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