Feeling like buzzards feasting on a dying animal in the wild, Ben, Brad and I came to one of our favourite places in the world and

Picked Over The bones of the most beautiful RaceTrack in America

Ahhh, the agony... Ohhh the Horror... Arlington Park, our beautiful Hometown Racetrack, was closed, discarded & abandoned by Churchill Downs,

the Greediest Corporate Entity on the face of this Earth.

Now all that's left before the Wrecking Ball smashes through the Grandstand is the auctioning of the contents of this onetime Palace - so Churchill Downs can squeeze every last buck from it. These Bastards!

Poor Mr. D would be rolling in his grave at the injustice.

My sons and I were there to pick up 2 sets of treasures that are awesome. The first is the 7/8ths pole from the Mile Chute that will stand majestically in my backyard - all 13 and a half feet of it.

Right now it is lying on its side on the north side of my house awaiting some restoration and TLC. Picture of that later when I have it installed and rededicated!

I also purchased an 8 foot by 8 foot section of the Rubber Pavers from the Winners Circle - where you can see I stand among the weeds and decay of this once hallowed ground.

Red Rabbit Racing and Princess Kathy Racing visited that Winner's Circle 16 times over the years - and as Chris Block once quoted "That's A Hard Place To Get Into!" Well, Yes it is.

We were directed to pick up each of the 220 Rubber Pavers in an orderly fashion from the east side of the Winners Circle. But, in one of our little joys - we ignored the instructions and went directly to the spot in the Winners Circle where our Champions have stood and took those Pavers from there- laying waste to their orderly removal instructions - leaving a gaping hole amongst the Weeds....

So we now own the exact Pavers that Salt Syn, Pablo Del Monte, Supercede and The Great, Great Champion General Charley

stood upon as their were photographed following their Victories!

Ben And Brad set to work immediately placing these Honored Pavers on a Pallet and got the Forklit guy to whisk them away to the trailer I rented to haul away our Bounty. The 7/8ths Pole was already shoehorned into the Trailer for its last ride to our house. We packed the 220+ Pavers carefully around The Pole. What will we do with them? Stay Tuned!

Before we left, we lingered in the Winner's Circle, reflecting on the Great Times

our Family and Friends enjoyed there over the years. 'Twas the time of our lives.

We then held The Last Race on the Polytrack at Arlingon Park - a 2 Mule Match Race over a half furlong that was called by the late Phil Georgeff. Watch the video - you'll have tears in your eyes.

A Curse Upon You Churchill Downs For Killing Illinois Horse Racing!