Arlington hanging on during hard times

Arlington still towers, a white palace, over the western edge of the northwest Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights, the same grand racetrack that its chairman, Richard Duchossois, built after fire gutted the old grandstand in 1985.

Duchossois, under the auspices of Arlington’s parent company, Churchill Downs Inc., still mans the helm, but he is 93, and the murmured question in Chicago racing asks how much longer that will be the case. And what of the racetrack itself? How long will it be around?

Excitement is supposed to accompany a season’s start, but Arlington’s 77-day meet that begins Friday comes draped in drab.

The aging barns will have empty stalls throughout the summer. Arlington’s Polytrack, proven safe for horses, has become obsolete: Keeneland switched to dirt last fall; Woodbine will switch to Tapeta this winter.

Race weeks are just three days during May, June, and September; four in July and August. Purses have fallen starkly: The track plans to offer daily overnight prize money, excluding stakes, of about $125,000, down from $180,000 last year. Maiden special weight races were worth $40,000 in 2012. At this meet, they start at $24,000.

Impact fees, money taken by state mandate from gross receipts of several Illinois casinos and diverted to racing, ran out during 2014. Illinois is one of the last racing states without purses subsidized by another form of gambling, like video poker or slot machines. Purses come strictly from betting handle now, and they are too low to compete with neighboring states.

“The model is definitely broken,” said Arlington general manager Tony Petrillo. “This is probably the most pivotal year that Illinois racing has ever faced. The numbers just do not look promising. I don’t know that Thoroughbred racing will continue to exist in Illinois.”

Wayne Catalano owns a small farm near Arlington and was the perennial leading trainer until last year, when he split his stable. This summer, he will have fewer than 30 horses stabled at Arlington.

“It’s a great racetrack, and it will rise again. It’s home, lots of great memories, and I’d love to be there,” Catalano said, standing outside his Churchill Downs barn office.

Ingrid Mason, the sixth-leading trainer by wins last meet, also has opened a Churchill string. Chicago powerhouse Roger Brueggeman was a shadow of his former self at the Hawthorne meet this spring and will run far more at Churchill and Indiana Grand than Arlington. The Tom Proctor stable is gone.

Mike Stidham still has a good-sized Arlington stable, and 2014 leading trainer Larry Rivelli should be a dominant force, especially in May and June. Friday’s eight-race card drew 62 entrants; Rivelli trains 10 of them, with at least one horse in every race.

James Graham, the leading rider in 2014, has moved his tack to Churchill, but Florent Geroux will be back at Arlington starting Sunday. Two apprentices, Vicente Gudiel and Mitchell Murrill, found success at Hawthorne this spring. Jockey Jose Valdivia Jr., slumping recently in Florida, will give Arlington a shot for the first time.

Arlington cut seven stakes worth $2 million from its 2015 stakes schedule but still offers 18 worth $3.5 million, most of which will be paid out Aug. 13 on the Arlington Million card. California Chrome’s majority owner, Perry Martin, already has mentioned the Million as a long-range goal.

Arlington averaged 7.63 starters per race in 2014 and figures to struggle to improve that number this year. Turf races fill better.

Field size probably contributed to the 37 percent strike rate favorites achieved last season, the highest of the Arlington Polytrack era.

There’s an old Arlington favorite on the Friday card, the 9-year-old Helicopter, a 12-time winner from 22 Arlington starts. To win race 4, a $5,000 starter allowance, he will have to run down another Arlington Polytrack lover, Gimmeadrink.

Maybe Helicopter still has it. And who knows – maybe Arlington does, too.