grounded flyboy
Service Attendant
I really enjoy riding trains. I really enjoy watching the thoroughbreds race... they are majestic animals and they love to run. I try to combine these two passions. Most who read this on this board don't need a further appreciation for trains but maybe a few will enjoy learning about communities where the ponies run.
At the end of Feb I left my home in southern Illinois and boarded the Saluki (390). The train originates in Carbondale so it generally departs on time, as it did this day. This is a corridor service, therefore, it is coach service and a small business class area at one end of the cafe car. We were delayed slightly for freight traffic (twice) between Rantoul and Kankakee. Arrived Chicago Union Station about 45 minutes late. This is a 310 mile run... 5.5 hours... 27 bucks... a good deal by my standards.
Chicago has two thoroughbred tracks. Hawthorne Race Course is the one open for a winter meeting. The next morning I walked the couple of blocks to the Clinton Blue Line for about a thirty minute ride out to Cicero/ Forest Park. From there I switched to the southbound #54 bus for a 15 minute ride to Hawthorne.
Hawthorne had a full slate of 10 races for this day (25 Feb). I grabbed a corned beef sandwich (race courses are second only to baseball for good snacks) and settled in for a good day of races. The Daily Double is an exotic bet that combines the winner of the first and second race for a nice payoff. The marketing issue is to entice folks to get to the track for the first race. On this day Sweet Chi Town won the first race... couldn't help but bet on that one although odds were very low. So I was in good shape... had the first half of the DD in the bag. The second race went to a 10 to 1 shot, regretfully not one I selected. Two dollars returned $45.80 which would be an exciting start to the day.
After the races I caught the #54 northbound bus and reversed my course back to Union Station. I was only able to spend one day at Hawthorne this trip. Had to catch the Wolverine to Ann Arbor for a family get together.
Next chapter... April trip on the Texas Eagle to Oaklawn Park.
At the end of Feb I left my home in southern Illinois and boarded the Saluki (390). The train originates in Carbondale so it generally departs on time, as it did this day. This is a corridor service, therefore, it is coach service and a small business class area at one end of the cafe car. We were delayed slightly for freight traffic (twice) between Rantoul and Kankakee. Arrived Chicago Union Station about 45 minutes late. This is a 310 mile run... 5.5 hours... 27 bucks... a good deal by my standards.
Chicago has two thoroughbred tracks. Hawthorne Race Course is the one open for a winter meeting. The next morning I walked the couple of blocks to the Clinton Blue Line for about a thirty minute ride out to Cicero/ Forest Park. From there I switched to the southbound #54 bus for a 15 minute ride to Hawthorne.
Hawthorne had a full slate of 10 races for this day (25 Feb). I grabbed a corned beef sandwich (race courses are second only to baseball for good snacks) and settled in for a good day of races. The Daily Double is an exotic bet that combines the winner of the first and second race for a nice payoff. The marketing issue is to entice folks to get to the track for the first race. On this day Sweet Chi Town won the first race... couldn't help but bet on that one although odds were very low. So I was in good shape... had the first half of the DD in the bag. The second race went to a 10 to 1 shot, regretfully not one I selected. Two dollars returned $45.80 which would be an exciting start to the day.
After the races I caught the #54 northbound bus and reversed my course back to Union Station. I was only able to spend one day at Hawthorne this trip. Had to catch the Wolverine to Ann Arbor for a family get together.
Next chapter... April trip on the Texas Eagle to Oaklawn Park.
