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  Ray Walton Had it Right!     

Ladies Day

2020 Update

Balmoral Park is a one mile harness track that makes up the Chicago Harness Racing circuit along with Maywood Park. It is a gorgeous site which features a nostalgic flavor that dates back to it's roots. Walking through the facility it seems like your in a museum, with many exhibits. It's like your walking around an old time stable area complete with mahogany stables.

Balmoral started life as Lincoln Fields a thoroughbred facility. In the movie The Sting one of the grifters (Ray Walton) was playing a race caller and called a race at Lincoln Fields at the time I thought a fictional place, but he was right. Being a young know it all, I thought I knew all the tracks of the day. I just didn't know the old ones yet.

Balmoral Park is definitely a unique story what started out as a half mile thoroughbred track was eventually converted to a mile harness track it usually goes the other way. It also was a track that ran most of its dates at other Chicago tracks. The only thing consistent with other area track was that it too had a visit from Mrs. O'Learys cow.

In 2011 Balmoral ran it's usual January 1st to December 31st schedule with racing on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday it looks like Tuesday was dropped from the schedule. Marcus Miller captured the driving title.

2020 Update

You will still find horses at Balmoral, you just can't bet on them, at least not legally. The racetrack has been repurposed as an equestrian center, that features hunter/jumper compititions. It is part of HITS(couldn't find what that stands for) a nation wide show horse circuit. I have no idea if the grandstand is still there, but you got a better chance of seeing something than you will at Maywood.