Aurora Downs/ Washington Park

[GOAT]

Does anyone remember going to Aurora Downs/Washington Park in the Chicagoland  area?

[Meadow Ford]

That was a great era of IL. racing.
Aurora Downs an old run down half mile track. Raced in the dead of winter. Race on ice Saturday night and then mud Sunday afternoon.
I had a real nice horse that is going to make his first PM start. I had won some county fair races with him.
He is in where I think he can win. I wait till the blacksmith is just about done putting new shoes on him.
I tell the blacksmith
"I think I can win with this horse. Instead of paying you now lets split the purse check 50/50". He drops the leg and is mad as hell. Proceeds to tell me "NO WAY BUDDY"
"If you can't pay get the hell out of here". Now I had to pay him before he would finish.
The horse won easy. So now I go back in and tell him how much money he could have made.
He says " You weren't really going to make that deal were you"? 
I say "Hell no I was just putting you on".
We became good friends for a lot of years.
Good Days at Aurora.

[Meadow Ford]

Washington Park
A big mile tbred track with thirty or so big barns.
A big track kitchen that was always busy.
Afternoon card games and pool games. Always something going on. I use to love to watch Connel (Snake) Willis shoot pool.
I went to Washington Park with a one horse stable.
After a couple starts he was claimed by Jesse Willis. Nelson and Connel Willis's brother.
When I took the papers in Bob Larry asked what I was going to do now.
I said " I am going to go home, watch the corn grow, race some fairs, and come back next year with a bigger trailer"!

[GOAT]

My father use to bribe me into getting a haircut then take me to Washington Park. I had a distant relative that owned a harness turf supply business on the backstretch.

[Meadow Ford]

AH The Harness Shop.
Back in the day the harness shop had that great smell of new leather. A great smell!
Also a good source of right on inside betting info and gossip.
Today it has the no smell of plastic.