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Arlington Park has filed a lawsuit against the Illinois Racing Board alleging the board acted improperly in issuing its 2013 racing dates awards at a meeting in September.
The suit, filed with the Cook County Circuit Court, contends that the IRB acted punitively against Arlington when it switched 18 dark-host days next year from Arlington to Hawthorne, and that the board violated the Open Meetings Act when it issued dates awards at its Sept. 26 meeting.
Tracks earn a greater share of commissions and purse money during non-racing dark days when they are designated as the host track for simulcast betting, and the change in host-track status will shift hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue from Arlington to Hawthorne next year. The board changed the allotment of dark-host days after expressing concern over the decision of Churchill Downs Inc., Arlington’s parent company, to exclude the Illinois Derby at Hawthorne from its new Road to the Derby qualifying format for the Kentucky Derby. Arlington’s suit claims the IRB exceeded its statutory authority by acting to punish CDI through the shift of the dark-host dates.
Arlington’s complaint also alleges the IRB violated the rules for conducting open meetings when it allowed board members to speak to each other during a period between the board’s rejection of an initial dates awards proposal and the submission of a proposal that eventually passed.
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I applaud the IRB. Ever since simulcast wagering was introduced, Arlington has been trying to put Hawthorne out of business so they can get the "free money" revenue that simulcasting brings. Not awarding the Illinois Derby any points was an obviously a sucker punch, an attempt to weaken Hawthorne at the expense of Illinois racing, It would take a blind man not to recognize this. Three cheers for the IRB.
I see that the UAE Derby was awarded the maximum, 100 point status. How many UAE runners have won, hit the board, or even competed in the KY Derby?
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Is this argument why Churchill excluded the Illinois Derby from the Kentucky Derby perp points system? If so Churchill should be ashamed and punished in some way.
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more bad press coverage for churchill downs. they started the fight. illinois will back hawthorne over a kentucky company. i prefer hawthorne dirt racing over arlington synthetic racing (boring).
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We reap what we sow, and in that case, CDI has a lot more hardship coming its way.
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I'm a big Arlington fan but what Churchell did to Hawthorne was wrong and hurt the Ill Derby's signifcance. Not good for Illinois racing. Pretty lame on Churchell's part.
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Arlington just doesn't attract the "big" horses anymore. I guess Cigar was the last really "big" horse to come to AP. I agree with Tabula Rasa--the racing product isn't what it used to be.
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Even the Racing Commission knew that Hawthorne got robbed of the Derby Points. Give the Illinois Derby the points it deserves and you'll get some dates.
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Best Bets
Runner-up in the Santa Anita Oaks, IOTAPA drops in class and shortens to a sprint with sharp recent works on the BHP surface. Oaks winner Beholder returned to finish second in the Kentucky Oaks; Oaks third Fiftyshadesofhay was one of the favorites Friday in the Black Eyed Susan at Pimlico. The point is, IOTAPA faced a good bunch last out. She specifically targeted this race, gets pace to run at, loves the track, and can mow them down as the favorite. She must catch two good front-runners.
