Industry expected to grow even as Arlington shuts down
HINSDALE IL--Arlington Park will host its final Thoroughbred races
this weekend but Chicago horse racing will carry on at Hawthorne Racecourse,
and Illinois horsemen are optimistic that a second new racetrack will be built
in the near southwest suburbs in the next few years.
“Illinois horse racing is poised to make a comeback,” said Illinois Harness
Horsemen’s Association President Marty Engel. “There is a lot of excitement in
the industry, especially in harness racing. A new day is dawning.”
Illinois horsemen won approval for casino-style gaming at racetracks in 2019.
That system of supplementing purses has been used by other horse racing states
to revive the breeding industry. Over the years, Illinois harness racing – once
a premier harness destination in the United States – has been decimated by
riverboats and land-based casinos. Horsemen here moved their farms and
employees to other states that offered more opportunity because of slot
machines at racetracks. At one time, horse racing and agribusinesses in
Illinois employed 40,000 people including breeders, trainers, grooms,
veterinarians, blacksmiths, and farmers.
A NEW RACETRACK
Another achievement of the 2019 legislation is language that
will allow for a new Standardbred only racino to be opened in Chicago’s
southwest suburbs. Currently, Standardbred racing only happens at Hawthorne
Racetrack which splits it’s time between Thoroughbred and Standardbred racing.
