Founding
The property was first leased in 1939 by a group of investors (Old Country Trotting Association) led by George Morton Levy with the intention of opening a harness racing track. However, unlike previous incarnations of the sport, Levy's track would race at night, with single heat races, in an attempt to bring the "hick sport" to the populous Long Island area. With World War II in progress, attendance and profit were minimal in the first few years. The track opened September 2, 1940 with a crowd of 5000 which bet a total of $40,742 and saw the first race won by the horse "Martha Lee".
Read more about this topic: Roosevelt Raceway (harness Racing)
Famous quotes containing the word founding:
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