the kentucky derby is upon us, and slate has a couple of stories about horse racing. the one i illustrated is how betting away from the track via the internet is cheaper, easier, and even pays better. this benefit to the bettor, however, comes at the expense of smaller tracks and betting lifestyle:

As a writer, I also have to mourn the decline of the racetrack culture. The track and its characters—misfits, losers, and dreamers every one of us—provided the casts for Charles Bukowski's Longshot Pomes for Broke Players, Damon Runyon's Guys and Dolls, and Jay Cronley's Good Vibes, which became the movie Let It Ride.

slate: why doesn't anybody go to the horse races?, by ted mcclelland (cover)

Labels: illustration, slate.com