50 years ago,in Illinois you could race harness at:
Sportsmans
Hawthorne
Maywood
Balmoral
Washington Park
Aurora Downs
Quad City Downs
Fairmount
Cahokia
Arlington raced 1 or 2 years around the time Washington Park burned down.
Add in Springfield, DuQuoin and the county fairs and the standardbred business was in full bloom.
Corrupt owners, fiscal mismanagement, and fans flocking to the riverboats have killed the sport.
I hope old man Langley and Billy Johnston are rotting in their Graves.