The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-09-15
BANGTAILS SOON
TO Be RUNNING
Buena Vista Meeting Promises
Much in the Way of
Good Sport.
VIEW is TRUE TO NAME
LOCATION OF TRACK IDEAL AND
SPEED PROMISED.

Within a few days the bangtails viii
face the barrier for the opening of the
new Buena Vista race course. Five hun
dred of the fastest horses in the western
country viii be at the uock waiting the
opportunity to compete in the races. There
are only one or two other meetings IN the
United States that conflict with this one
so that many of the fast ones have come
to salt Lake for the fan meeting
The opening of the new mile track viii
be the first real thoroughbred racing over
a mile track i'm the state. The track is so
perfect that no excuse may be made lot
any horse failing to do his best. On halI-
mile tracks horses used to running on
mile tracks find difficulty in keeping
their stride and the form Is often upset
on the mile tracks however, they run
much more consistent TO form
With the OUcning of the new Bueua
Vista park Saturday another new racing
park is added to the turf and IL IS one
that is second TO nine in scenic beauty
and in racing efficiency. Some twenty
years ago the Buena Vista track was IlrsU
built at great expense. A beautiful esq
shaped track was constructed out OF ndld
black dirt and silt. Each turn was
banked high and wide, long stretches con-
strUcted.
was the amusement ground of thousands
of race horse fans. Most of the races
then held on the track were harness
races 1t was the starting point of the
on the track beat his previous record
Then the lace track changed hands ana
was finally forgotten The grand STAND
and stalls We're torn down and hauleu
away There was not a board left. The
property changed hands and the racing
was forgotten When racing was revived
no one thought of the old track and IL
had not been used for sixteen years.
Mile Track Planned.
Following the meeting in Salt Lake last
aTH-H En-
plan to build a mile track for the fail
meeting. The officers of the club searched
an over the country for an available To-
cation for a racing park. There was so
much ground required that a good loca-
tion was difficult to find. Finally some
one recalled the old BuCna Vista track.
Manager W. W. Finn and others went out
10 look for the track, but it was so over
grown with grass and SagebruSh that
they were unable to locate IT, At near
by farmhouse the oldest inhabitant in the
neighbOrhOOd located the track Tor them.
So thick was the vegetation that II was
only when they came almost on top of
the track that they were able TO dIStiu-
guiSh il. The thick growth of grass had
preserved the track from being washed
away by rain. The beautiful foundation
cushion that had assisted so materially in
establishing such fast time was still there
improved with age.
The task of making the waste Of sage
brush and salt grass into a beautiful rae
ms park was a difficult one. The ground
was purchased by the Utah Jockey club
from the Adams estate. The first work
was on the track. Tt was plOwed up, har-
TOWed, SCTaped and rolled and soon it
was III better shape than most of the
tracks which had been I'm constant use
Artesian wells We're driven and a large
flow OF water secured. From one of these
wells was secured the already famous
"Bueua Vista lthia water" This water
has sulphur I'm solution and is particularly
reIished by the horses at the track.
There Is not am elevation i'm the BUena
Vista track. It's wide. long stretches and
lngly good time The home stretch is $
feet wide and a quarter of a mile from
the entrance to the stretch to the Wire
There is an excellent drain to the track,
so that IL viii never be slow, even I'm the
rain. The ground is % feet higher than
the state fair grounds and twelve feet
higher than the Temple grounds.
The grand stand faces the east. look
ing across over the level track, over the
roofs of Salt Lake % the snOw-Capped
peaks of the Wasatch, which form "a
beautiful oval background for the park.
The grand stand has been firmly built
and VIII comfortably seat $500 people. on
the grounds refreshmaut stands. booths
and stables have been built The Salt
Lake Route trains which viii carry the
people from Salt Lake to- the Bueua Vista
park viii run direct to- the grand stand.
The Utah Jockey club is composed of
Salt Lake men who have made a perma-
nent investment of S5pol0 at the new park
Ihey propose to conduct fail meeting
Tor thirty days beginning next SATURDAY.
with an lnLermisSIou during state fan
week. Already the first weeks program
has been announced with liberal purses
for the fast horses. From the personnel
of the officials of the meeting and th-
is every indication that the fan mecting
Will De n pronounced success