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Race Track On Holmes Rd. & South Main St.


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HAIF user @blue92mentioned a race track on Holmes Road and South Main. I had to see for myself!

Looks to be located near present-day 11333 Cliffwood Drive near Greenwillow Street, backing up to South Main Street. The tracks seem to have grown over with grass in 1944 and 1953.  In 1973, you can see the Willowbend neighborhood taking shape.

You can actually see two oval tracks. There is a small track within the larger oval track.

Anyone know anything about this? An amazing find!!

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I can see the Jake Freedman Domain Privee Casino & Residences located at (modern day 11620 South Main Street.)  The 2nd picture is pretty clear.  The casino was located on Old Main Street Loop Road.  Follow the road west. It looks like OMSLR crosses over the train tracks. From there OMSLR seems to probably connect to the oval track and then ends along South Main.

I was thinking this had to do with the Domain Privee Casino & Residences. Did Jake Freedman also have a race track? He probably had horse stables on the ranch-style property he owned. Maybe this oval track was where his horse (or automobile) gambling racing took place?

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It is known Jake Freedman took interest in horses and owned racing horses. I believe one horse of his was named Liberty Sand.

Can we confirm this race track was apart of the Domain Privee Casino & Residences?

The Denison Press dated August 14, 1941:

Texas horses continue to win- of course on far-away tracks against the fastest of competition. Great Occasion, 2-year old owned by Strouble and Collins of Corsicana was close to track record at Washington Park in winning all the way. Lolschem cam home first for R. R. Greennee of Dallas at Rockingham Park in a race for older horses at the same track, Liberty Sand (Jake Freedman, Houston, owner) was winner in another event for older horses--

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The Baytown Sun dated June 13, 1953:

Jake Freeman, the Texas oilman, gambling impresario and horse owner, Jake mentioned that he might start up a fancy inn and gambling hell in Vegas. "If you do," Jack told him "count me in." And Jake did and Jack was always.

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  • 2 months later...

I'm afraid the key to finding this race track is the railroads.  I am not familiar with all the railroads so it may be a lost cause on my part. 

There is also State Highway 3 which could lead to details about the race track but I'm also unfamiliar with State Highway 3.  Think it was an earlier name for Almeda, or Highway 90?  Need to read my emails from a fellow HAIF historian. 

In all.. there are 2, maybe 3 railroads at this intersection. There is also that strange State Highway 3 somewhere around the area.  Someone do some research and find this obscure race track!!

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  • 2 weeks later...

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