For the last five years, we\u2019ve taken less purse money, less racing dates, all in the belief that we pass this gaming bill that it would triple this purse account and we\u2019d have a renaissance of racing and breeding in Illinois,\u201d Campbell told Casino.org<\/i>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Last summer, after Illinois passed the expanded gaming bill that allowed \u2013 among other things \u2013 horse tracks to seek casino licenses, CDI cited the state\u2019s regressive tax structure for bypassing the opportunity.<\/p>\n
The owners and trainers, though, claim Churchill Downs\u2019 decision to buy a majority stake in the Rivers Des Plaines casino, which is located about 10 miles away and between the track and downtown Chicago, now shows the company no longer is interested in developing the Illinois racing industry. They want Churchill to either sell the track to another outfit that will pursue a casino there, or they want the state to take action against CDI.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were misled into believing Churchill Downs,\u201d Campbell said.<\/p>\n
Should an agreement not be reached in the near future, IRB Executive Director Domenic DiCera told Casino.org<\/i> that the Arlington contract will be discussed at the board\u2019s next meeting on Jan. 21 in Chicago. The board cannot intervene, he said, but it can meet with both sides to get a clearer picture of the issues with the negotiations.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe parties are encouraged to continue discussions,\u201d he said prior to the sides agreeing to reconvene.<\/p>\n
Hawthorne Not Available<\/h2>\n
Arlington is one of two thoroughbred tracks in the state. Hawthorne Park in Cicero, another Chicago suburb, is the other. The ITHA said the negotiations for Hawthorne took only an hour.<\/p>\n
However, Hawthorne\u2019s six-week spring meet this year had to be cut because of the construction of its casino. The track, though, is allowing horsemen to keep their horses there, and workers are staying in Hawthorne’s dorms until the Arlington meet is scheduled to start.<\/p>\n
Thoroughbred racing is scheduled to resume there in October.<\/p>\n
In addition, since Hawthorne also runs harness racing, it likely would not be in a position to pick up additional thoroughbred dates should Arlington close. The Illinois expanded gaming law allows for the creation of a harness track in Chicago\u2019s southern suburbs. But initial plans for one were sidetracked because of a federal corruption investigation that determined the track\u2019s developers allegedly had ties to organized crime.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Talks are set to resume later this week, perhaps as early as Wednesday, between officials from Churchill Downs Inc. (CDI) and the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen\u2019s Association (ITHA) regarding purse sizes for the 2020 racing season at Arlington International Racecourse. The ongoing discussions would take place more than a week after a deadline mandated by the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":45,"featured_media":123726,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14577,13],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Illinois Horsemen, Churchill Downs at Odds Over 2020 Arlington Purses<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n