Chicago's Horse Racing Venues

Book excerpt: The popularity of horse racing in Chicago has yet to be rivaled in any other metropolitan area. Since the 1800s, the Windy Citys enthusiasm for both harness and Thoroughbred racing led to 10 major racetracks being built in the Chicago area. Four of those racewaysBalmoral, Maywood, Hawthorne, and Arlingtonare still racing and thriving today. From Washington Park, Lincoln Fields, and Worth Raceway on the citys South Side, to the Near West Side venues of Hawthorne Race Course and Sportsmans Park, to Arlington Parks northwest locale and Aurora Downs to the west, Chicagos racing community has enjoyed a long and sometimes scandalous history. Chicagos Horse Racing Venues provides insight into Chicagos rich racing history and a behind-the-scenes look at the people and horses involved.