Officials at Arlington International Racecourse and the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association were still scrambling Tuesday to forge a contract that would reopen the track’s shuttered backstretch and ensure a smooth start to the summer racing season on May 6.
Mike Campbell, president of the ITHA, said Tuesday that the terms of a new contract were nearly reached last Sunday evening, but the deal was derailed by what he alleged were last-minute demands from the track.
“We were very close on the terms, but at the last minute, there were additional expectations that Arlington asked from us that at this time, the ITHA could not commit to,” said Campbell, who declined to comment on the specific issues that are holding up the contract.
“We’re working on this contract literally 24 hours a day,” Campbell said. “The ultimate goal for all of us is to get a deal done here.”
With the contract between the track and the ITHA having expired last Friday, officials have remained at the bargaining table nearly a week after a federal judge denied the ITHA’s motion for a temporary restraining order against Arlington International Racecourse, the Illinois Racing Board and the Illinois Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Foundation.
Arlington Heights Mayor Thomas Hayes said with Arlington International contributing about $800,000 to village coffers annually, he is hopeful the dispute will be resolved in time for the start of the summer racing season.
Determined to help ensure the racetrack’s survival, Hayes said village officials wrote to state legislators last year, assuring them that the village supports allowing casino gambling at the track, which officials at Arlington International have for years said is key to reviving the languishing racing industry.
“The tax revenues we get from the track are important, but my bigger concern is the impact a closing would have on the image of the village, and the financial impact to all the other businesses in town,” said Hayes, adding that the village logo features a horse head in homage to the historic track.
“Arlington International is one of our biggest employers. And going out to the racetrack with your family when the weather is nice is something everyone in the community looks forward to each summer,” Hayes said.
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