It is a bit of a gamble. Monmouth Park is set to run for just 51 days this year and there will be 10 days of turf racing at the Meadowlands after that. New Jersey-breds do run for good money. At the 2023 Monmouth meet, the purse for a New Jersey-bred maiden race was $72,000. But with so few opportunities for Jersey-breds to run in restricted state-bred races, it's a constant struggle for the New Jersey breeding industry to convince people to breed in the state.

“I know breeding is important to people in this state,” Hall said. “It's just a matter of finding a way to get all the pieces to fit together.”

Could Max Player be one of those pieces?

In 1987, when there was year-round racing in the state, the New Jersey foal crop numbered 1,075. In 2023, it was all the way down to 110. Nine stallions stood in the state in 2023. The hope for Max Player is that his status as a Grade I winner will set him apart from the rest and that he will be the first choice among breeders and owners who remain interested in the New Jersey program.

Max Player is the first Grade I winner to stand in the state since 2004, the last year Evening Kris, the winner of the 1988 GI Jerome H., stood at Walnford Stud.

“Any time you bring a Grade I winner to your state it is a big deal, especially here because we have not had many,” said Mike Campbell, the executive director of the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association of New Jersey. “It shows that George Hall and his partners have faith, not only in New Jersey racing, but also New Jersey breeding. We're happy he's here and hope he does well.”

Max Player had talent, but what he lacked was consistency. In just his third career start, he won the GIII Withers S. during the COVID year of 2020. He then ran third in both the GI Belmont S. and the GI Travers S. before finishing fifth in the GI Kentucky Derby, run in September because of the pandemic. It was more of the same when he finished off the board in the GI Preakness S. and, the following year, the Saudi Cup and the GIII Pimlico Special.

And then he turned into a star, at least for two months. He won the 2021 GII Suburban S. by a neck over G1 Dubai World Cup winner Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper) and came back two months later to win the Gold Cup over 2020 Gold Cup winner Happy Saver (Super Saver) in his next start.

“Winning a Grade I, especially one at Saratoga, is very tough,” Hall said. “You know you're going to be facing the best competition. To win that race, it was an amazing experience.”

After the Gold Cup win, Max Player again finished out of the money in his next four starts. His final appearance on the racetrack came in a Feb. 25, 2023 allowance race at Oaklawn in which he lost his action and had to be vanned off the track.

He was sent to Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington after the Oaklawn race and was treated for an infection. He then spent time at Spy Coast Farm in Lexington for rehabilitation, and made a full recovery.

It was already too late for the 2023 breeding season, so Hall took a step back while deciding what to do. In the end, he owned a farm in New Jersey and thought there was an opening in the state for a Grade I-winning stallion.

“In terms of New Jersey, New Jersey-breds get bonuses and I have the farm here,” Hall said. “If I didn't have the farm, we probably wouldn't be here. It was pretty easy to just bring him up here and stand him here. If a stallion farm in Kentucky said they really wanted Max and were going to support him, I would have considered that. In the absence of that, I wanted to bring him up here. Hopefully, New Jersey breeding will get better now that Max is here and, hopefully, some other strong sires will come to New Jersey.”

Max Player's stud fee is $5,000, which, Hall hopes, people will come to realize is a bargain.

“He's got a Grade I, two thirds in Grade I races, he won graded stakes as 3-year-old and as a 4-year-old,” Hall said. “And the Grade I's were not run of the mill Grade I's. They are some of the biggest races on the calendar. That's our pitch.”

Hall's goal is for Max Player to attract 25 mares this year, a number he believes will increase once his foals hit the track and find some success.

“If he hits a home run, we will keep him in New Jersey,” Hall said. “That would be great and would mean more mares will come into the state. I'm not going to move him. He's here. It would be great if New Jersey racing and breeding could advance because of Max.”

The post Max Player Brings a Touch of Class to New Jersey Breeding Program appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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“How are we going to do? I can tell you more Wednesday when we draw the first card,” said Racing Secretary Al Plever. “But I think were going to be OK.”

The Hawthorne spring meet consists of 34 days and runs through June 25. When Arlington was running, racing would shift there in the summer before returning to Hawthorne in the fall. That gave horsemen a seven-month racing season that consisted of 118 days last year. But Hawthorne won't be running a summer meet because it must also host two harness racing meets each year. That means that there will be no Thoroughbred racing in the Chicago area for the bulk of the summer, from June 26 until a 30-day fall meet begins Sept. 23.

The fear was that the gap in the summer would lead to an exodus out of Illinois, with horsemen choosing a circuit where there were more racing opportunities and they wouldn't have to pack their bags in the summer.

“At the end of June, we're all going to have to leave,” said trainer Mike Campbell, the former president of the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association. “The problem we are all facing having to leave our homes. I will not live in my home here for more than four months a year. That's a problem. Everybody is in same boat.”

But Plever said only a handful of Illinois regulars have left and that stalwarts like Larry Rivelli, who will have 80 horses at Hawthorne, have remained loyal. Most have found a place to call home during the summer. The best fit appears to be Canterbury Park. The Minnesota track will have 65 days of live  racing, beginning May 18 and ending Sept. 17. In an effort to attract Chicago horsemen, Canterbury has put together a bonus package for Illinois-based horses. A thoroughbred starter that raced in Illinois in 2021 or 2022 but has not previously started at Canterbury will be eligible for a $1,000 bonus in their first start of the 2022 season.

“It will be a little different this year because people used to be able to stay here pretty much all year and now we have a couple of months where they are in limbo,” said Hawthorne Assistant General Manager John Walsh. “They can go to Canterbury, which is a great track that has turf racing When they're done there they can come back in the fall and I think we will also have some sort of bonus program for horses coming in from Canterbury. I haven't heard of too many people who are staying away.”

Campbell said he will spend the summer at Colonial Downs and knows of other trainers who will be doing to Indiana Grand, Prairie Meadows and the Ohio racetracks.

One of the reasons horsemen are committing to Hawthorne is that a sizable purse increase will be ushered in this year. At about $120,000 a day in 2021, Hawthorne had among the smallest purses in the sport. This year, the simulcasting money bet off-season in Illinois does not have to shared with Arlington and the horsemen have also secured a one-year subsidy from the state. Plever said purses will average about $190,000 a day this year with purses for maiden special weight races increasing from $22,000 to $40,000.

Walsh also believes a later start–Hawthorne typically opened about a month earlier–will help.

“We might get off to a bit of a slow start but I think that by May we will be 40 to 50 percent better off than we have been at some of the past spring meets,” Walsh said. “We're going to have more turf racing. Weather-wise, we're sure to have some decent days in May and June. When you're running in March and April there can be rain or even snow and you're hard pressed to even get on the turf course. I think we will do much, much better and the signal will look better with some green grass instead of everything being just gray.”

But there will be challenges. Thoroughbreds used to be able to train at Hawthorne when it was shut down in the winter, but, because of the harness meet, which didn't end until March 20, that wasn't possible. With the track not opening for training until Monday, five days before opening day, there will be a number of horses who aren't yet ready to go. Plever said that of Monday there were 400 horses on the grounds and he expected another 200 to 300 would arrive by Saturday. That may not seem like a lot, but Hawthorne, throughout April, will race just two days a week, on Saturdays and Sundays.

In the longer term, Hawthorne should be just fine. A casino is in the works and the added money should yield a generous hike in purses. There is also the hope that a new harness track will be built somewhere in Illinois, which would mean that Hawthorne could go back to running Thoroughbreds only.

“This meet, it is the start of something,” Walsh said. “Once the casino opens up that will really energize things. We have a time line now. In time, these purses here are going to go through the roof.”

The post Cautious Optimism in Illinois Racing appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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All terms won in this election are for three years of service. The election results follow:

ITHA President
Chris Block, who challenged incumbent Mike Campbell in the race for ITHA president, won the race with 62 percent of the vote. Campbell has served as president since 2008. Block begins his service on Jan 1.

Three Trainer-Director Positions
Patti Miller, Tony Mitchell and Tom Swearingen each won election to seats on the ITHA Board. Swearingen currently serves on the ITHA Board; Miller and Mitchell will begin their service on Jan. 1.

Manny Perez, who has served on the ITHA Board since 2012, was unsuccessful in his bid for a new term.

Two Owner-Only Director Positions
Tom Fedro Sr. and Steve Holland, who each ran unopposed, won new terms on the ITHA Board.

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And while horsemen's groups for both breeds expressed gratitude for Hawthorne stepping up to implement a crammed-and-jammed, year-long race calendar that will be unprecedented in Illinois racing, representatives of the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (ITHA) said during the Sept. 23 meeting that the new arrangement isn't a viable long-term solution.

“Right now, on the Thoroughbred side, we're going to be going from 120 race days this year to 76 next year,” said David McCaffrey, the ITHA's executive director. “You always are reluctant to say we're at rock bottom because it maybe can get worse. But a second track in Chicago is so important for both breeds.

“And with Arlington's absence next year, we're seeing the importance of that second track play out. Because both breeds are having to share Hawthorne,” McCaffrey continued. “Hawthorne's having to turn their track [composition] over four times. One breed's going to be there for three months. Another breed's going to be kicked out for three months [for racing and training]. And then it's going to start all over again the latter part of the year. The importance of a two-track system in northern Illinois cannot be overstated.”

Half a century ago, greater Chicago had five competing tracks sharing Thoroughbred and Standardbred meets. Washington Park closed in 1977. Sportsman's Park briefly switched to auto racing in 2003 before being demolished. Maywood Park and Balmoral Park both shuttered in 2015.

In February of this year, Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI), Arlington's corporate owner, announced an industry-devastating intention to close and sell Arlington. Although at least one known bidder in the sales process has stated an intention to keep Arlington alive for Thoroughbred racing, CDI long ago telegraphed its intention to sell the property for “non-horse racing” purposes, ostensibly so a new owner won't be able to compete with CDI's existing and proposed Chicago casinos.

On Thursday, for the fifth consecutive IRB meeting since CDI declared that Arlington would be snuffed out, nine of the 10 commissioners continued to maintain an astounding silence about the prospect of losing the state's most opulent and historic Thoroughbred venue.

The lone exception, once again, was commissioner Alan Henry, who, as he has at past IRB meetings, spoke passionately for about five minutes on what the loss of Arlington means for the sport in Illinois.

“I will tell you, frankly, that it dismays me to have to vote in favor of the 2022 racing dates that were reluctantly put before us today,” Henry said. “I'm well aware that it was the least-bad option. I also know that if this becomes the new normal in Illinois, we're on the road to the suffocation of an entire industry.

“The fault for this calendar, most of it, belongs to CDI. Their decision to permanently close Arlington Park, then to not apply for 2022 racing as a placeholder–even while one of the groups still alive in the bidding process wants to keep the track open–

has been a masterwork of corporate single-mindedness.”

Henry implored fellow commissioners to remember CDI's harmful actions if and when the gaming corporation ever comes before the IRB again to try and make a pitch for another racing license for a different track. He described CDI's decision to abandon Arlington as “a brutal clear-cut for the entire sport.”

Henry also urged fellow commissioners to “get in font” of another near-term problem involving CDI that he sees looming on the horizon: even after Arlington closes, it will still be generating revenue from advance-deposit wagering and off-track betting until Dec. 31. Normally, the portion of that revenue that goes to bolster the ITHA purse account would simply carry over into the next calendar year.

“But because there's no racing at Arlington next year, this issue now is what happens to that money, which is estimated to be about $800,000,” Henry said.

“I believe CDI should be brought in, under oath if need be, to confirm that they will live up to their obligation to deliver those funds to the [horsemen's purse account] in a timely fashion,” Henry said. “To insist on anything less would be a mistake, particularly given CDI's occasional talk about building a new track elsewhere in the state in some future year where it might say they would use those funds.”

ITHA president Michael Campbell tried to put a positive spin on the near-term deal to race at Hawthorne. But he added that the racing community can't ignore the bigger picture.

“We're excited about the [Hawthorne] racino being finally built out. It's a dream come true, particularly given the fact that for 20 years we've worked on this,” Campbell said. “And of course, our deep disappointment is that Arlington chose–or CDI chose–not to take advantage of [building its own racino].

“So we'll move forward into the future. I wish I could be as optimistic as [Hawthorne officials are],” Campbell said. “You know, we've got a lot of circumstances to overcome, including a divided schedule, a shared racetrack, the inability to train part of the year…

“It's great to talk about the future,” Campbell summed up. “But having said that, when's it going to happen? What can we rely on? What can we tell these people that are breeding these horses? What can we tell the people that own these horses? Because now, with Arlington's demise–or supposed demise, anyway–where does that leave us?”

McCaffrey supplied some breeding statistics to hammer home Campbell's point, noting that 15 years ago, Illinois annually produced about 2,400 Thoroughbreds.

By 2019, McCaffrey said, that number had plummeted to 420.

“It's like an 85% decrease in the amount of foals being produced. And the reason is that there's such a murky future, and has been for 20 years,” McCaffrey said.

Thoroughbreds in 2022 will race at Hawthorne between Apr. 2 and 30 on a two-day weekly schedule (Saturdays and Sundays). Between May 1 and June 24, that schedule gets bumped up to three days by adding Fridays, plus a stand-alone Thursday card on June 23.

In the fall, Thoroughbreds will race at Hawthorne on the three-day Friday-Sunday schedule between Sept. 23 and Dec. 31 (Christmas Eve and Day both dark).

Around and in between that dates structure, Hawthorne will conduct seasonal winter/spring and summer harness meets totaling 75 dates.

FanDuel Sportsbook and Horse Racing (known for 95 years as Fairmount Park before a corporate rebranding this year), is some 350 miles southwest of Chicago and is not considered part of the state's northern circuit. It will race 61 programs in 2022 between Apr. 19 and Sept. 24. The weekly schedule will be Tuesdays and Saturdays until June 12, with Fridays added thereafter.

The post As Arlington Closes, Hawthorne To Shoulder ’22 Dual-Breed Dates Burden appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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On the racetrack, it figures to be a quiet afternoon. At the same track that has played host to Secretariat, Citation, Dr. Fager, John Henry and has been the site of the Grade I Arlington Million, the sport's first ever $1-million race, and a Breeders' Cup, the richest races of the day will be a pair of $40,000 allowance races.

“The mood here is one of  sheer depression,” said trainer Mike Campbell, who is the president of the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association. “This is as ugly as it gets. Churchill is so tone deaf that they are actually going to have fireworks on Saturday night after the races. More so than anything, that shows how tone deaf they are.”

The beginning of the end began in September 2019 when Churchill Downs declined to apply for a casino license for Arlington. The company committed to only two more years of racing at the suburban Chicago track.

That stunned horsemen, who had been led to believe that Churchill was on board when it came to opening a casino at Arlington, which would have guaranteed the track's future. Conventional wisdom is that Churchill does not want a casino at Arlington because it would compete with a highly successful gaming facility it owns in nearby Des Plaines, Illinois. The next step was Churchill announcing that the track was being put up for sale. The list of potential buyers includes a partnership led by former Arlington president Roy Arnold that wants to preserve racing, but it appears highly unlikely Churchill will sell to that group.

“It's corporate greed. That's all it is,” said trainer Michele Boyce, who has two entered for Saturday. “Churchill is obviously worried about making money for their shareholders, which they have done a very good job of.  Somewhere along the line, though, you've got to have a little bit of compassion too, for history and for people and for the traditions a place like Arlington has. To see racing in Chicago reduced to basically nothing is downright cruel.”

“Churchill Downs wants to own casinos,” said leading trainer Larry Rivelli. “It's a lot more lucrative to own a casino than a racetrack. It's just unfortunate because they had the opportunity to open a casino here and they passed on it. That's why everyone is so angry. They lobbied for it for 20 years and in the end they said no.”

Thoroughbred racing moves to Hawthorne Oct. 8, the first day of a meet that will run through Dec. 27. Hawthorne has been given the green light to build a casino and is in no danger of closing. The problem is that it is the only racing facility left in the Chicago area and is required to divide its dates between Thoroughbred and Standardbred racing. There will be two Thoroughbred meets at Hawthorne next year, one that covers April, May and June and another that will be held in October, November and December. The Standardbreds will have the July, August and September dates, leaving a huge hole in the thoroughbred racing schedule.

For Rivelli, that's not a huge problem. He has a large stable and plenty of quality horses. He plans on having a division next year in Kentucky. But there are plenty of Illinois-based trainers who don't have the quality or quantity to pull something like that off.

“There are trainers here who are just sick about what is happening,” Campbell said. “There has been a gamut of emotions. I've got people who don't know how they are going to make a living. They don't know where they are going to go. The majority of the horsemen here are local guys who don't really have the quality to go somewhere else. They don't have that many options. We have trainers and owners here who are just ready to give up. This is going to take a terrible toll on the ranks of horse ownership.”

Boyce has already decided to move her operation to Indiana Grand. She will ship to Hawthorne on occasion, but says the truncated racing season next year in Illinois does not work for her. She doesn't see how a circuit can possibly make it when there is no racing during three keys months of the summer.

“It's not going to work until they can open up a new harness track,” she said. “I'm ready to sell my home and go elsewhere. The only thing that will save Illinois racing is if they can create a situation where both breeds can have their own track and have what they need. It's not shaping up that way right now. With the way things are, it's very hard to see a future in Illinois racing.”

Campbell and the horsemen have worked tirelessly to find a solution for Illinois's racing's problems. He said he is holding out some hope, only because the Arnold bid has yet to be formally rejected. But he's practical enough to know that there is very little hope and that 94 years after it opened Arlington is done.

When Arlington opened on Oct. 13, 1927, the Daily Herald called it “America's Greatest Race Course.” The weather was cold and the wind was biting but 20,000 fans showed up that day to welcome in Chicago's newest racetrack. The crowd was there to celebrate. That won't be the case Saturday. You don't celebrate at a funeral.

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Campbell helped organize the consortium led by Arnold, and revealed that there have been three rounds of bidding since Churchill's initial June 15 deadline. Arnold has increased his offer several times, Campbell said.

“They have the ability to close immediately, which nobody else does. And they have a plan for the future of racing in Illinois that I think is just remarkable,” Campbell said during the ITHA's annual general membership meeting, held virtually on Saturday. “We think it's nice now. Just wait. If we can get Churchill Downs to say yes, you will have a world-class venue for horse racing like no other.”

Read more at the Chicago Daily-Herald.

The post Arlington: Former President’s Racing Preservation Bid Reported To Be One Of Three Finalists appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Continuing their campaign to sabotage future gaming opportunities at Arlington Park, track executives are refusing to apply with the Illinois Racing Board for race dates in 2022.

Arlington officials are well aware of interest from other parties in continuing racing at the state's flagship racing facility, as at least one group of investors has publicly disclosed its plan to purchase Arlington and continue live racing there. But if Arlington does not apply for 2022 dates by tomorrow, thereby preserving an avenue for a future owner of the track to pursue racing, then any new owner of the track will not have the option of racing there next year.

Under Illinois law, a dates application for the next year must be filed by Aug. 1. With Aug. 1 falling on a Sunday this year, the deadline moves up to Friday, July 30 – the last IRB business day before Aug. 1.

“Churchill Downs is writing the book on bad faith, so this latest move is disappointing but not surprising,” said Mike Campbell, president of the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association.

Since 2018, when it announced its intent to purchase its ownership interest in Rivers Casino, Arlington owner Churchill has devoted itself to eliminating the threat of competition that gaming at Arlington might pose to nearby Rivers. Churchill refused to apply for a license to develop Arlington as a racino, even though its lobbyists had spent two decades lobbying Illinois lawmakers for that privilege, and then insisted it would sell the track to another entity that would use the property for a purpose “higher and better” than horse racing.

In February, Arlington Heights Mayor Thomas Hayes told ABC7/WLS-TV in Chicago: “I think it's clear why [Churchill] did not choose to open a casino at the racetrack property – because it would directly compete with their majority interest in the Rivers Casino.”

ITHA President Campbell added: “Churchill's commitment to stopping any gaming at Arlington from competing with Rivers is the worst kept secret in Illinois. Company executives have practically contorted themselves to explain and justify their anti-competitive behavior while carefully avoiding any acknowledgment that their true motive appears to be eliminating the threat of competition from Arlington.”

With at least one group of reputable and credible investors poised to purchase Arlington to continue horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering – the highest and best purpose, without question, for one of the finest racing venues in North America – Arlington President Tony Petrillo told a local media outlet that Arlington has a racing dates application in its possession but probably will not file it.

“It's clear that Churchill Downs cares exclusively about corporate profit and that all other considerations are incidental,” Campbell said. “All we can do in this case is hope that Churchill will recognize the utility, for the sake of its interest in selling Arlington Park to the most capable bidder, of filing the dates application to preserve the possibility of future racing at the track.”

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The Illinois attorney general's office has been urged to investigate whether Churchill Downs Inc. committed state or federal antitrust violations when it took a series of steps to preclude casino gaming and diminish pari-mutuel wagering at a site in close proximity to its Rivers Casino in Des Plaines, Ill.

Churchill spent two decades pursuing the authority to operate a casino at the Arlington Park racetrack in Arlington Heights, but, after purchasing the majority stake in Rivers, maneuvered to end gaming at the nearby track. Churchill abruptly abandoned its Arlington casino plan and, in moving to sell the property, insisted the site's future use would be “higher and better” than horse racing – effectively ending the continuation of meaningful pari-mutuel wagering activity. All the while, Churchill executives were careful in their public comments to avoid stipulating any motive on their part to suppress competition facing Rivers, their highly successful casino.

Also established is that Churchill contradicted the intent of a 2019 Illinois law that authorized a casino license for Arlington – the privilege that Churchill had sought before purchasing its stake in Rivers. Churchill's decision to forgo the option to open a casino at Arlington surprised Illinois elected officials who backed the 2019 law; the Arlington casino was intended by state officials to generate new tax revenue for the state and local governments, boost pari-mutuel wagering, enhance the racing program at the track, and create scores of new racing-related jobs.

But unclear is whether Churchill's steps rose to violations of state or federal antitrust laws. In a letter to the Illinois attorney general's office, Mike Campbell, president of the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, described a pattern of deceit by Churchill executives and argued that the publicly available evidence supports the launch of an antitrust investigation.

“Churchill executives evidently engaged in a campaign to block current and future gaming scenarios at Arlington while telegraphing messages to deflect public attention from its actual intent: shielding Rivers from a major gaming competitor in close proximity,” Campbell wrote in the letter, which also was forwarded to the U.S. Justice Department. A PDF of the letter is available here.

Arlington is just a 12-mile drive from Rivers; a reinvigorated horse racing program at Arlington, particularly as part of a casino entertainment complex, would become the closest major gaming competitor to Rivers. In February, Arlington Heights Mayor Thomas Hayes told ABC7/WLS-TV in Chicago what others had privately concluded. “I think it's clear why they did not choose to open a casino at the racetrack property – because it would directly compete with their majority interest in the Rivers Casino,” he said of Churchill.

Churchill plans to accept bids for the purchase of Arlington in mid-June. Amid widespread concern that Churchill might be angling to preclude a future owner of Arlington from engaging in forms of gaming, the Arlington Heights village board in early May approved an ordinance intended to prohibit Churchill from placing certain restrictions – specifically, those that would prevent future gaming – on the property.

Campbell noted in the letter to the Illinois attorney general's office that the ITHA brought to the attention of Illinois racing regulators a reported offer in 2019 by a group of prospective owners to purchase Arlington from Churchill with the intent of continuing racing, and developing a casino, at that site. Churchill reportedly refused but never publicly noted any such offer.

“It's unfortunate that Churchill Downs, once a stalwart of thoroughbred racing, appears now to care solely about corporate profit. But Illinois isn't Churchill's trough – our state doesn't exist to feed Churchill's greed,” Campbell said. “A gaming license such as the one granted to Rivers Casino is a privilege. It means Churchill has a responsibility to follow the law, particularly when the law is aimed at serving the best interests of Illinois taxpayers.”

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Arnold, who currently heads the Endeavor Hotel Group, is aligned with Mike Campbell, president of the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association in an effort to continue live racing at the suburban Chicago racetrack after owner Churchill Downs Inc. said in 2019 it would not seek a casino license and now has the property listed for sale. 

Arlington Park opened for live racing on April 30 and is scheduled to run through Sept. 25 in what many assume will be its final meeting.

During their Monday meeting, the Arlington Heights board of trustees voted unanimously in support of two resolutions: one that would restrict the types of businesses  permitted if the racetrack property is developed and the other preventing Churchill Downs Inc. from putting restrictive covenants on a sale agreement (i.e., restricting a buyer from continuing to operate Arlington Park as a racetrack or to add casino gambling).

Following is the text of the letter from Roy Arnold, president and CEO, Endeavor Hotel Group:

Good evening, Mayor Hayes and members of the Arlington Heights Board of Trustees. Thank you for the opportunity to address you concerning the future of Arlington Park, a gem among racetracks in North America and a community asset with tremendous untapped potential.

A decade ago, I had the privilege to serve as Arlington Park's president and chief executive officer. I witnessed the venue's attraction to local families and friends as scores of fans from Arlington Heights, Chicago and surrounding communities – and, in fact, from across the Midwest – traveled to Arlington Park to enjoy leisurely and lively recreation at a beautiful track. I also experienced and came to fully appreciate the challenge of effectively managing a large and complex gaming operation.

Today I speak to you on behalf of investors planning to soon purchase that property, continue its tradition of thoroughbred horse racing, expand its gaming opportunities, and develop portions of the site to better support and serve the needs of the local economy. Simply put, we seek to maximize the potential of Arlington Park's full 326 acres.

We embark on this pursuit with the knowledge that it will be up to Illinois lawmakers to decide whether to revisit the state's gaming law to extend the window for Arlington Park's future owner to apply for a license to add and operate a casino. As we all know, that license was explicitly authorized by the state's 2019 gaming expansion legislation. But Churchill Downs, which had spent two decades lobbying state government for that license, opted, to everyone's disbelief, not to apply for the license and the application window expired.

We are accounting for the possibility of operating Arlington Park without the addition of a casino, but we nonetheless want to ensure there is no artificial restraint on owners, the village or the state in such time that common sense prevails and the legislature acts to allow us to implement the intent of the 2019 gaming law. We respectfully encourage you, as the elected representatives of the Village of Arlington Heights, to retain unfettered control as a home rule community and not permit Churchill Downs to encumber the property in any way. We urge you to adopt the proposed ordinance to prohibit restrictive covenants concerning gaming uses at Arlington Park.

Churchill abandoned its commitment to Arlington Park and the community of Arlington Heights. It should not be allowed to limit in any way the future activities or economic opportunity at that site. Indeed, as was clearly expressed by the terms of the 2019 gaming expansion law, Illinois lawmakers intended for the owner of Arlington Park to expand gaming opportunities at the track; stimulate gaming competition in Illinois; improve the quality of purses that form the wages for thoroughbred trainers, jockeys, blacksmiths, veterinarians and numerous backstretch workers; boost tourism; and grow and diversify the tax revenue base for the local and state governments.

Our team is prepared to do just that. In our judgment, there is no higher or better use of Arlington Park than as a thoroughbred racetrack. Arlington Park is an internationally acclaimed icon of thoroughbred racing; its value to the people of Illinois and, most especially to the people of Chicagoland, can't be overstated. Arlington Park cannot be replaced. The site's potential has long been recognized by the racing industry, by Churchill Downs and by the political leadership of Illinois. And there is no secret as to how to tap that potential: to prosper, Arlington Park must become a diversified entertainment destination.

New ownership can bring new vision and the accountability that the Village of Arlington Heights and the State of Illinois deserve. Our team believes that the owners of a gaming facility such as Arlington Park should be held accountable for their commitments. Horse racing and other forms of gaming are regulated forms of entertainment; a license to operate racing or casino gaming is a privilege, not an entitlement. Such a license is granted by the state and that grant entails respect for the goals established by the legislature. The owner and operator of a treasure such as Arlington Park must act to serve not only investors but also the taxpayers of Illinois.

We believe Arlington Park has the potential to lead the North American thoroughbred horse racing industry with a modernized facility. Should we have the chance to own and operate that magnificent property, we will:

• Keep the core of Arlington Park the same. We would preserve a world class sporting venue on approximately 126 acres including stables, fan parking, the grandstand, and, of course, the track itself. This would include what is recognized as one of the world's best turf courses.

• Relocate the stable area in order to open space for a compatible industrial and mixed-use development. This is consistent with the wishes of the community and would broaden the local tax base. The industrial park of roughly 100 acres would be framed by adjacent industrial properties and the Metra line to the north.

• Develop a year-round entertainment district of about 40 acres that would supplement the summer racing choices for visitors. Select portions of this section would include hotel, retail and condo options.

• Urge the General Assembly to allow Arlington Park to add casino gaming, realize the venue's full potential, fulfill the intent of the 2019 gaming expansion law, bolster tax revenue and economic opportunity for Arlington Heights, and help generate revenue (as intended by the 2019 gaming expansion law) to support the state's Rebuild Illinois capital construction program.

We have no doubt that Arlington Park, as a track and gaming entertainment destination, can be profitably operated. A smaller footprint for the track would reduce operating costs. Diversifying the entertainment district means more fans and, importantly, new fans. Embracing technology and an affiliated sports wagering platform would bring new revenue to support the track from wider access to the Arlington Park product.

We recognize that comments from Churchill Downs executives and recent media reports suggest that demolition of Arlington Park is inevitable – that we have just now begun the last season of racing at the track. But we firmly reject such fatalism; we know that with the support and partnership of the Village of Arlington Heights, the State of Illinois and the thoroughbred racing community, the future of Arlington Park can be very bright indeed.

Arlington Park can again be a top tier racetrack attracting the world's greatest racing talent and creating new lifetime memories for millions of fans. We come before you with a clear vision for obtaining that objective – and for delivering the benefits of success to the Village of Arlington Heights, surrounding communities, and the State of Illinois. – Roy Arnold

The post ‘Future Of Arlington Park Can Be Very Bright’: Former Track President Heading Investment Group Hoping To Keep Racing Alive appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Churchill Downs Inc., the publicly held company that owns the track, announced in February that the 326 acres on which the racetrack sits will be offered for sale but that the company may pursue using the racing license elsewhere in the state. CDI officials stunned the racing community in 2019 when they announced, following passage of legislation that would permit casinos at racetracks, that Arlington would not seek a casino license – something they had lobbied for alongside horsemen for decades. While officials cited dissatisfaction with the law's tax structure, it is widely believed that CDI did not want an Arlington casino to compete with the nearby Rivers Casino, of which the company is majority owner.

Item XIII on the meeting's agenda has two items listed under “legal”: a resolution regarding zoning regulations for the racetrack property, and an ordinance amending “negative use restrictions” that would seek to prohibit CDI from selling the property with usage restrictions (i.e., no horse racing or gambling) that run contrary to the village's public policy. The ordinance is designed to “preserve all options for the property whether it includes complete redevelopment through a long-term master plan or continued use as a horse racing facility with additional redevelopment,” according to a report from the village's planning and legal staff.

“We are planning to take some proactive steps to ensure that any future plans discussed for Arlington Racetrack meet the desired land uses the village would like to see on this significant parcel, and that the door to continued horse racing at the track remains open,” Arlington Heights Mayor Tom Hayes said in a statement reported in the Arlington Daily Herald.

The Daily Herald reports that Mike Campbell – president of the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association – and perennial leading trainer Larry Rivelli are working separately with potential investors to buy the property and continue racing.

Hayes told the Daily Herald that continuation of live racing and a new stadium for the NFL's Chicago Bears are two possibilities for the site.

The village's planning and legal staff recommends passage of a resolution regarding zoning regulations that would put “prospective purchasers and the public on notice that the village intends to make changes to the zoning, subdivision code or other regulations. The resolution states the fact that the village is considering making changes to the zoning ordinance to restrict certain uses and establish other development standards that would be applicable to Arlington International property.”

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