Harness Racing at Hazel Park

What an exciting scene last night at the Hazel Park Raceway. Friday nights are dollar nights, meaning hotdogs are a dollar and beers are two bucks. No parking fees and no entry fees make it a pretty inexpensive and fun venue to watch harness racing. Couple that with perfect weather and race lovers hit the trifecta. The race track has been in use here since 1953, making this their 60th anniversary.  There are only a few more nights to enjoy live racing (they end September 2), but simulcasting takes place every day--that's where they broadcast races from everywhere else, 362 days a year. We stood right at the barrier and could almost touch the horses as they trotted by.  With the gigantic moon last night, it was heavenly.

Currier and Ives at Hazel Park Race Track

Tomorrow is the last day in 2012 for live racing at the Hazel Park Race Track. There is also a special exhibit of Currier and Ives lithographs on loan from the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame. Trotting was born in Goshen, NY.  Today the sport is known as harness racing and its horses are standardbreds.  The exciting story of its starts and its heros is celebrated in this brilliant new exhibit dedicated to "the first great American pastime".