[JJP]

Originally Posted by Scav

I know you are local to here, but how well do you know Arlington Park and CDI?

I'm asking because this is much of the same stuff that has been happening for years, and its essentially soured me on local racing.

This upcoming Arlington meet is going to be horrid, I'm guessing one step above the bottom. Specifically, MSW purses 2 years ago were 40k, I think I saw they are 26k this coming meet, good luck to horseman trying to survive on that unless day rates were cut in half also (and this isn't an horseman issue)

Its sad because its the nicest track in the country and its gets the biggest draw of people considering the racing product they put there, and AP/CDI knows that people will still come out regardless of what racing product they try and recruit.

And this whole thing that slots will save them is a bunch of BS. There are these local slot parlors that have circumvented the law around here now called Pennys, they put a deli in there selling $2 hot dogs and have 8 slot machines, well, those are not surviving or not meeting projections, yet they want to put more machines in the state.

As another side note, word was from someone that is somewhat reliable that Mr D tried to buy back Arlington from CDI, offered them CDI stock plus some cash, total of 150 million. CDI said no, countered at 300 million, and said something to the effect of, 'that is what the land is worth'.

The second that old man dies (he is mid 90s now), Arlington will become a resemblance of what it is.

When I started following Chicago racing around 1983-1984, the purses now are no bigger than they were then. That's over 30 years with no net gains. No wonder Chicago racing is in the toilet.