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Emerald Downs Announces 10 Percent Purse Increase

Emerald Downs has announced a 10 percent purse increase on overnight races for the 2022 season. This is the second consecutive year that purses have increased by 10 percent.

The 2021 season marked the return of fans after running in front of an empty grandstand in 2020.

Track President Phil Ziegler was pleased to have the fans back: “Our race fans came out to enjoy the beautiful weather, great racing, and popular promotions. Revenue from admissions, food & beverages, and wagering were all better than projected. That enables us to put more money towards purses in 2022.”

Each season the track receives a purse supplement from the Muckleshoot Tribe, who own and operate Emerald Downs.

The purse increase announcement comes after the track met with representatives from both the horsemen and breeders' group. Incentive programs including the popular shipping bonus will return. The 2022 Longacres Mile (G3) will have a purse of $150,000, a $50,000 increase from the past two years.

Emerald Downs' stable area is scheduled to open at the beginning of March. Details of the 2022 season along with stall applications will be available later this Fall.

For more information on Emerald Downs visit www.emeralddowns.com or call 253-288-7000.

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Churchill Announces Proposal For New Casino In Indiana

Churchill Downs Incorporated announced Wednesday that it has submitted a proposal to develop the Queen of Terre Haute Casino Resort, a destination gaming facility in Vigo County, Indiana. CDI has also filed an application to the Indiana Gaming Commission (“IGC”) seeking Indiana's open casino license for Vigo County.

“Churchill Downs has a 147-year track record of offering extraordinary entertainment experiences and has significant expertise developing premier casino and gaming properties throughout the United States,” said Bill Carstanjen, Chief Executive Officer of CDI. “We are proud to offer our vision for this world-class casino, a true destination resort designed to draw visitors and economic activity from across the Midwest to Terre Haute.”

The Queen of Terre Haute will feature up to 1,000 slot machines, 50 table games, a 125-room luxury hotel, a state-of-the-art TwinSpires sportsbook and several food & beverage offerings. From its name (inspired by Terre Haute's nickname as the “Queen City of the Wabash Valley”) to concepts and design features across the facility, the Queen of Terre Haute will reflect the unique heritage of Vigo County and the surrounding region.

“We appreciate the local encouragement we've received as we've evaluated this opportunity,” said Carstanjen. “In the days ahead, we look forward to making our case to the Indiana Gaming Commission as to why our proposal to build the Queen of Terre Haute is in the best interest of the residents and businesses of Terre Haute, Vigo County and the State of Indiana.”

An economic impact study conducted by economists at Purdue University estimates that the Queen of Terre Haute will generate $190 million in annual regional economic impact, including 1,000 construction jobs and 500 permanent jobs. According to the study, the project is expected to deliver a 2 percent annual increase in the West Central Indiana gross regional product.

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Six New States File Amicus Brief In HISA Unconstitutionality Lawsuit

Six states have filed an amicus “friend of the court” brief in support of the unconstitutionality lawsuit for the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) working its way through federal court in Lexington, Ky., according to a report on harnesslink.com.

The amicus brief contends that HISA amounts to a private club having governmental powers, and thus is unconstitutional.

The six filing states are: Ohio, Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Mississippi, and Nebraska.

They join Oklahoma, West Virginia, and Louisiana, along with the United States Trotting Association, several state racing commissions, the Oklahoma Quarter Horse Racing Association, several Native American-owned race tracks, and Hanover Shoe Farms, Inc.

Chicago Mayor Bears Down On Keeping NFL Team From Moving To Arlington Park

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said she is willing to work with Chicago Bears management to seek improvements to Soldier Field, home to the NFL team since 1971, in order to avert a move to a new stadium at Arlington Park racetrack in the city's northwest suburbs.

The Bears are among several entities bidding to purchase Arlington Park from publicly traded Churchill Downs Inc., which is majority owner of the Rivers Casino about 11 miles away. One of the other bidders, a group led by former Arlington Park president Roy Arnold, hopes to keep racing alive at Arlington while developing some of the property. No other bidders have expressed an interest in continuing racing at the historic track.

The 2021 Arlington Park meet closes this Saturday, Sept. 25. The track did not seek racing dates in 2022.

When the Bears confirmed in June they made an offer to buy Arlington to pursue a new stadium, Lightfoot downplayed the possibility of the Bears leaving Soldier Field, where they have a lease that runs through 2033. The 62,000-seat lakefront stadium, the smallest in the NFL, is owned by the Chicago Park District. It was renovated nearly 20 years ago at a cost of over $600 million to the city but is no match for some of the NFL's new stadiums, including So-Fi – home of the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers – built at a cost of $5.5 billion on the old Hollywood Park racetrack property in Inglewood, Calif.

When the Bears said they were looking to move to Arlington Park, Lightfoot chided them to focus more on “putting a winning team on the field, beating the Packers finally and being relevant past October. Everything else is noise.”

In comments to the editorial board of the Chicago Sun-Times on Monday, Lightfoot said she is willing to work with the team on expansion and improvements to Soldier Field in a “fiscally-prudent way.”

Lightfoot wants the stadium to generate year-round revenue for Chicago outside of Bears games and would like to improve the experience for fans.

“I am a Bears fan. I want the Bears to stay in the city of Chicago,” she said. “”And we are willing to work with them to try to address their concerns. … We are evaluating ways in which we can enhance the fan experience at Soldier Field. … I know that it can be better.”