Montgomery County sentinel., 1936-09-24
Laurel Plans To
Introduce New
Board At Track
Latest Innovation Will Be Seen
In Operation Saturday,
October 3

Many innovations have been intro
duced to Maryland turf fans in the
last quarter of century, and the
latest invention that should meet
with instantaneous approval will be
the showing of the positions of the
leading horses running in each race
on the new electrical results board
at Laurel Park.
This latest contribution to the turf
will be seen in operation in Maryland
for the first time on Saturday, Oc-
tober 8, when Laurel Parks opens it's
25-day meet, which will include five
Saturdays and feature nine stakes
for a total added value of $49,500.
The board is so constructed that
the numbers of the first five horses
will be shown during the progress
of the race. AS an illustration, if
No. 5 horse is first, No. 6 second
and No. third, with the rest of the
field strung out, these numbers. also
including the fourth and fifth horses,
will be reflected on the board.
If No. horse should pass No. 5,
the numbers will be changed immedi-
ately, and if No. 2 also should come
along and pass No. that change
will be shown instantaneously. By
watching the board the fans will
know just who's among the first five.
This invention was highly COM
mended by the press and fans at
Empire City during the July meet,
where it was in operation for the
first time. Edward R. Bradley, the
Kentucky Derby King" was an ar
dent admirer of the board. After
going to Saratoga, where the board
was not in use, he said to Frank j.
Brady, general manager of Laurel
Park:
''It has taken me a week to get
out of the habit of looking for in
formation which your board had CIV
en- me at Empire City. Yours is a
grand information bureau, not only
for horsemen themselves, but for the
layman as we'll"
Brady himself is enthusiastic over
the board. He said 81 would not
think of trying to operate any race
track that 1 had anything to do
without giving this information to
the people in simple, quiet and
clean way"
"There are two words connected
with racing and with no other sport,
and they are: They're Off" contin-
ued Brady, "but how much more of
ten do We hear who is that running
in front, second or coming up on the
outside, or where is my horse?"
"The majority of the people, in my
opinion, have absolutely no idea
where their horse is or how it Jared
until the numbers are flashed on the
results board. To satisfy this lack
of knowledge of what is happening,
several tracks installed the loud
speaker. Is not the written word
better? 1t always is there when and
if you want it. How often have you
heard at a track, where the loud
speaker is in use, what did he say? :?
l can't understand him"
Laurel will use the same camera
"eye" that was in operation at EN-
pire City. There will be two, one &
still and the other motion picture
camera. Both will be located on the
top of the grandstand approximately
100 feet from the inside rail, and
both will be equipped with powerful
telescope lenses. The still Gamer;
will snap the winner and the motion
picture camera not only takes the
winner, but also the entire field.
It is said that the speed of the
motion picture camera almost is un-
believable, and that it will take 18C
pictures a second, at which speed
it is possible to take picture every
two feet of horse travelling at the
rate of 40 miles per hour. In this
way the camera is able to get the
horses right on the line, or as close
as humanity possible to do so.
Finishing touches are being placed
on the new electrical results board
the same as was used at Empire
City. This board will show exactly
what all the old board did-first, Sec
on, third and fourth horses, prices
and time. In addition to that it will
show "dead heat" and the horses
that are dead heated, whether it be
e~,4 sooond or tbird. Ufo,1l claim