Illinois Racing

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The Mud Bug

By Victor E. Zast -- The "Mud Bug" -- aka Trackside Chicago, the off-track betting facility owned by Arlington Park -- rekindles youthful days spent at Fort Erie.

On the Other Hand

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.

Sportsman's Meet Off to Good Start

Full 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.

Illinois Racing Could Receive $10-Million From Casino

They 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.

Illinois Riverboat Plans On Hold

They 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.

Illinois Board Cuts Fairmount Dates, Orders Upgrade

The Illinois Racing Board Wednesday gave Fairmount Park permission to cut its live racing schedule but not before threatening the Southern Illinois track with sanctions if it fails to upgrade the backside At a special meeting sought by the track, the board agreed to allow Fairmount to push back its opening from Feb. 6 to March 16 and to cancel racing on Easter Sunday and the day after Memorial Day -- a total decrease of 23 day

Arlington Wins Illinois Dates Battle

The 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.

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