Neil Milbert

Neil Milbert is a freelance writer who covered harness racing and other sports during his 40-year career with the Chicago Tribune.

Sumptious, a 35-to-1 shot, leads the way as the 13-day Festival of Racing begins at Arlington
Park, Aug. 19, 1986. (Ed Wagner Jr./Chicago Tribune)

Forty years ago, the International Festival of Racing put Arlington Park on the world stage

August 29, 2026 at 6:00 a.m.

The end of Chicago-area horse racing this summer came 40 years after Arlington Park held the International Festival of Racing, the richest and most prestigious meeting in Illinois racing history.

Roaring Vixen, ridden by jockey Frank Reyes, rides ahead of Code of Conduct, ridden by jockey Alexander Bendezu, before Roaring Vixen wins the last race of the day at Hawthorne Race Course on July 19, 2026, in Stickney. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)

What led to horse racing’s ultimate demise in Chicagoland? Fiscal irresponsibility and mismanagement.

August 16, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

The fiscal irresponsibility and mismanagement of bankrupt Hawthorne Race Course President Tim Carey was the immediate cause of death of Chicago-area horse racing.

The rains came fast and heavy, followed by a surge of unruly fans, at the final College All-Star Game on July 23, 1976, at Soldier Field. Here, the All-Stars await word on abandoning the field. The game was eventually called off. (Phil Mascione/Chicago Tribune)

Remembering the College All-Star Game, an American football classic ended 50 years ago with a ghostwritten note

August 4, 2026 at 12:25 p.m.

Before the Super Bowl’s debut in January 1967, the College All-Star Game was the marquee event on the pro football calendar.

Dust Commander, ridden by jockey Mike Manganello, approaches the finish line to win the 1970 Kentucky Derby by 5 lengths over favorite My Dad George. (AP Photo)

Dust Commander, the 1970 Kentucky Derby champion, remains the only Illinois-bred to win a Triple Crown race

April 29, 2026 at 12:22 p.m.

Dust Commander's compelling 5-length victory as a 15-1 long shot came at a time when Illinois-breds were considered second-class citizens of American racing.

Charles Bidwill Jr., left, their mother, Violet Bidwill Wolfner, center, and Billy Bidwill, all look happy at the new Chicago Cardinal setup, which makes Charles, 23, president; Mrs. Wolfner, chairman of the board of directors; and Billy, 19, vice president, circa July 1951. The reorganization followed the resignation of Ray Bennigsen. Charles, also known as Stormy, was the youngest president in the National Football League. His father and Violet's husband, Charles “Blue Shirt Charlie” Bidwill Sr., was one of the most loved sports executives. (Chicago Tribune historical photo)

Stormy Bidwill, former Sportsman’s Park president and co-owner of NFL’s St. Louis Cardinals, dies at 97

November 7, 2025 at 4:20 p.m.

Starting in the 1960s and continuing through the mid-1990s, Stormy Bidwill’s profile as an influential sports owner was comparable to that of George Halas and Arthur and Bill Wirtz.

Mike Paradise in 2024. (courtesy of the Paradise family)

Mike Paradise, a pioneering publicist and handicapper on Chicago’s harness racing scene, dies at 83

August 4, 2025 at 5:18 p.m.

Harness racing was Mike Paradise's first love, and over a half-century, his name became synonymous with the sulky sport in Chicagoland.

Trainer D. Wayne Lukas talks to media after arriving at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore with Preakness Stakes entrant American Promise on May 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

‘Storybook life’ of accomplished horse trainer D. Wayne Lukas ends with his death at age 89

June 30, 2025 at 7:18 a.m.

D. Wayne Lukas, one of the most accomplished and influential trainers in the history of North American horse racing, has died.

Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart girls basketball coach Larry Farmer huddles with his team during a game against Rochelle Zell Jewish High School on Dec. 16, 2024, in Lake Forest. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)

Larry Farmer’s road less traveled, from a player for powerhouse UCLA to girls coach at tiny Woodlands Academy in Lake Forest

December 29, 2024 at 7:39 p.m.

Larry Farmer, 73, played for the greatest dynasty in college basketball history. Now he preaches the gospel of his iconic coach, John Wooden, to high school girls in Lake Forest.

Thoroughbred owner Frank Calabrese, far right, with longtime trainer Wayne Catalano in 2002 at Hawthorne Race Course. (Anthony Robert La Penna/for the Chicago Tribune)

Frank Calabrese, one of Chicago horse racing’s all-time greats and printing shop founder, dies at 96

November 21, 2024 at 6:00 a.m.

Frank Calabrese was one of Chicago racing’s all-time greats, a thoroughbred owner who tied for the lead in winners at Arlington International Racecourse in 2000. His 74 triumphs in 2007...

The drivers who competed in Hawthorne Race Course's 2021 inaugural Juneteenth race: (left to right) front row Freddie Patton Jr., Curtis Bradford, Archie Buford, Jamaal Denison and Cordarius Stewart; back row Cornelius Cavett, Hosea Williams, Jamaica Patton, trainer Peter Dora, Terry Skinner and Jordan Patton. (Four Footed Fotos)

How Illinois — ‘a racing family’ — stands apart from other states for Black trainers, drivers and owners

June 19, 2024 at 6:00 a.m.

The executive director of the Illinois Harness Horsemen’s Association believes the Juneteenth holiday is the perfect time to celebrate the “huge contribution” that Black trainers, drivers and owners are making...

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