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Van Zandt in First Year at Randall RandallTo To Serve as Race Secretary At Meet Opening July 2 Has Same Post at Mexico City CityRANDALL RANDALL PARK North Randall Ohio June 22 Luther Henderson Van Zandt as the newly appointed racing secretary for the 44day Randall Park meeting has cleared away the imaginary cobwebs of his offices at the race track and is well started in his operations to ready the plant for its inaugural program on July 2 He is presently the main factor of a skeleton crew consisting of himself and Bryan Steele who will serve as a placing judge during the forthcoming meeting meetingVan Van Zandt as racing secretary at the Hipodromo de las Americas left there with the conclusion of that 102day meeting June 6 and has been steadily progressing in his preliminary duties here since his arrival June 15 Van Zandt is unique perhaps better titled as outstanding in his role as racing secretary He is one of the youngest men in the country to hold such a position being 34 years of age and has done unheralded wonders as the turfs foremost ambassador of goodwill with our Latin American neighbor Mexico MexicoHe He was appointed racing secretary at the Hipodromo de las Americas in 1946 and since then has traveled several thousands of miles in the interest of publicity and missionary work for that association associationGets Gets Acquainted With Horsemen HorsemenThe The Randall Park Racing Association selected as racing secretary a man who is one of the most capable in the field and well liked by horsemen Van Zandt listens to all complaints attentively reasons with the horseman who has a grievance and tries to pass judgment fairly and impar ¬ tially He makes it a point to become per ¬ sonally acquainted with each and every horseman on the grounds supplemented by a morning trip to the barns where he comes in contact with the grooms and ex ¬ ercise boys as well wellAlthough Although this is the first season for Van Zandt to fill the role of racing secretary for the Randall Park meeting he is well acquainted in this sector having filled a similar position for the adjacent Thistle Downs race track for three years before becoming affiliated with the Hipodromo de las Americas AmericasHis His first race track job was in the con ¬ struction department serving Frank Kelly who was building Arlington Downs near Van Zandts hometown of Fort Worth Texas Before becoming associated with racing he acquired a liberal education having studied at Texas Christian Univer ¬ sity the Business Institute in Detroit and the University of Michigan where he was enrolled in the study of law lawAs As a foundation to his present job Van Zandt served in various secretarial capaci ¬ ties at Arlington Downs and the Detroit Fair Grounds where he was given his first official position as a placing judge and an assistant to the racing secretary After several similar jobs he became racing sec ¬ retary himself at Thistle Downs River Downs Fort Steuben and Fairmount Park The latter named track he served until the cessation of racing there last fall
