Illinois Casino bill......tracks get slots

[Tom]

AP with dirt would be a blessing!
Used to be a great track to play, until they let the dirt track go.

Switching to Poly made them PID Central.

[BCOURTNEY]

Originally Posted by cj

At this point I think it is pretty clear better purses don't help the product. It is very possible they have the opposite effect.

Great so they will lower takeout and use the increased handle to boost purse and put in the long term fix right?

[jocko699]

Originally Posted by cj

At this point I think it is pretty clear better purses don't help the product. It is very possible they have the opposite effect.

[Flashbackdiner]

No matter what the horses will always be secondary to whatever casino projects are in the making. Within several years they will entertain getting a decoupling bill passed because horse racing will become non profitable....of course all by design.

[Afleet]

hoping for the best but illinois is basically bankrupt and extremely corrupt. Believe they are adding all kinds of new taxes on gasoline, cigarettes and probably everything else. They are losing population. If I lived there I would leave

[Saratoga_Mike]

Originally Posted by Tom

AP with dirt would be a blessing!
Used to be a great track to play, until they let the dirt track go.

Switching to Poly made them PID Central.

I understand where you're coming from, but I think you should give it another shot. There just aren't a lot of crazy outcomes on the AP poly. The field sizes are what make the betting unattractive, imo. Hopefully that will change with bigger purses...big hopefully.

[JustRalph]

Originally Posted by Afleet

hoping for the best but illinois is basically bankrupt and extremely corrupt. Believe they are adding all kinds of new taxes on gasoline, cigarettes and probably everything else. They are losing population. If I lived there I would leave

Met with my new payroll rep this last week. He moved from Chicago 2 yrs ago. He said he regrets he didn't do it 20 yrs ago

[Tom]

Originally Posted by Saratoga_Mike

I understand where you're coming from, but I think you should give it another shot. There just aren't a lot of crazy outcomes on the AP poly. The field sizes are what make the betting unattractive, imo. Hopefully that will change with bigger purses...big hopefully.

I haved 0 interest in playing any non-dirt tracks.

[LemonSoupKid]

Originally Posted by Tom

AP with dirt would be a blessing!
Used to be a great track to play, until they let the dirt track go.

Switching to Poly made them PID Central.

Yes, many factors are involved, but it is curious that ever since they switched to poly, it went even further down the tubes. They didn't even get the writing on the wall when everyone else (Keeneland, cushion track at SA and del mar) went back ...

D. Wayne said it first, wanna destroy racing/betting?, "Put in AWS"

[Redboard]

A couple rambling thoughts. Good to hear that the state is finally doing the right thing. Because Arlington runs in the summer and in competition with SPA & Del Mar, it’s going to be tough for them to put together a decent card that would get my attention. The only way I see it happening is, if they somehow could specialize in turf races. They’re not going to beat those two tracks dirt races. At least when Arlington has to take a race off the turf , it moves to flubber which isn’t as much a difference. Maybe the Arlington million will get a purse boast now. It’s been the same for almost 40 years. According to inflation, should be $2.8 million. If they just go the statebred route then the whole thing is garbage. Welfare for the local horsemen.

[thaskalos]

Originally Posted by LemonSoupKid

Yes, many factors are involved, but it is curious that ever since they switched to poly, it went even further down the tubes. They didn't even get the writing on the wall when everyone else (Keeneland, cushion track at SA and del mar) went back ...

D. Wayne said it first, wanna destroy racing/betting?, "Put in AWS"

Arlington's problems have nothing to do with the poly...business there really tanked because of the racino-type purses being offered by the surrounding states...while Arlington's "unassisted" purses have remained puny by comparison.

With its purse problem fixed, I believe Arlington can do very well as the country's only polytrack with an accompanying turf course. There seems to be a certain similarity between poly and turf, performance-wise...and Arlington might eventually become the country's turf-racing capital. Horsemen can take their turf horses to Arlington...and keep them racing on two surfaces without ever subjecting them to dirt.

[Delta Cone]

Originally Posted by thaskalos

...and Arlington might eventually become the country's turf-racing capital. Horsemen can take their turf horses to Arlington...and keep them racing on two surfaces without ever subjecting them to dirt.

Good idea if the weather cooperates. I don't think Arlington has run a single turf race this year.

Of course, May 2019 was the wettest May on record, beating the 2018 mark. Lets hope this isn't the new normal.

[wisconsin]

Originally Posted by Redboard

If they just go the statebred route then the whole thing is garbage.

Well, I thought I read somewhere there were only about 100 foals this year in Illinois.

The Illinois bred races are also now open to LA and ARK breds

[Afleet]

Originally Posted by wisconsin

Well, I thought I read somewhere there were only about 100 foals this year in Illinois.

The Illinois bred races are also now open to LA and ARK breds

Illinois foals
2017: 178 foals
2016: 221 foals

this is a big problem

[Tom]

this is a big problem

Yeah, no "foalin'"!

Seriously, they can handle two days of racing a year with that!
Looks like AWS is not bringing them out of the wood work.