Arlington Summer Meet Formally Postponed

The Illinois Racing Board on April 24 formally approved suspension of Arlington International Racecourse's summer meet, originally set to open April 27, with no specific date in sight to get the track up and running as the COVID-19 crisis continues.

The IRB also deferred action on a request by Hawthorne Race Course to establish a "working equalization group" to reassess the 2020 racing calendar as Arlington and Hawthorne officials sparred sharply about how any income for the rest of the year might be reallocated.

The meeting was the first since the resignations of four commissioners, including chairman Jeffrey Brincat. Three reportedly quit after the disclosure that they had made political contributions in violation of the state's new gaming law. Gov. J. B. Pritzker named Daniel Beiser, a former Democratic legislator from downstate Alton, Ill., to replace Brincat as chairman.

It also was the first meeting since Pritzker announced April 23 an extension of his coronavirus-related "stay at home" order through the end of May, further dampening hopes of a quick reopening of the state's off-track betting facilities and resumption of live racing.

Arlington president Tony Petrillo said he can offer no realistic timeline for starting racing, saying the track is in discussions with state and local health officials to get approval even to open the backstretch.

"We anticipate there will be a call next week to discuss the issues," he said. "But there is no indication or protocol to lead us to believe our race meet would open any time soon."

He said Arlington's immediate concern is to win approval to reopen its OTBs in order to get a feeling for how rapid and robust a resumption of wagering might be.

"There are many hurdles we have to overcome that are totally out of our hands at this point," he said.

Chris Block, an Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association board member, said that loss of revenue during the statewide shutdown, by his group's calculations, means that even if Arlington can start racing this season, daily overnight purses would be well below $100,000.

Despite the uncertainty, horsemen argued it's vital to give their members information soon so they can plan to move stock from Louisiana, Arkansas, and other locations. And they noted tracks in Iowa, Minnesota, and elsewhere could get a leg up on Illinois if they move first.

"One way or another, we have to inform our horsemen," ITHA president Mike Campbell said. "We can't string them along any longer."

The IRB voted to suspend Arlington's opening indefinitely, however, and to reconsider the issue at its May 22 meeting.

Representatives of both tracks and horsemen's organizations painted a dire picture for the remainder of the year, citing the loss of millions of dollars in commissions and purse money during so-called "dark time" when there is no live racing but income normally accrues through simulcasting.

And the distribution of resources came into sharp focus as Hawthorne president Tim Carey, arguing for his "equalization" request, noted Arlington was the host track from Jan. 5 through March 2 when things were normal, and Hawthorne's "dark time" from March 3 through April 26 has been virtually worthless.

"They've made millions," Carey said of Arlington. "We've lost millions."

"Tim, please don't categorize us as making millions," Petrillo countered. "Now we're taking it on the chin."

Petrillo argued Arlington and Hawthorne have a dates agreement in place, affirmed by the IRB's 2020 dates order, and suggested he and Carey should meet to discuss any potential changes in the reallocation of revenue before a broader group takes up the same questions.

"That's not what I intended," Carey said. "I'm looking for board members and staff to be involved in it."

Carey had asked the board to set a hearing to modify the dates order, but Beiser, with unanimous approval by commissioners, only instructed staff to look into creation of a working group and report back at the May 22 meeting.

Carey also noted that Hawthorne, which is hoping to restart its suspended harness meeting soon, still has some 200 Thoroughbreds and 400 Thoroughbred-related workers on its backstretch pending Arlington's opening.

"What will Arlington do about those Thoroughbreds on our backstretch?" he asked.

The outlook for Illinois racing is further complicated by the status of plans for gaming at Hawthorne and downstate Fairmount Park and sports wagering at those tracks and at Arlington.

The Illinois Gaming Board has not acted on applications for those licenses and canceled its March and April meetings because of the coronavirus-related shutdowns.

Hawthorne and Fairmount were counting on revenue from those activities to bolster purses late this year and into 2021. Hawthorne did not apply for its normal early year live racing dates, anticipating it would be in the throes of rebuilding its facility to accommodate a casino, giving up revenue from those dates in anticipation of rewards during its fall meeting.

Campbell noted that Arlington's owner, Churchill Downs Inc., did not apply for a casino license and said at the time of that decision it would not make any commitments relative to Arlington beyond 2021.

In light of the current situation, Campbell said, "If it's going to be just Hawthorne, we need to know that."