Like jockeys speeding toward the finish line, thousands of fans flocked to Arlington International Racecourse on Wednesday to catch a glimpse of their beloved track in what might be its last week of racing.
It was a somber afternoon at the 70-year-old landmark for horse owners, trainers and race fans, many of whom sensed the end of an era is at hand.
“I think it’s sad because it’s a part of our history,” said Linda Green of Schaumburg. “It’s just beautiful here. I just hate to see it go.”
Millionaire track owner Richard Duchossois announced last month that Arlington would close for 1998. Although he left the door open to resuming racing in 1999, many fans said Wednesday that they didn’t want to miss what might be their last day at the racecourse.
Race fans possibly may hear Duchossois’ long-term plans Friday, the last day of the 1997 season, when the owner is scheduled to address the crowd.
Regardless, some village officials said they’ve become convinced in recent days that Arlington’s closure at week’s end is likely to be permanent.
“I really believe this is it,” said Dee Bigham, executive manager of the Arlington Heights Chamber of Commerce. “Friday will mark the end of racing in Arlington Heights.”
Arlington Heights Mayor Arlene Mulder agrees. Duchossois has argued that he can’t make money without slot machines at the track and that legislative changes are needed to help the industry.
But the General Assembly seems unlikely to bend on the issue, and unless that changes, said Mulder, racing at Arlington may be finished.
“I’m obviously most saddened that we will not enjoy a ’98 racing season and that the future looks very dim for any future horse racing without some major changes,” she said.
Mulder said village leaders and residents have already begun to mourn the loss of the track, which is such an integral part of the community that a horse is on the village logo.
For fans, the loss of the six-story palatial track, with its vast expanses of lush grass and rows of flowers, would create a huge void in the area. Like village leaders, some take Duchossois at his word that racing may never return to Arlington.
“We’re dedicated fans, and we wanted to give Dick our last day of support,” said Carol Csecz of Lombard, who came to the track Wednesday with a friend and brought her three children, including her 3-month-old.
Csecz made the best of a summerlike day from her perch in the grandstand.
“It’s a great day here, and this is a nice family place,” Csecz said. “Even losing is OK.”
Yet others are convinced racing is far from dead at Arlington.
“It’s the most beautiful track in the world. I don’t think they’ll let this go,” said Bob Beaulieu of Glenview, who has been frequenting the track for at least a decade.
There is an incentive for village leaders to lobby to keep Arlington open. The track is the town’s largest employer and a major contributor to its tax base. Four years ago, a consultant’s study estimated the track contributes $112 million annually to the local and state economy.
But some Arlington Heights officials contend the village has a strong, diverse economic base that should cushion the blow of the track’s closing.
But Bigham, a local business leader, said the village may never recover if Arlington shuts down.
“Arlington Heights has kind of lost its identity,” she said. “When you say you’re from Arlington Heights, people say `Oh, by the racetrack.’ Of the other things being discussed (to replace the track), I don’t think that’s going to put us on the map like the track does.”
Horse industry officials also worry about a future without Arlington, the state’s premier horse-racing venue, and whether other tracks have the ability to attract top-rate jockeys, trainers and owners. Because the track has been losing money in recent years, many trainers and owners have already left Illinois, but the track again could become a big draw if given more legislative support, said Jim Carfagno, executive director of the Illinois Thoroughbred Horseman’s Association.
Without that support, he said he is convinced the horse-racing industry in Illinois will begin to crumble. Carfagno said he is hoping for legislative change, but he acknowledges being emotional about the prospect of losing Arlington.
At a special gathering Sunday of horse owners, trainers and workers at Arlington, there were a lot of tears.
