Without the scratch to mount a "McChump in Exile" tour this year to get the hell away from Sportsman's Park, it was either visit Sportsman's in March and April, or go without racing entirely. The latter wasn't really a viable option, so I held my nose and went on in.
There are good things to be said about Sportsman's.
First, it is the best simulcast facility in Chicago, bar none. Second, the concessions are also the best and cheapest of the three Chicago tracks. Third, customer service is great.
Tragically, the place just SUCKS! as a place to watch live racing. It is pretty damn sad when one goes to visit the live races and ends up sitting inside at a carrel watching on TV the races taking place just outside because it is so damn inconvenient to do all the stuff you need to do on a live racing day like visiting the paddock and the track and the windows and so on. It's like a 50 mile hike all day long, and then when you finally get out there, huffing and puffing from all your running around, you can't see a damn thing anyhow. Sucks, sucks, sucks.
They cannot bring on the consolidation of Hawthorne and Sportsman's fast enough to suit me. Pfui!