Churchill Downs Inc. | Horse Racing Free Tips

Arlington Million Renamed Mister D Stakes, To Be Run For $600,000 On Aug. 14

The Thoroughbred Daily News reports that the Grade 1 Arlington Million has been renamed as the “Mister D Stakes” in honor of longtime Arlington Park owner Dick Duchossois, who turns 100 years old in 2021. The Grade 1 Mister D will be run over 1 1/4 miles on the turf on Aug. 14, for a purse of $600,000.

Also to be held on Aug. 14 are the G1 Beverly D. Stakes ($400,000) and the G1 Bruce D. Stakes (formerly the Secretariat, worth $300,000).

In 2020, the Arlington Million and all stakes races at the track were scrapped due to uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Churchill Downs, Inc., the owner of Arlington Park, announced plans to sell the property for development in February, but added that the sale wouldn't affect the 2021 racing season.

The 2021 season is scheduled to consist of 68 racing programs from April 30 through Sept. 25.

Read more at the Thoroughbred Daily News.

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Construction To Resume At Turfway Park; Churchill Hotel Plans Remain On Hold

During Thursday's conference call with investors, Churchill Downs, Inc. CEO Bill Carstanjen revealed that construction of a new grandstand and Historical Horse Racing venue will resume at Turfway Park in Florence, Ky., reports bloodhorse.com.

Construction had been halted due to uncertainty over the future of Historical Horse Racing in the state of Kentucky, but on Feb. 22 Gov. Andy Beshear signed legislation that specifically includes HHR under the state's definition of pari-mutuel wagering.

“We anticipate spending approximately $145 million in project capital to finish building this premier facility,” Carstanjen said of Turfway. “And that will deliver approximately 800 construction jobs and 400 full-time permanent jobs in the Northern Kentucky area, as well as revitalize the Kentucky winter Thoroughbred racing circuit.”

However, construction on a hotel on the Churchill Downs property in Louisville, Ky. remains on hold as the company reviews revised plans for the project.

ITHA Statement: Illinois Horsemen ‘Appalled By Churchill’s Contempt For Live Racing’

The following statement is from the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association in response to a press release from Churchill Downs Inc. saying the company will attempt to sell Arlington Park for development and relocate its racing license elsewhere in Illinois.

Illinois thoroughbred owners and trainers appreciate the opportunity to race this year at Arlington Park, a world-class track, but are disappointed that Churchill Downs will renege on its longstanding promise to preserve and grow jobs in Illinois racing while also serving the best interests of Illinois taxpayers.

Churchill spent two decades lobbying Illinois lawmakers for the authority to develop a casino at Arlington. But since purchasing the majority stake in the nearby Rivers Casino, Churchill has all but abandoned any meaningful commitment to Illinois racing. Churchill abruptly reversed course, deep-sixed that Arlington development plan, and instead devoted itself to ensuring that Arlington could not become a gaming competitor to Rivers.

Churchill's anticompetitive behavior was so brazen, in fact, that its CEO publicly dismissed the prospect that racing might continue at Arlington under another owner and insisted the property would “have a higher and better purpose for something else.” Even in its statement today, Churchill obviously is disingenuous when it claims that it will move the Arlington racing license to elsewhere in Illinois.

“The license is not Churchill's to move,” said Mike Campbell, ITHA president. “Moreover, the notion that a seasoned gaming operator would relocate a racing license away from a state of the art, modern racing facility near the heart of the Chicago metropolitan region to some yet-to-be-determined location is absurd. Churchill is just trying to obfuscate from the fact that it cares only about maximizing profit and will gladly sacrifice the spirit of Illinois law and the livelihood of working Illinoisans to serve its greed.”

The Illinois gaming expansion law was intended to boost overnight purses and otherwise invigorate thoroughbred horse racing in this state for the purpose of creating jobs, sparking economic opportunity and diversifying the tax base for the state and local communities. Illinois owners and trainers are appalled by Churchill's contempt for live racing and the working men and women, from backstretch workers to breeders, who have devoted themselves to Illinois racing and who depend on racing opportunities and overnight purses to support themselves and their families.

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Hunter Rankin Named Churchill Downs’ Senior Director Of Racing

Churchill Downs Incorporated announced Tuesday that Hunter Rankin has been hired as Senior Director of Racing for the Company. The role was recently vacated following Mike Ziegler's promotion to General Manager of Churchill Downs Racetrack in December 2020.

As CDI's Senior Director of Racing, Rankin will act as a representative and liaison to the U.S. Thoroughbred racing and breeding industry and champion Company initiatives aimed at supporting and enhancing the racing and breeding landscape. He will focus on the implementation of standards and processes outlined in the Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Act (“HISA”) across all of the Company's racing properties while representing CDI's interests as an advocate for important issues and policies within the racing and breeding industry.

“Hunter brings to this role a breadth of relationships he has developed with key stakeholder groups within the racing and breeding industries,” said Bill Mudd, President and Chief Operating Officer of CDI. “His keen familiarity with HISA will help lead the Company and its racing assets into a successful future within a continuously-changing and evolving industry.”

Prior to this role, Rankin was the President of Sagamore Farm where he oversaw all farm and Sagamore Racing operations while also building Sagamore Farm as a hospitality asset. He previously served as Executive Vice President of Sagamore Development (now known as Weller Development) and as a Partner at Sterling Thompson Company where he managed commercial insurance profiles for large real estate, construction and equine businesses.

Rankin holds a bachelor's degree in public relations from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and is the son of R. Alex Rankin, chairman of the board of Churchill Downs Inc.

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