Derby List Last 200 Messages

[Brad Yazell via Derby]

Very sad.

I was only there one weekend in August of 2000 and I loved it.

A real shame.




On 9/29/2021 12:57 AM, Terry Bjork via Derby wrote:
> In the time I have been on the Derby List, starting 1994, Arlington
> Park was going to close several times. First in 1995, but then didn't,
> and then did close after 1997.
>
> It reopened in 2000 after being rescued by Illinois government
> intervention in 1999, only to be sold immediately by DD to Churchill
> Downs only a month into that 2000 meet. Then the racing-oriented CDI
> of Tom Meeker morphed into the new casino oriented CDI that it is
> today, and it has been all downhill for poor Arlington Park. (Though
> Mr. Duchossois made out quite well with all that CHDN stock.)
>
> Now it's finally finally finally gone, reportedly sold by CDI to the
> Chicago Bears instead of any other racing entity. CDI has a majority
> interest in a nearby casino and, according to many people, didn't want
> to sell to a horse racing interest that might exercise the casino
> option that Illinois lawmakers recently gave the tracks.
>
> Those first two times it was supposedly closing I felt real bad, but
> this time it's primarily a big eh and so what relief it's finally
> over, after all the drama and misery inflicted on Illinois racing in
> general plus fans and horsemen, by Arlington ownership and management
> over the past 25 years. Yeah I will miss the track as such, but
> nothing else associated with it.
>
> Bloodhorse has a short obituary.
>
> https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/253565/somber-feel-as-arlington-hits-the-finish-line
>
>
>
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