Shepherdstown Register
Horse Racing Begins
December 7, 1933
The new rack track of the Shenandoah Jockey Club just completed at Charles Town was inaugurated last Saturday, when a crowd of three or four thousand persons were in attendance to see the racing and the new plant. Besides local people, there were many persons from Maryland, Virginia, Washington and other sections. This is the first time that legalized racing has ever been conducted in West Virginia. The Legislature last winter passed a bill allowing this form of sport and a system of betting, and Maryland race track promoters were quick to put in a track, together with a grandstand, club house, stables and all necessary equipment for carrying on the business.
The sum of $44,175 was bet on Saturday's races. Of this amount the State of West Virginia received $1,325.25 as its share of the profits. Seven races were run on Saturday. They will continue for twenty days. Saturday night the club house adjacent to the grandstand was discovered to be on fire, supposedly from defective wiring. Charles Town firemen were quickly on the scene and extinguished the blaze, which caused probably less than $1,000 damage.