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Bob Kieckhefer -- Illinois racing. It's hard to figure out where to start thinking about the current state of affairs. Harder yet to figure out where things are going.
Tuesday, March 19, 2002Sportsman's Park's meager 46-day Thoroughbred racing schedule has been severely eroded by horrible early-March weather.
Tuesday, March 05, 2002An odd turn of events threatens any chance for construction of a new riverboat casino in Rosemont, Ill., that is designed to pump tens of millions of dollars a year into the state's horse racing industry.
Tuesday, March 05, 2002National Jockey Club officials assured the Illinois Racing Board Wednesday that the Sportsman's Park horse racing meet set to begin March 1 is not threatened by financial problems that have closed the organization's Chicago Motor Speedway for the year. In other business, the board began the process of changing some state regulations to facilitate the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships at Arlington Park this fall.
Wednesday, February 13, 2002MGM Mirage could take over efforts to build a riverboat casino in Rosemont, Ill., near O'Hare International Airport that would pump tens of millions of dollars into the horse racing industry.
Monday, January 21, 2002Arlington Park plans to reschedule and enrich its stakes program this summer to provide a "Preview Weekend at the Park" before the Oct. 26 running of the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships.
Monday, January 21, 2002Aided by balmy late fall weather, Hawthorne Race Course posted improved numbers for on-site and total handle during its November-December meet. Hawthorne wound up operations on New Year's Day.
Wednesday, January 02, 2002In the week leading up to the Hong Kong International Races, the buzz during morning track works at the Sha Tin Racecourse was that Japan would have a very good day on Sunday. No kidding. Four races were run. Three times, the Japanese national anthem followed the winning ceremony, capped by the victory of Agnes Digital in the HK$18 million Hong Kong Cup.
Sunday, December 16, 2001Hong Kong racing officials have big dreams for a planned Asian Racing Series. "We want, in the end, to have these races build up as the world turf championship," said Hong Kong Jockey Club Director of Racing Winfried Englebrecht-Bresges.
Saturday, December 15, 2001Sportsman's Park will offer a $1-million bonus for any horse that wins next year's $500,000 Illinois Derby and then goes on to win any Triple Crown race in the subsequent months. The Illinois track released its $2.1-million stakes schedule Tuesday.
Tuesday, November 13, 2001After years of wrangling, there is hope for action on a new riverboat casino near O'Hare International Airport that would pump tens of millions of dollars into Illinois horse racing.
Friday, November 02, 2001The Illinois Racing Board has awarded Arlington Park a 109-date racing season for 2002 that will start the week of the Belmont Stakes and culminate with the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships -- possibly at Arlington.
Wednesday, September 19, 2001A bill stablizing purses at Fairmount Park has been signed into law. The Collinsville, Ill., racetrack may now keep 80% of its nighttime simulcasting revenue for Thoroughbred purses.
Friday, August 03, 2001Illinois tracks appear to be in general agreement on the proposed 2002 racing schedule
Wednesday, August 01, 2001There was an odd feel to Arlington Park's mid-week opening day June 13, but by the time the first weekend of the 2001 meet was in the books, track management felt pretty good about things.
Tuesday, June 19, 2001Rene Riera Jr. has resigned his post as chief state steward following an investigation into his role in distribution of a misleading workout time at Hawthorne Race Course.
Friday, June 01, 2001Churchill Downs plans to announce this summer a major renovation project for its historic facility.
Thursday, May 31, 2001Legislation is advancing through the Illinois General Assembly that would bail out Fairmount Park from a purse-money problem that jeopardizes its future.
Tuesday, May 08, 2001In 2000, Sportsman's Park suffered from its conversion to a dual-use facility for horse and motor sports racing. With sight lines and other fan amenities compromised, attendance and handle sagged. To address the problems, Sportsman's Park spent several million dollars during the past year to improve its facility, then implemented an extensive fan outreach program to show off the changes.
Tuesday, April 10, 2001Fairmount Park's live meet, delayed more than a month by a crippling purse dispute, is finally under way. But the future of the track, located just across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, Mo., is in the hands of the Illinois legislature.
Monday, April 02, 2001The state-of-the-art drainage system at Sportsman's Park fell victim to a late-season snowstorm that forced cancellation of racing after the second race on Friday (March 16) and the entire St. Patrick's Day card on Saturday.
Sunday, March 18, 2001Full fields, reasonably good weather and a flock of new fan amenities greeted the opening of the Chicago-area racing season Friday at Sportsman's Park. The combination drew on-track attendance of 5,281, up sharply from last year's opening-day crowd of 4,224, a Sportsman's spokesman said.
Saturday, March 03, 2001They won't be seeing it anytime soon, but Illinois racetracks and horse owners each can expect about $10 million a year as their cut of a Cook County riverboat casino. There has been speculation - sometimes wild speculation - since the 1999 revision of Illinois gaming and racing laws about how much racing can expect as its 15 percent share of the adjusted gross annual revenue from the boat. The fiscal 2002 Illinois budget presented by Gov. George Ryan on Feb. 21 provides a semi-official answer: $20 million, split 50/50 between purses and tracks.
Monday, February 26, 2001The Illinois Racing Board is satisfied that Fairmount Park officials are making progress to improve conditions in the track's stable area. The IRB earlier this year took Fairmount General Manager Brian Zander to task for poor drainage, poor maintenance and other shortcomings. At Tuesday's regularly scheduled February meeting, Zander reported on progress.
Wednesday, February 14, 2001They fired up the boiler and tooted the whistle but the riverboat casino that's supposed to pour millions of dollars into Illinois racing still hasn't been able to get up a head of steam. And, after the latest setback before the Illinois Gaming Board, it appears it could be many months -- or even years -- before the boat floats.
Monday, February 05, 2001The action removes a roadblock to construction of a riverboat casino, some revenue from which will be used to pump money into the Illinois racing industry.
Friday, January 26, 2001The Hawthorne Gold Cup (gr. II), displaced from its fall date by a scheduling change, will be run this year on Preakness Day, May 19, for a purse of $500,000. The Hawthorne Derby (gr. IIIT) will be run on the Hawthorne turf on May 12. The changes are part of an overall stakes schedule of 15 events during Hawthorne's split meet. Six will be run during the spring, the remainder during the fall/winter season.
Tuesday, January 16, 2001It might have been the free brunch. It might have been the beautiful
weather after a string of dreadful winter weekends. But whatever the reason, Sportsman's Park officials were ecstatic about the turnout for a "welcome back" event Saturday that drew a surprisingly large crowd for all-simulcast racing.
The Illinois Racing Board Tuesday approved two new off-track betting parlors -- one of them just a few minutes' drive across the Mississippi River bridge from the St. Louis Gateway Arch. The St. Louis-area parlor will be in what is now a liquor and Lotto distribution station in Sauget, Ill.
Wednesday, December 20, 2000Changes in Illinois racing dates could cost Hawthorne Race Course a developing prep race for the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I)
Wednesday, December 13, 2000After years as a haven for horses not quite ready for prime time, the 2001 Illinois Derby will be a prep race for the Kentucky Derby. Since the Illinois Racing Board decreed that that May and early June racing will be conducted at Hawthorne Race Course, Sportsman's was forced to find a new date for its race. Tuesday, the IRB approved April 7 as the day and $500,000 as the purse.
Tuesday, November 14, 2000Although they remain unhappy with their lot, Hawthorne Race Course officials say they will do their best with the 2001 dates allocated by the Illinois Racing Board.
Friday, September 22, 2000The Illinois Racing Board has approved a 2001 schedule that will facilitate the merger between Arlington International Racecourse and Churchill Downs but shuffles the deck for Sportsman's Park and Hawthorne Race Course, forcing rescheduling of their signature races.
Wednesday, September 20, 2000The removable track built over an asphalt auto-racing surface for Sportsman's Park's 2000 horse racing meet turned out to be extraordinarily kind to horses, according to a state veterinarian.
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