Sport: Proof of the American Dream

Forgotten for the moment were the prize burnt-sugar cake, the first-place parsnips, the Ferris wheel, and other folksy pleasures of the Du Quoin state fair. In this small Southern Illinois town (pop. 6,691), harness racing fans could even forget the aura of scandal that periodically haunts the sport-such as last June's scandal at Yonkers Raceway, which involved an amazingly low Exacta payoff, indicating a betting coup. But here, at the 46th running of the Hambletonian, no betting was allowed or ever had been by long tradition. The U.S.'s most prestigious race for standardbreds,...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!