On this day in 1920, a mechanical lure, described in the press as the "automatic rabbit" was first used in greyhound racing. The modern greyhound racing industry emerged in its recognizable form---circular or oval tracks---with the invention of the mechanical, or artificial, hare in 1912 by American, Owen Patrick Smith. Smith had altruistic aims for the industry to stop the killing of the jackrabbits and see "greyhound racing as we see horse racing". In 1919, Smith opened the first professional dog-racing track with stands in Emeryville, California. This arena was torn down to make way for a modern racetrack.
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