Oh the memories of sat night's gone by

[NIATROSS]

adws do have their advantges but watching the action from poconos brings back some great memories.
they may not have been the best horses in training but the sat nite racing at spk was worth the trip !
even the sat nite's in the winter at haw were 
despite being closer for me the balmoral races when changed to the mile just do not do it for me

[Just Saying]

I have great memories of racing at Spk, and the thrill of being in that special winners circle at the racing home of some of the best horses in the world. I thought it couldn't get any better than that. Hal and I were waxing nostalgic about those days when we were at Spfld last Thursday.

We even got around to discussing what a sweet pair of individuals Phil & Doc were when we raced there. I noticed Doc's $20,000 hair plugs fell out... bless his heart.

[pope of vegas]

  Sportsmans ,in the 70s, on a Saturday night was the BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Grandstands were full.  If you sat on the bench seats you had to have someone save your seat for you while you were betting.
  As you walked into either the grandstand or clubhouse the blast of air conditioning was very welcome.As you approached the grandstand the Green sheet tout was hawking his picks. LOL  Always had a great night last night.
   You would look at the group of drivers watching the races from atop the paddock. The open air paddock was a great place to see all kinds of practical jokes. Busse, Banks,Hamilton, Magee(a lil later),Curran,O'Brien,Dennis,Plechers,were the stars.
   I've got so many memories of SPK ............I really miss that place. I guess thats what happens to greedy people. 

[pope of vegas]

   Shaky Lou holding your horses head in the winners circle. Rosie standing just outside of the winners circle wearing one of her "hoochie" outfits.
   The many grooms that were racetrack characters. Rabbit,Dirty Dick,Red cap,Bomber,Junior,Shaky, Josh, all had their stories.

[Just Saying]

I shipped a horse in to race one night and he popped a quarter crack and was dead lame so I was going to scratch him. Somebody told me to get Dirty Dick to patch it, so I asked the guard shack to page him, but I didn't know his real name. The Spk PA announcer paged for "Dirty Dick" to go to my location. He patched the crack in no time and the horse won. I tipped him another $50 and he said, "That won't last long!" and headed for the tavern.
 

[careless hal]

Remember the blind guy selling pencils by the grandstand entrance?  He made a ton!  Had some great payouts there Remember Roman Empire paying over $100 .  Had some pretty heated discussions with some of the drivers by the paddock!

[MichiganDale]

No doubt about it, Sportsman's was the best.....but for some of us older gent's the memories go back a bit further.....mine began at the grand old lady on Halsted Street, Washington Park.....the brightly lit nightime sky, the tree lined Halsted Street, the back entrance off of Ashland, walking past the IC Train that parked right behind the grandstand extrance, the "Twin Touble", "Big Q", the new and unusual "Trifecta" on the final race, the huge crowds on Saturday nights and the "Spotlight" races in which the horses would post parade as the lights dimmed and each trotter or pacer would pass through the Spotlight near the finish line, the voice of Phil Georgeff, the clubhouse dining room with its dress code and if you didn't have a sport coat and tie they'd provide one, the rental binoculars, the massive wood grandstand that was dry and just waiting for a fire (!), the cyclone fence outside between the grandsand and clubhouse, paddock judge Frank Pennino, starter Bud Burns, the stands selling Green Sheets and Red Sheets among other handicapping 'tools,' 'Scott's Prime Rib' restaurant just to the north of the track, - yes it was all great stuff and great memories that led up to the appreciation for what Sportsman's Park was.

[careless hal]

Dale, it took me several years to atted another harness race after Washigton Park went up in flames. Saw my fiirst race there in1963 .  Remember the Sulky Club reastaurant  a bit South on Halsted?  I often was  at Washington Park 3-4  times a week  during the  60's and early 70's

[NIATROSS]

from the stories i heard from friends i wish had had a chance to go to washington park.i did not attend any race until the mid 70's

[MichiganDale]

Dale, it took me several years to atted another harness race after Washigton Park went up in flames. Saw my fiirst race there in1963 .  Remember the Sulky Club reastaurant  a bit South on Halsted?  I often was  at Washington Park 3-4  times a week  during the  60's and early 70's

  Sure do remember the Sulky Club, Hal!   South of the track on the west side of the street....actually was first introduced to Lobster Tail at the Sulky Club - another of the many restaurants that burned down!   .......and yes, Niatross, being the sulky fan you are, you would have enjoyed it there.

[pope of vegas]

  It seems that I remember a gigantic pic of Citation and I think Swaps also ,when you first entered the Washington park Grandstand.  Am I right??

   Also seem to remember Rambling Willie racing there in a maiden or Nw2 in a SS sulky.

[MichiganDale]

  It seems that I remember a gigantic pic of Citation and I think Swaps also ,when you first entered the Washington park Grandstand.  Am I right??

   Also seem to remember Rambling Willie racing there in a maiden or Nw2 in a SS sulky.

Not sure I recall the Pic of Citation but it could have been.....Swaps and Nashua met in their famous match race in the mid-50's there and I recall vaguely something about that particularly since I was actually there in the crowd as a kid with my dad....

Rambling Willie - you are correct, Pope!   Willie, with Jim Curran driving, did race at Washington Park in the early stages of his career!

[The Skipper]

When Sportsmans put that car track in I knew it was over, I probably did not miss 10 nights at that track

from when I was 4 years old. Greed is a terrible thing, I thoroughly enjoyed my LBJ trip and my trips to

M1 for the pace but nothing compares to sportmans park. Does anyone recall the clock hamburger stand

that was near Washington park ? I was at the original Aurora Downs the last Saturday night they were

open and the very next day was the last Sunday for Washington Park. Ahhhh the memories  :'(

[Just Saying]

I didn't get around to actually racing in Chicago area until 1989, mostly due to being married to a woman who hated horse racing. 12 years and 2 kids into the marriage she said that I would never own another horse and be married to her. I chose door #1 and have been grateful for that deal ever since.

I never got to Washington Park or Aurora Downs before their closing, but did have the thrill of Sportsman. I absolutely loved racing there.

My brother once raced in a short harness meet at Arlington Park , but I never did. His assessment of the Arlington meet: "I went broke and had to borrow toll money to leave."

 

[pope of vegas]

  That Arlington meet (1976) was brutally COLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!