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A few decades back, money wasn’t an issue in Nebraska’s horse racing industry. Ak-Sar-Ben in Omaha was king in the 1980s. In 1983, average attendance placed it among the top 10 tracks in the country, according to a website that aims to preserve its history.
But in 1995, Ak-Sar-Ben closed. As the years passed, horse racing faded into the background of the state’s cultural profile, though places like Fonner Park in Grand Island found a way to keep the lights on…