view raw text
Texas Syndicate Acquires Charles Town RaceTrack Murchison, Byars in NeW Group; Report Price Over Five Million Special to Daily Racing Form CHARLES TOWN, W. Va:., May 8. — Charles Town race track, one of the nations most successful "minor" courses, has been sold to a Texas syndicate headed by Clint W. Murchison of Dallas, Billy Byars of Tyler, Don Harrington of Amarillo and O. F. Neuhaus of Mission, it was disclosed here today by Miss Emily Stanley, Jefferson County clerk. The Texas group purchased the 6 furlongs oval from Mrs. Albert J. Boyle, widow of the founder of the course, for a price reported to be in excess of ,000,000. Miss Stanley said the deed was filed in her office late Thursday. Charles Town is scheduled to open its 54-day summer meeting on July 13. The course was first opened in 1933 by the late -Albert J. Boyle and was operated by him until his death in November, 1957. On April 5, 1958, Byars reported he had concluded a deal with Mrs. Boyle to buy the track for a price reported to be between two and four million dollars. The deal was never consummated. Mrs. Boyle then leased the course to a group headed by Ben and Herman Cohen and Lou Pondfield, operators of Pimlico in Maryland, and that trio conducted two highly successful meetings. The first ran from June 6 through September 1 and the second from December 18 through February 7. Financial terms of the agreement between Mrs. Boyle and the Cohens and Pondfield were not revealed. Ben Cohen served as president of the gorup, Herman as secretary-treasurer and Pondfield, vice-president. The company was known as Charles Town, Inc. It was to this group that the West Virginia Racing Commission assigned dates for the 54-day summer meeting and the 13-day winter session scheduled to run December 16 through December 31. Under the direction of the Cohens and Pondfield, the racing strip was re-surfaced, new and larger windows were installed in the clubhouse and a new entrance was constructed on the clubhouse dining room. The track was also admitted to membership in the Thoroughbred Racing Association during their regime. Charles Town is across the road from the new Shenandoah /Downs course which is now staging its first meeting at night. Charles Town has always operated during the afternoon hours and there was no announcement as to whether there will be any shift. Murchison and Byars are prominent turfmen. They are partners in the oper£-tion of a racing stable under the name of Murcain-Byars with Wofford Cain. Murchison, active in oil in Texas, is a partner with Sid Richardson in the operation of Del Mar race track in California and was reportedly seeking to purchase Charles Town from Mr. Boyle just prior to his death. Byars, a 58-year-old native of Kentucky, is also a highly • successful oil magnate in Texas. Byars campaigned the good winner Jeans Joe a few seasons ago in his own colors. There was no announcement as to whether there will be any changes in the operating staff.
