Horse Racing At Arlington Park May Be Done, But The Arlington Million Lives On… In Kentucky?

This year’s horse race won’t take place at Arlington Park, but the Arlington Million will still be held there.

in the state of Kentucky.

That & rsquo is correct, indeed. This will be the first time since 1988 that the Arlington Million will take place outside of Illinois. It is known as Arlington Park & rsquo’s signature event. It was the first animal civilization to bring in a million dollars.

But Churchill Downs is selling Arlington Park to the Chicago Bears, and it will instead hold the race at its flagship track in Louisville. The event will take place on Aug. 13, and there is also an outside chance sports betting will be at KY horse tracks in the near future.

Arlington Heights Mayor Tom Hayessaid he has mixed emotions about the news:

& ldquo, Certainly, I have no issue with it if they & rsquo are doing it to honor the Duchossois family. However, it’s somewhat intriguing that they would do that after selling the property. & rdquo,

Richard Duchossois, a previous owner of Arlington Park, passed away earlier this year.

Over the past few years, it became clear that Churchill Downs had no interest in continuing horse racing in Illinois or welcoming additional gambling options to Arlington Park. When it put the track up for sale in early 2021, potential buyers with an eye on horse racing were not seriously considered.

Why? An obvious theory is that because Churchill Downs owns a majority stake in Rivers Casino in Des Plaines, it didn’t want to create competition.

Arlington Park may instead develop into a major sports arena.

most recent information on Arlington Park and the Bears

A$ 197 million purchase agreement has been made between Churchill Downs and The Bears. Arlington Heights is on table because it would greatly benefit the village’s economy.

Mayor Hayes recently said that the process is “very far past the hypothetical stage.” The Bears just hired Manica Architecture to draw up plans for what a potential site would look like.

Bill Carstanjen, CEO of Churchill, stated that he anticipates the agreement to be completed by the first quarter of 2023. Therefore, it will still be on a time before we hear anything standard.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has also laid out her case for why the Bears should stay in the Windy City and even suggested that she’s open to putting a roof on Soldier Field. Lightfoot had previously struck a snarky tone about the Bears bolting for the suburbs, but that is no longer the case.

Bears President Ted Philipssaid in January:

There is nothing else like it in Chicagoland, & ldquo, There & rsquo. Therefore, the chances andmdash, you know, we haven’t even started to imagine what it might be. However, we & rsquo, are optimistic that if we come to an agreement, it will be moving forward with making it a fantastic destination site. & rdquo,

There aren’t many horse racing choices in Illinois.

How some horse racing options are left in Illinois is highlighted by the Arlington Million’s relocation to Kentucky.

There is FanDuel Sportsbook & amp, Horse Racing in Collinsville, and Hawthorne Race Course in Stickney. And that concludes it. list.

The Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen & rsquo, s Association’s president, Chris Block, stated:

In order to realize the legislature & rsquo’s vision of expanded horse racing, improved gaming opportunities, and the expansion of all the jobs that our sport and industry support, it emphasizes the necessity of creating a new track in Illinois. & rdquo,

Churchill Downs has not yet disclosed its specific plans to open a second horse track in Illinois.