The Sahara Hotel (est 1957) started the trend of hosting racing events with prizes for the winners of the event. In the past year the Sahara has been hosting a number of races at Thunderbird Downs just a short shuttle ride south of the city. Thunderbird Downs started off as just horse racing; the ever present need for additional Las Vegas flare led the venue to host races for other animals– including camels. Camels aren’t found naturally in North America and people have speculated where they obtained such a large number of them. Rumors of the source of these vary from importing through smugglers and the mob to making purchases under the pretense of being a zoo.
It’s hard to tell what consistently draws crowds to the Thunderbird day after day. It might be the rumors surrounding how the camels were obtained, the strange gait of the camels as they run around the track, or just the chance to make money from the races (always a good draw), people have been flocking to it since it started. With the events being hosted by the Sahara, they are seen as opulent grandiose events to be attended in one’s best attire. Some treat it as a way to show off the latest fashion trends while others treat it as an affair just short of black tie.
The races run on four different Circuits based on a number of factors. The beginner circuit “No Rain”, followed by “Hot by Day”, then “Blazing Sands”, and last the top circuit the “Atomic Circuit”. Moving up through the ranks in these circuits are how the contestants in the races gain fame for both the camels and the jockeys. The Atomic Circuit favorite “Spitting Mad” and his jockey Tommy “Hopper” Benton tends to favor races in the early afternoon, just before the sun hits its peak in the sky. Through an up and comer “Flapping Feet” and his jockey Peter Fairway may be a contender for a new favorite if they are able to move up to the Blazing Sands Circuit. They need a few more wins to make the move. “Pepper Nose” and Samuel “Nobby” Deter hold the top spot in the Blazing Sands and would be quite the upset to see them moves out of that position. Things are getting hot (no pun intended) at the Thunderbird Downs.
While tours of the stables are available at certain times of day, typically when races aren’t being run. There is some presence of security about the place that don’t seem to wear the proper uniforms. They can often be seen in the area after someone has just won a big bet on the races. Could this be related to the corruption of the mob? Is it due to some government conspiracy? Are they there from the IRS as tax collectors?