedging his bets in the governor's race, giving campaign cash to Fletcher as well as his Democratic opponent, Ben Chandler, who has been far more vocal than Fletcher in supporting casino gambling.

But Carroll showed his hand by backing Fletcher. He firmly believes the Republican is going to win on Nov. 4.

So will Fletcher come around after the election, provided he wins, and get more forcefully behind Carroll's push for casinos? The smart money says yes.

E-mail pcrowley@enquirer.com.