Tom Young Veteran At Churchill Track: Superintendent of Mammoth Plant Rounding Out 39th Year With Organization, Daily Racing Form, 1952-05-03

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TomYoung Veteran At Churchill Track TrackSuperintendent Superintendent of Mammoth Plant Rounding Out 39th Year With Organization OrganizationCHURCHILL CHURCHILL DOWNS Louisville Ky May 2 Tom Young is rounding out his 39th year as track superintendent here at historic Churchill Downs the home of the Kentucky Derby He seems ageless and tireless and he sets a fast pace in super ¬ vising the million and one details that go into the staging of a Kentucky Derby for more than 100000 fans and this year through television to a large segment of America AmericaYoung Young and his first assistant Clifford Burke have as their first consideration the comfort of the people who come to see the race and the horses who compete competeIn In the first category come the assem ¬ bling of a large operations staff including gatemen ushers program sellers police and a setting of beauty Flowers shrubs and trees are numerous at Churchill Downs and Young a onetime horticul ¬ turist takes great pride in the mellow and colorful appearance of the Downs on Derby dayTrack day Track Crew Alone of 22 Men MenOn On the backstretch Derby starters must be cared for patrols organized and the track itself put in tiptop condition The track crew numbers some 22 men who must provide a good running surface water it properly when needed and if rain falls restore it to fast condition as soon as possi ¬ ble man here assisted by drying sunshine Every second season the track gets a new cushion of top soil to keep the footing alive Soil unless worked upon and added to has a tendency to become dead through the passage of time and the pounding of countless hoofs hoofsThe The handling of Derby day crowds with dispatch is a task that calls for great ex ¬ ecutive skill for each man in the crew must be schooled in his duties and familiar with the layout of the Downs to direct patrons to wherever they may wish to go or where their seat accommodations are located


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1950s/drf1952050301/drf1952050301_21_3
Local Identifier: drf1952050301_21_3
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800