Kentucky

Kentucky was hard hit during the Collapse, as thousands of homeless, Nomads, and other refugees from Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois swamped the dries in search of any refuge. Hungry mobs raided and devoured many prime horses, which in turn led to serious violence as wealthy landowners hired guards ('will shoot Frankfort Nomads for food') to protect their property. The end result was that Kentucky endured more damage than by rights it should have.

Today, Kentucky is the worst off of the Appalachian states, which, in the grand scheme of things, still puts it above most of the rest of the U.S .. Too near to the polluted Midwest for its own good, the Bluegrass State has turned in part into the 'brown grass' state as some of the mid-western acid rain fronts sweep the northern portions of the state. Furthermore, the new tunnel turnpikes in the Virginias, along with the Balsam Tunnel in North Carolina, have completely bypassed Kentucky as a way station for shipments co the rest of the country.

Curiously, it is just this economic situation that has made Kentucky a favored summer home for many of America's Corporate elite. The land prices are still relatively cheap for one of the upwardly-mobile Appalachian states, and corporate recreational communities have sprung up here and there, with homes being awarded as perks and incentives to executives. In addition, Kentucky has a claim as one of the few a areas in the world where horses are still bred, let alone raced. In this wealthy part of the country, even middle class people are able to purchase a horse of their own, if they're willing to make the sacrifice. Races are common, especially among the Corporate sectors, where the newly-inaugurated SiliCrown Sweepstakes has become as popular an event as the Triple Crown and the Kentucky Derby. (The Iron Crown, sponsored by the mining corporations operating in the mountainous areas of the state, did not fare so well, and has been canceled.)

Upson Downs
The biggest, newest, and most lavish of the Kentucky racetracks, Upson Downs is located near Louisville. It was built through grants and loans from Arasaka, EBM, TerraTech, and many other corporations. Net54 has also given a major contribution in exchange for exclusive media rights. Upson Downs is a meeting place for all the vacationing rich, most of them corporates. Here they mix and socialize, wagering thousands and occasionally millions of dollars on races. It is here that vacationing EBM corps can find that 'littie bit of eurostyle in the states.'