New Orleans Tracks Being Rebuilt: Both Fair Grounds and Jefferson Park to Be Greatly Improved for Next Winters Racing., Daily Racing Form, 1919-04-10

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NEW ORLEANS TRACKS BEING REBUILT Both Fair Grounds and Jefferson Park to Be Greatly Improved for Next Winters Racing XEW ORLEAXS La April 9 Cartloads of oyster shells cinders and river sand daily are being hauled into the Fair Grounds and work has started on filling low spots throughout the tracf In a few days when enough material has been hauled the job of rebuilding the track proper will be gone at thoroughly and for the rest of the summer the task of draining filling and generally straightening up tiitTuiitire plant will nevoiTtiiliifcd It practically has been decided that the heed of drainage new stables and a rebuilt track over ¬ shadows the need of a grandstand and there there ¬ fore will be no attempt made to erect a new stand this year Workmen have been busy clearing up the wreck of the old stand destroyed by fire and as soon as all the trash is moved away the steel will be sold and removed removedEfforts Efforts will be devoted throughout the summer toward making the grounds damaged to a great ex ¬ tent by the fire and the building operations which followed more attractive Cartload after cartload of cinders will be spread over all roads rcditching will raise these roads so they will be well drained and sanitary conveniences will be installed through ¬ out the plant plantWork Work on the new barns will not commence until next fall it being useless to erect them at this time and have them stand idle a mark for fire all summer long It is planned to put up at least a dozen small barns and a half dozen large ones Plans have been drawn and submitted and only are waiting to be approved approvedSUMMER SUMMER WORK ON COURSE The track will be well taken care of next stun ¬ ner and there will be no occasion to knife it up as it was done just before the last meeting started It was believed at the time that the hard oiled surface which was left by automobile races several years ago and which for several years was covered with inches of loose sand was what held the water on the track But after cutting up this surface it was learned the track developed regular sink holes in spots and nothing but a long season of settling could remedy that thatThe The suggestion has been made that inasmuch as the finishing line will remain where it was for the meeting past a chute be built on the backstretch to ermit of threequarter mile races This probably will lx done Such a chute would be a valuable addition to the track as it would give sprinters a full five sixteenths of a mile straightaway before they hit the first turn Then when the starting line was moved back to its old place where it was before the fire six and a half furlongs races could be put on occasionally to break the monotony monotonyRebuilding Rebuilding of the track will be rushed right through it being necessary that the resurfacing set several mouths in advance of the return of the thor ¬ oughbreds oughbredsContracts Contracts for the rebuilding remodeling and re grading of Jefferson Parks race track have been let by manager Anthony Rouprich Work will start there within the next week weekCare Care has been taken since the close of Jefferson Parks snring meeting to see that no grass grew over the course The entire trouble with Jefferson Iark last year was the result of weeds and grass growing on the track throughout the summer and leaving big holes when removed removedManager Manager Rouprich intends to see that the track is given as careful attention next summer as it would be during a race meeting When the grading contractor returns it finished a crew of men will be kept at work on it by the racing association


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1910s/drf1919041001/drf1919041001_1_6
Local Identifier: drf1919041001_1_6
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800