ARLINGTON A SCRATCH FOR NEXT SEASON
Track passes on race dates as owner mulls potential sale to Bears
The Bears might end up at Arlington Park, but the ponies won’t be there next year.
As the corporate owner of the historic suburban oval mulls bids from the Chicago Bears and other potential buyers, the deadline passed Friday afternoon for the track to apply with state regulators for a racing license in 2022 — guaranteeing there won’t be horse racing in Arlington Heights next year.
Under state law, tracks have to apply with the Illinois Racing Board by the end of July for specific racing dates the following year. No application was submitted by Arlington International Racecourse, meaning its final race day, Sept. 25, could be its last ever.
Arlington President Tony Petrillo said the inaction was “consistent” with owner Churchill Downs’ strategy for a track that is at “an economic disadvantage in a hypersensitive market” — but he insisted the company isn’t out of the horse racing game altogether. They’re considering building another race course somewhere else in the state, according to Petrillo, who couldn’t offer any specifics.
Either way, there won’t be any racing at Arlington next spring.
Trainers and owners of horses that run at Arlington had held out hope the track would at least apply for 2022 racing dates “to preserve the possibility of future racing at the track,” but slammed what they call the corporation’s “campaign to sabotage future gaming opportunities at Arlington Park.”
“Churchill Downs is writing the book on bad faith, so this latest move is disappointing but not surprising,” Mike Campbell, president of the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, said in a statement.
Representatives for the corporation declined to comment.
The association has been viciously at odds with Churchill Downs for nearly two years since the track announced it wouldn’t apply for a newly authorized state license to operate as a “racino” with slot machines and table games.
The company had lobbied for that privilege for decades to help save the shrinking horse racing industry, but it complained of high taxes and backed out after Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a massive gambling expansion into law in the summer of 2019.
Churchill Downs also owns Rivers Casino in Des Plaines, which is a 25-minute drive away from the track — and by far the most lucrative casino in Illinois.
“Churchill’s commitment to stopping any gaming at Arlington from competing with Rivers is the worst-kept secret in Illinois,” Campbell said. “It’s clear that Churchill Downs cares exclusively about corporate profit and that all other considerations are incidental.”
Petrillo confirmed the track sent out layoff notices to employees last week.
While the dream of a new Bears stadium has drawn the most attention, it’s still possible horse racing could return to Arlington. The only other public bidding group is led by former Arlington president Roy Arnold and also includes the downtown mega-developer Sterling Bay.
Their bid, which is backed by the horse trainers and owners, calls for a minor-league hockey stadium, housing development and entertainment district alongside the track.