Vanderbilt Cup Races

We have the Roosevelt Raceway looking northwest from Merrick Avenue (lower right) . In this picture we can see the grandstand and track (1940 to 1956), the Test track at Old Country Road and the Meadowbrook Polo Grounds to the left center of picture. This borders the Long Island Motor Parkway to it’s south and Stewart Avenue running parallel. The round structures are the stable paddocks and I can only guess that the community of houses to the left were homes for the staff and jockeys (now part of the Meadowbrook Parkway). The airfield to the top of picture is Roosevelt Field at the corner of Clinton Ave and Old Country Road. The approximate date for the picture must be between 1940 and 1954 after the construction of the Polo Fields and before the construction of the Meadowbrook Parkway…..my particular guess would be 1940 because everything looks so new in the photograph, it may have been opening day.

From Mystery Foto #38 Solved:Roosevelt Raceway, Meadow Brook Polo Field & Roosevelt Field Updated 1/24/16

Roosevelt Field, Polo fields, LIMP Roosevelt Racetrack

From Mystery Foto #38 Solved:Roosevelt Raceway, Meadow Brook Polo Field & Roosevelt Field Updated 1/24/16

Howard - I might have already submitted a reply (falling asleep at the computer makes me wonder if I actually pressed the submit button the first time around) plus I updated some of my answers below. 

Identify the location of the aerial: Garden City

Identify the areas and structures dedicated to sporting events: Roosevelt Raceway practice and real tracks, Roosevelt Raceway Grandstand, Motor Parkway Old Country Road Bridge, Meadowbrook Polo Field

Identify the airfield in the background: Roosevelt Field

What is the housing community on the lower left corner of the aerial?
Mitchel Gardens (see documentation being sent to Howard)

What are the structures built in a circle on the right?: Stables/Paddock

Identify the major roads seen in the aerial: Motor Parkway, Old Country Road, Clinton Avenue, small section of Merrick Avenue

What is the approximate date of the aerial? Provide a rationale. 1950; new grandstand wasn’t built until 1957.  Meadowbrook Polo Club moved in 1954 due to the building of the Meadowbrook Parkway.  A 1948 photo being sent Howard does not show a row of stables. 

From Mystery Foto #38 Solved:Roosevelt Raceway, Meadow Brook Polo Field & Roosevelt Field Updated 1/24/16

The photo is looking northwest over Westbury from a position approximately over Merrick Ave. just south of Old Country Road. Sporting event areas include the Meadowbrook Club polo fields and 2 Roosevelt Raceway harness tracks (main & practice). The airfield in the background is Roosevelt Field. The community on the lower left is the military housing for Mitchel Field. The circular area on the right is the paddock circle and horse barns. Major roads include the LIMP, Old Country Road, Clinton Road and possibly the Northern State Parkway in the upper right corner. Judging by the relative completion of Roosevelt Raceway but lack of activity at the track, I believe the date is probably close to the track’s opening on Sept. 2, 1940.

From Mystery Foto #38 Solved:Roosevelt Raceway, Meadow Brook Polo Field & Roosevelt Field Updated 1/24/16

I’m gonna guess cuz that’s all I can do.

1.  western edge of Mineola LINY
2.  East Meadowbrook race track
3.  Mitchell Field http://www.airfields-freeman.com/NY/Airfields_NY_LongIs_Nassau.htm#Mitchel
4.  I got nuthin’.....Roosevelt Acres?? Said I got nuthin’.
5.  Horse stables
5.  Meadowbrook Pkwy.
6.  1937

From Mystery Foto #38 Solved:Roosevelt Raceway, Meadow Brook Polo Field & Roosevelt Field Updated 1/24/16

Identify the location of the aerial
Looking West towards Roosevelt Field/Mineola/Garden City approximately over present day Eisenhower Park
Identify the areas and structures dedicated to sporting events
Roosevelt Raceway horse track, Meadowbrook Polo Club, Intercollegiate Golf Club/Old Westbury Club
Identify the airfield in the background
Roosevelt Field
What is the housing community on the lower left corner of the aerial?
Housing for Mitchel Field
What are the structures built in a circle on the right?
Horse Paddocks for Roosevelt Field
Identify the major roads seen in the aerial
Motor Parkway, Old Country Rd, Clinton Ave
What is the approximate date of the aerial? Provide a rationale.
Mid 1940’s due to the development of Roosevelt Raceway Horse track, but long before the Meadowbrook parkway in the ‘50s.

From Mystery Foto #38 Solved:Roosevelt Raceway, Meadow Brook Polo Field & Roosevelt Field Updated 1/24/16

Oops - Glen Cove/Guinea Woods Road is Clinton Road down there!  Sam, III

From Mystery Foto #38 Solved:Roosevelt Raceway, Meadow Brook Polo Field & Roosevelt Field Updated 1/24/16

location - over southern Salisbury (today’s Eisenhower) Park on the Hempstead Plains looking LI west (compass WNW); sporting - Old Westbury Golf Club at upper left, Meadowbrook Polo Field(s - 3) to club’s lower right, Roosevelt Flying Field to upper left of dead center, Roosevelt Raceway filling lower right quadrant; and Mineola Fair lost in haze in center distance; airfield - Hazelhurst #1-cum-Roosevelt Flying Field #1-cum-Roosevelt Field; housing community - Mitchell Gardens (USN); structures built in a circle - stables for Raceway; roads - LIMP at top, just beyond Glen Cove (Guinea Woods) Road (far end of R. Field) and then diagonally across lower left, Old Country Road as right (N) boundary of both fields, Jericho Tpke. beyond OCR over LIRR tracks, No. State Pkwy at top and looping at upper right, with No, Blvd. in haze beyond that, and Raceway entrance road from LIMP at left, Whaleneck Rd., and Merrick Ave. across lower right, AND, if you could see through the haze, U. S. Rte. 1 in Westchester across the Sound; date/rationale - 1936 because first Geo. V. Cup course is there to the right of harness track.  Whew!  So, there!  Sam, III

From Mystery Foto #38 Solved:Roosevelt Raceway, Meadow Brook Polo Field & Roosevelt Field Updated 1/24/16

I’ve been searching on and off for two days and I hope I got this right,not all of it,but maybe something. Mitchell Field and Roosevelt Field in I would say 1936,but I’m not even sure about that,because there’s so many structures,that I’m not able to identify,it might be more recent than that

From Mystery Foto #38 Solved:Roosevelt Raceway, Meadow Brook Polo Field & Roosevelt Field Updated 1/24/16

My house is now located in the “circle driveway” shown in your map.  The property of the Annex now houses 4 new homes, as well as the area of the Petit Trianon property which houses 4 new homes.  I fell over this website as finding out how “Washington Avenue” got its name.  This site is so interesting!!  and once again your parents home - is up for sale!!

From New Series: An Insider's Look into the Petit Trianon in Lake Ronkonkoma Part I.

Tricky part of the Motor Pkwy where the ROW doesn’t follow the present 67 roadway. Howard, sending a current overlay.

From A 1926 Map of the Motor Parkway Acreage in Brentwood

Hi Harold:  Great research on the Mustang III and the Ford Custom Car Caravan.  I’m writing a book on the Ford Caravan, and on the companion Lincoln-Mercury Caravan of Stars.  I’d like to speak with you.  Please e-mail me at the e-mail addy:
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  and we’ll set a time for me to call you.

Thanks for your dedication to his little known, but critically important part of the history of the Ford Motor Company.

Mark S. Gustavson
Utah
_______________________________________________________________
From Howard Kroplick

Hi Mark! Thanks for the comment! You can reach me at 1-516-625-0123. Let’s talk Caravan!

From The Mustang III and the Ford Custom Car Caravan: An Interview with the King of Kustoms Gene Winfield

I will try to be there,as i was the first employee of the museum,and also raced the mercer at bridgehampton,with austie,i think in 1951.Me and Noriss Hopping brought most of the cars to the museum,from around the hamptons.

                          See you there Gene Martin

From A Special Hamptons Evening:"A Tribute to Henry Austin Clark, Jr & the Long Island Automotive Museum"

Correction:  The oval track at the middle right is the horse track, NOT auto; ditto for practice track.

From Mystery Foto #38 Solved:Roosevelt Raceway, Meadow Brook Polo Field & Roosevelt Field Updated 1/24/16

Looking northwest about 1950 at the Roosevelt Field and Raceway area.  Roosevelt Field in the top left background (airfield).  Center right is the oblong auto racetrack; to the right of that is the practice auto racetrack.  The circular structures at lower right are the horse paddock areas.  Lower left is housing at Mitchel Field. Old Country Road runs diagonally from middle right to top left, along the right side of Roosevelt Airfield.

From Mystery Foto #38 Solved:Roosevelt Raceway, Meadow Brook Polo Field & Roosevelt Field Updated 1/24/16

Belmont Park, Opened May 4, 1905?

From Mystery Foto #38 Solved:Roosevelt Raceway, Meadow Brook Polo Field & Roosevelt Field Updated 1/24/16

Howard.  You really got yourself something there,didn’t you? Good for you. You never know what you’ll get,pertaining to the Motor Parkway,when you go somewhere

From A 1926 Map of the Motor Parkway Acreage in Brentwood

From Dr. Jack Binder:

If you would take the subway toward Manhattan from Sheepshead Bay – A little distance-You would see where the spur came in on the right to the race track.(No longer there)

From Mystery Foto #37 Solved: Futurity Handicap Race at Sheepshead Bay Speedway Held on June 1, 1918

Great video,enough to catch your attention and eyes

From Willie K’s Cars #7: 1928 Lincoln Model L Town Car Built for his Wife Rosamund & A Music Video

Got a lot of responses on this one.I never knew there was a race track in Sheepshead Bay and I was brought up in Brooklyn and had family in Bay Ridge. Learning so much from from this site.If I only knew some of these things in an earlier stage of life,I would be able to answer these mysteries

From Mystery Foto #37 Solved: Futurity Handicap Race at Sheepshead Bay Speedway Held on June 1, 1918