How do you find tracks from the past?  One of the challenges is that even when they are mentioned by town or racetrack name, you rarely get a description of the exact location.  I collect the place names that I find in primary and secondary literature, then geocode them to get a general sense of where the tracks were (that gives you points on a map).  My real aim is to find an exact location though, so next I look for maps of the area to see if I can find one that shows the track and get coordinates for its precise location.  Also, I try to distinguish between duplicate names or trace all the different names that might have been used for the same track.  And finally, I am always looking for photos or other images of the tracks and particularly of the buildings (grandstands, clubhouses, stables, etc.) on the sites.  It’s an ongoing task…if you have some information that I’m missing, please submit it to the Atlas!

You will see a notation in the atlas for each track of the first place where I’ve seen it mentioned.  Some of the main sources used include:

For the older tracks (late 1800s – c. 1990s)

• Racing almanacs
  • Goodwin’s Turf Guide (Goodwin’s)
  • Krik’s Guide to the Turf (Krik’s)
  • American Racing Manual (ARM)
  • Wallace’s Register of Trotting and Pacing (Wallace’s)
  • Trotting & Pacing Guide (T&P)

For the very old tracks (1600s – late 1800s)

• Virginia Gazette
• Maryland Gazette
• National Intelligencer
• Spirit of the Times (Spirit)
• American Turf Register and Sporting Magazine (ATRSM)