California Town Celebrates Seabiscuit Legacy with Mural
       By: Magna Entertainment Corp.
Posted: 2007-04-05 05:36:14
Magna Entertainment Corp. (MEC) unveiled Wednesday a mural painted by Northern California artist Sandra Hoover that memorializes the magical legacy of the 1930s famous thoroughbred racehorse, Seabiscuit.

For the past two months, Hoover has been working diligently on the mural that celebrates the history of thoroughbred racing in California and Dixon, where the first California horse race was held in 1886.

Hoover says she was directly influenced to paint this mural by her impressions of the people and places in Dixon and by her love of horses.

"This was an engaging project that provided me an opportunity to capture the power and grace of these incredible equine athletes, visually celebrating a sporting partnership that has endured for thousands of years," said Hoover.

While painting has been her primary focus since graduating from Sacramento State University in 1991, Hoover works in most media outlets and has completed both painted and sculptural public art projects for the California cities of Vacaville and Sacramento.

This particular artwork in Dixon called "Celebration" is a full color mural painted on marine ply wood that stands 8 feet by 30 feet and is mounted and displayed in downtown Dixon, a town located 20 miles west of Sacramento along Interstate 80.

The unveiling marks the last campaign event before an April 17 election that will determine the fate of Dixon Downs, the proposed 260-acre thoroughbred horseracing and family entertainment center to be built in Dixon.

"Sandra approached us (MEC) three months ago expressing her desire to paint a piece that would embody the beauty and grace of horses and suggested the approach of using Seabiscuit. We thought it was a great idea," said Dennis Mills, vice chairman, MEC board of directors.

"Seabiscuit was the legendary symbol that gave Americans hope during the Great Depression. This amazing horse went from an unlikely champion to becoming a winner. To have this symbol in Dixon represents the excitement and passion of horseracing, and the possibility of Dixon rejoining this American legacy," added Mills.
Trackback url: https://press.abc-directory.com/press/1307