Milford chronicle., 1961-04-28
Brandywine Raceway
Plans Development

WINE hdCcWdy OIIlCldia W thti iSh
the rapid development of harness
racing interest in the Delmarva re-
gion have been heavily accelerated
this year through a conscientious
program of far-reaching physical
modernization.
Under the guidance of President
Howard Miller. great strides have
been taken to provide the harness
racing fan excellent facilities for
the create njoymnt of tn boom
ing sport which hold sway at
Brandywine starting July 7th for
60 nights.
A vastly enlarged grandstant
with the gloss of impeccable beauty
now is under constructor at cost
of $2,000,000 (two-million dollars) !.
A crowning achievement to the my
riad other fine improvements which
have made Bradnywine one of the
nations top three night harness
tracks, the grandstand looms as a
masterpiece of architectural design
somn to offer the ultimate in con-
yenience for patron enjoyment and
mobility.
It's designed to provide approx
mately fifty per cent more seating
capacity which, added to former
facilities, will enable Brandywine
to accommodate comfortable 22,-
900 patrons. And because of its de-
sign increasing the area under COW
er by two-hundred percent, the
grandstand will accommodate 10,-
900 indoors in inelement weather.
The enormous structure features
three levels for wagering, ground
mezzanine and upper Two sets of
newly-installed escalators vii
transport fans from the ground lev
ell to the mezzanine. These are in
addition TO four new sets of stair
ways leading from the ground lev
ell to the mezzanine and two sets
of stairways from the mezzanine to
the upper level.
The mutuel windows themselves
vastly increased in number, have
| been redesigned to resemble bank
teller windows and more effectively
placed for speeder service to the
bettors. On the ground level, fans
will find the mutuel windows sit.
uated in a wide "island" effect.
The overall dimensions of the
newly-enlarged grandstand are 32t
feet long by 230 feet deep. A hun
dred feet was added to the rear oi
the existing structure and 100 fee
was added at the far end.
Stadium style seats are being in
stalled as one of the many luxury
features for grandstand goers.
| Perhaps the most striking aspect
of the entire modernization under
taking is the cleaning new facade
which Brandywine fans will see be
fore anything else as they approach
the huge plant. It's of blue anC
white porcelainized panels set IN !
parquet pattern.
Embracing his guiding task witt
great ardor, President Miller hai
left no stone unturned in the es
tablishment of a grandstand are;
/ par excellence. 1t also will featurs
I q 1dAG1tA
ia, to be catered by Harry NJ. Stew
ems. Inc. beautifully HANDICAPPED
rest areas; and ultra-modern res
rooms.
The cafeteria. 100 feet by 40 feet
has been constructed on the grouns
level and is on the entrance sid,
of the building (rear of track, al
will be all food and beverage con
cessions.
The huge parking lot, which lov
can handle 5000 autos. has beer
given the "light treatment" Will
installation of sparkling new ill
uminating poles throughout t h I
area. And to facilitate pedestrian
traffic from the parking lot to th'
| grandstand area, a special overpasi
| is being built A new underpdss
for vehicular traffic. also lis beinl
constructed this year at the grand
| stand end
The preferred parking area fol
clubhouse patrons is being enlarg
ed.
Brandywine for years has beer
renowned as a "Horseman's para
disc. The cascade of improvements
this season further enhances .ha'
paradise with the refurbishing o
the horsemen's and grooms' loung
es. built several years ago. the addi
tion of stall space bringing Brandy
vices capacity up to S03 from th'
original SIS in 1858, the year tn,
track opened, the installation o
new lighting on the track Itself
and further improvements to boil
the main half mile oval and th'
half mile training track.
The Brandywine course. one o
the fastest in the nation, was skirt
/ ed in the amazing time of 1:5S.'
last year by the Adios Butler Syn
dicate's 100000 PAGER, Adios Butle
which became Harness Horse o
The Year" in 1860. The year oit
/ son of the great sire Adios turned
| the trick i'm winning Brandywine'
lucrative $4,000 Liberty Bell Free
I FOR All Pace.
| The track, which is designed TO
/ all weather racing, has proven Il
be one of the best of its type il
the world With "all weather fans
attesting to its superexcellence, tn,
Brandywine course was the seem
for the only racing on the entir'
East Coast last Fall when the fur
ious Hurricane Donna caused tn,
shutdown of every other majo
Il track, as we'll as other major out
door sporting arenas where events
were scheduled.
Not single race has been can
celled in three years at Brandy
/ wine due to the elements playing
1,o -. ,.,fkl. &l.- 49,