Horseracing and Bookies: In Baghdad!!

Foreign Policy has a great photo essay on the Baghdad Equestrian Club, where horse races are slowly starting to turn a profit:

Crowds are swelling for the twice-weekly races at the Baghdad Equestrian Club, located in a tough Sunni area of the city.

As violence decreases, the crowds are slowly growing.  And the bookies are out in force, taking bets. Horse racing, gambling, no doubt pawn shops and loan sharks cannot be far behind. Things really are getting better over there!

A bookie takes bets trackside in Baghdad, Iraq.

Check out the whole thing!