G. Rollie White Downs was an American horse racing track located in Brady, McCulloch County, Texas.
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History
The first races were held in 1926 during the annual Jublilee celebration. The 3/8 mile oval race track served the Jubilee until it was destroyed by a tornado in June 1945. About three years later, the track moved a half mile southwest of Richards Park to land donated to the city by Brady philanthropist, G. Rollie White.
The original track got part of its initial grandstands from the Arlington Downs, a historic landmark that was Texas' first pari-mutuel race track. That portion of the grandstands were razed in 1958 when the stands were enlarged. American Quarterhorse racing was a popular event in the 1970s and 80s, but declined in popularity over the years and the track closed.
Parimutuel Wagering
The track reopened in 1989 when local investors formed an association after the Texas Legislature approved it was legal to bet on the horses. The remodeled facilities became known as G. Rollie White Downs. After acquiring a Parimutuel betting track license, the first "legal" horse racing began in Texas. The first event drew more than 10,000 fans with TV stations from around the state filling the parking lot. Attendance quickly dropped with the closest large city being San Angelo 75 miles away. The track closed in December 1989, less than three months after reopening.