8,654 Attend Inaugural Shenandoah Downs Card: Gov. Underwood Like New Plant; Sand Boy Takes Features Sprint, Daily Racing Form, 1959-05-04

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8,654 Attend Inaugural Shenandoah Downs Card Gov. Underwood Like New Plant; Sand Boy Takes Features Sprint SHENANDOAH DOWNS, Charles Town, W. Va., May 2. — A perfect opening is the description for Friday nights nine-race program which saw this new modern plant get its 62 -night meeting underway. Perfect weather conditions prevailed and a crowd of 8,654 viewed the racing which was presented on a smooth schedule with no delays or incidents marring the evening. The enthusiastic crowd wagered a total of 43,-179 and general manager Robert G. Leavitt expressed complete satisfaction with the opening. - Cecil H. Underwood, governor of West Virginia, and a large party arrived early in the evening for a reception and buffet dinner in his honor. He chose to* be seated in the grandstand box section and spent much of the evening touring the large plant, greeting friends and viewing the program. On his visit to the press-box, Gov. Underwood was asked his views of the race track and he remarked: "Shenandoah Downs is indeed a beautiful and well planned track and the management is to be highly commended. It represents an investment of approximately ,000,000 and it will certainly serve as a keynote to attracting many visitors to our state. I consider the track a great asset to West Virginia asides from the large amount of revenue it will bring." Underwood presented a huge trophy to George W. Parker, owner of Sand Boy who romped to a four-length victory in the featured ,000 Governors Purse. It was the eighth race and drew six allowance grade starters going 6 furlongs. Strongly backed in the wagering-Sand Boy, led throughout, and gave jockey Joseph Servis his third winner of the evening. He paid .60 after racing the distance in 1 : 1345 over the oval termed good. Second was W. T. Leather -burys Eastern Hobo, who finished two lengths to the good of Peter Vischers Arch Rival. • i i


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1950s/drf1959050401/drf1959050401_6_4
Local Identifier: drf1959050401_6_4
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800