County, State Fairs Cut Back Harness Racing in Illinois

DUQUOIN, Ill. (AP) — The decline of harness racing in Illinois continues as several county fairs and both state fairs reduce the number of racing days this summer.

The (Carbondale) Southern Illinoisan reports that the Union County Fair is reducing what had been two days of harness racing to just one. Trainer Ron Knupp of Marion says the Williamson County Fair plans a similar reduction.

The Du Quoin State Fair will have two days of harness racing instead of three this year. And the Illinois State Fair in Springfield is cutting its harness racing days to four.

Knupp says the state’s budget crisis has contributed to a “dismal situation for everybody involved in harness racing.”

The Balmoral and Maywood Park harness racing tracks in the Chicago area have both filed for bankruptcy.

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