Churchill Downs puts Arlington up for sale

[cherokeescot]

Never saw that coming. 😳

[phlierfreak]

i know we could have started saving up to purchase it.

[bobtailnag]

It's home to the 3rd largest metropolitan area in the country, somebody should jump on it unless the price is out of this world. It's a beautiful track but it's been at least 7 years since the last time I was there.

[eye123]

Churchill Downs Incorporated announced Tuesday that it has launched a process to sell the 326 acres in Arlington Heights, Ill. that are currently the home of Arlington International Racecourse. CBRE will bring the redevelopment opportunity to market on behalf of CDI


CDI is committed to running Arlington's 2021 race dates from April 30 – Sept. 25, and does not expect any sale of the Arlington site to close prior to the conclusion of Arlington's 2021 race meet or that the conduct of the sale process will impact Arlington's racing operations this year.

“In the meantime, we are very committed to pursuing the relocation of Arlington's racing license to another community in the Chicagoland area or elsewhere in the state.

Per Paulick Report

[elkurzhal]

They won't sell to anyone wanting to keep it a racetrack. They could then get slots and be direct competition with CDI's casino down the road. Took the state way too long to approve slots at the track, which was the only reason CDI wanted it anyway. They found another option, making Arlington a drag on the bottom line.

[eye123]

Let's see now. We lost Hollywood Park (CDI) to redevelopment, Calder (CDI) to redevelopment, Arlington Park (CDI) to redevelopment.....is Fairgrounds next ? Churchill loves their casino's...not so much their tracks. Play the slots and the horses(and horsemen) be damned. (Can you tell, still pissed they leveled Calder for that casino)

[Badactor]

I treasure my memories from my trip to Arlington Park to see the Arlington Million.

Got to meet several UpInClassers on that adventure... beautiful venue. Nice track!

PS.

I will never forgive the Arlington Stewards for DQing my brilliant handicapping selection: Powerscourt.

[spiderjohn]

Hate to hear it, though not a total surprise. State of the art when it was constructed. I had a box for the Million for the first 25 years of it's running. Originally stayed next door at the then Arlington Hilton, then when my wife started attending we moved to downtown. A bitch of a drive from the city(imo Chicago traffic is the worst clusterfuck out there), and the train ride out/back was not functional. Sits on a lot of prime real estate in an area where a race track honestly doesn't fit. Plus--Ill.racing has been on a steady decline(as is the state), not helped by an all-weather surface. Maybe one last Million trip this year(if they have it and we can attend)?

Mr.D is definitely restless in the grave.....

Was dq’ed also in that race
Then had it happen in the Beverly D either the year prior or after
Didn’t think that either dq was warranted(of course!)

[Badactor]

Yep... a lot of memories.

This non-sense cost me a big PAOLINI day in 2003... bastard Arlington stewards!!!

[shoes]

I am going to miss it as well although the quality of non-turf racing has been horrible for years. It was at Arlington that I ht the Kentucky Derby pick 6 in Orb's year on a $12 ticket 3x1x1x1x1x1x2. (also had 3rd place Revolutionary in the last). I still owe Boozer Mike- wherever he is (does anyone know?), because it was his astute handicapping that pointed me to the 10-1 shot who won the first leg.

This whole board must have been on Powers Court for that DQ (though not sure this Board had started yet (as opposed to a similar group on the Bloodhorse Board), as I suffered that fate as well.

The Breeders Cup I attended there had some memorable races as well, though the weather was awful.