The Bowie Race Track was a horse racing track located just outside the city limits of Bowie, Maryland. The one mile oval racetrack, known as Prince George's Park, was opened October 1, 1914 under the auspices of the Southern Maryland Agricultural Society. A major attraction in the area, easy access for racetrack patrons was available from the WB&A Railroad which ran trains every five minutes from the Liberty Street Station in Baltimore for which they charged 65ยข for a round-trip ticket. Admission to the grounds and grandstand was $1.00.
The track was a natural addition to the area, home to the Belair Stud Farm, founded by Samuel Ogle and credited as the "Cradle of American thoroughbred racing."
In the 1950s, Bowie Race Track was a pioneer of winter racing in the Northeastern United States. Some of the races inaugurated at the Bowie track include:
- Native Dancer Stakes
- Barbara Fritchie Handicap
- Endurance Handicap
Read more about Bowie Race Track: News Events, End of Racing
Famous quotes containing the words race and/or track:
“I’ve always wondered why European politicians as a group seemed brighter than American politicians as a group. Maybe it’s because many American politicians have the race issue to fall back on. They become lazy, suspicious of innovative ideas, and as a result American institutions atrophy.”
—Ishmael Reed (b. 1938)
“The weary sun hath made a golden set,
And by the bright track of his fiery car
Gives token of a goodly day tomorrow.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)