Illinois Racing Board Denies Houghton Appeal

An appeal filed by jockey Terry Houghton asking that the Illinois Racing Board lift Arlington Park’s current ban against him was unanimously denied June 14 by a 9-0 vote of associates present from the 11-member organization.

The Arlington ban was instituted by the track’s parent company, Churchill Downs Inc., which has refused to allow Houghton ride at any of its racetracks due to a pending Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau investigation into suspicious betting patterns on several races, including three in which Houghton rode.

Houghton rode at Hawthorne Race Course in Chicago this spring and is currently riding at Indiana Downs.

An IRB hearing on Houghton's ban, held May 3, failed to produce information that could implicate Houghton of wrongdoing, but while evidence was not presented that could justify denying Houghton a racing license, the IRB does not have jurisdiction over Arlington’s rights as a private property to ban individuals.

Houghton filed a May 24 lawsuit against Arlington because of the ban, demanding damages stemming from loss of income and damage to his career and reputation.