Illinois Racing

[Hoofless_Wonder]

http://qctimes.com/news/local/quad-c...de4fe4359.html

Didn't see this posted elsewhere - the OTB at the Quad City Downs facility closed last month. You wouldn't know that looking at Arlington's web site, which is the track that "owned/ran/managed/hosted" that OTB location.

Plenty of good memories from there 30 years ago, when they'd race "into the setting sun" as track announcer Tom Croarkin would call. Drivers and trainers like Tony and Greg Morgan, Tom Simmons, Joel Smith, Richard Kurtzworth, Tim Curtin, John Reese and others made for some good racing. A buddy of mine who owned a couple of harness horses prior to me moving back to Illinois got me interested, having had some success racing a couple of them. When the OCD shut down for the winter, most of their stock would come down for the winter harness season at Fairmount Park.

The first time I went there my buddy had a "lock" with a horse named Kellytuck Nichole, who wired the field in the feature that night - not often done in harness racing back then. I was amazed at some his other "friends" who would bet hundreds in a race at QCD on Sunday afternoons, and would turn the channels of the little TV at our clubhouse table to try and catch NFL scores - during the race - since they had thousands riding on those games. I was a small fish surrounded by wanna-be whales.

I learned how to handicap the races pretty well from the program, and then was able to focus on the wagering patterns and of course keeping an eye on the drivers who glanced at the tote board while warming up their horses......little did I know that was the peak of Illinois racing back then.

[biggestal99]

Originally Posted by illinoisbred

Thanks Wisconsin, Steve,and Robert Goren. Yeah, I'm working with the assumption that the polytrack likely leads to the most disinterest. Gone are the glory days at AP with their fantastic "dirt" stakes schedule. The Washington Park Handicap,all thats really left for "dirt" stakes horses has pretty much been destroyed since the advent of polytrack.

And Steve, noticed the same pattern a couple months into racing at AP. Seems many do go off form.

Robert Goren..yes, AP is up against it running concurrently against some race meets. I always thought Hawthorne really got the worst of this in the spring. Some track somewhere always seems to have a super,Derby trail card every single saturday.

Woodbine does okay and they have poly.

Allan

[BIG49010]

Was told today that Arlington / Churchill is at stand still with the horseman, and there might not be any races opening day at Arlington?

[chadk66]

I've been told that Arlington wants to replace the Poly but they don't dare right now because apparently they are in the middle of a lawsuit. I believe it's a rider that is suing them and claiming the Poly was the cause. Arlington is claiming it isn't but it would sure look bad if they pulled it.

[wisconsin]

Originally Posted by BIG49010

Was told today that Arlington / Churchill is at stand still with the horseman, and there might not be any races opening day at Arlington?

Happened in 2012, threat of no Derby, etc, had racing with 3 and 4 horse fields first 2 days of the meet.

[Stoleitbreezing]

Originally Posted by BIG49010

Was told today that Arlington / Churchill is at stand still with the horseman, and there might not be any races opening day at Arlington?

You have a link on this? Can't find anything anywhere.

[thaskalos]

Originally Posted by wisconsin

Happened in 2012, threat of no Derby, etc, had racing with 3 and 4 horse fields first 2 days of the meet.

Yeah...and 5 and 6 horse fields thereafter.

[illinoisbred]

Originally Posted by chadk66

I've been told that Arlington wants to replace the Poly but they don't dare right now because apparently they are in the middle of a lawsuit. I believe it's a rider that is suing them and claiming the Poly was the cause. Arlington is claiming it isn't but it would sure look bad if they pulled it.

This is news to me. It's my understanding Arlington has no intentions of replacing the polytrack with a new dirt surface now or anytime in the future. They really need to do something..the poly is well beyond it's life expectancy. They have been adding something to the mix..not sure what..but it surely looks nothing like it did when 1st installed. Was originally a light grayish tan,now a dark cinder,almost black in color.

[illinoisbred]

http://www.itharacing.com/news-media.../27/itha-ap-cc
Sorry..link doesn't seem to work. You can go to itharacing.com and find the latest. supposed to be some sort of arbitration of this matter today.

[chadk66]

Originally Posted by illinoisbred

This is news to me. It's my understanding Arlington has no intentions of replacing the polytrack with a new dirt surface now or anytime in the future. They really need to do something..the poly is well beyond it's life expectancy. They have been adding something to the mix..not sure what..but it surely looks nothing like it did when 1st installed. Was originally a light grayish tan,now a dark cinder,almost black in color.

this was something that was told to my brother by a couple riders. makes perfect sense to me.

[illinoisbred]

Originally Posted by chadk66

this was something that was told to my brother by a couple riders. makes perfect sense to me.

Agree,it makes sense. From it's inception,the very nature of poly racing was quite dangerous..the bunching up at the head of the stretch. It was frightening to just watch over and over again. Polytrack has always been sort of a chicken vs egg thing..what came 1st..the perception riders had to ride the poly in that manner to be successful,or the reality of the surface? My thought is perception preceded reality. They rode in this manner from the very 1st day on at Arlington. Some riders,or should say some trainers have taken a different approach in recent years and wing it from the getgo as if the poly was dirt..Rivelli,Mason...and their results suggest it can be ridden the same as dirt.

[chadk66]

Originally Posted by illinoisbred

Agree,it makes sense. From it's inception,the very nature of poly racing was quite dangerous..the bunching up at the head of the stretch. It was frightening to just watch over and over again. Polytrack has always been sort of a chicken vs egg thing..what came 1st..the perception riders had to ride the poly in that manner to be successful,or the reality of the surface? My thought is perception preceded reality. They rode in this manner from the very 1st day on at Arlington. Some riders,or should say some trainers have taken a different approach in recent years and wing it from the getgo as if the poly was dirt..Rivelli,Mason...and their results suggest it can be ridden the same as dirt.

poly didn't exist when I trained. And I haven't watched enough poly races to make a determination at all. I don't understand why it would race any different than dirt. Can you elaborate on what your saying.

[wisconsin]

Originally Posted by thaskalos

Yeah...and 5 and 6 horse fields thereafter.

The Golden Gate Fields of the Midwest

[Scav]

Rene Douglas has the pending lawsuit, which is why they won't pull the surface until that is settled.

[chadk66]

Originally Posted by Scav

Rene Douglas has the pending lawsuit, which is why they won't pull the surface until that is settled.

thank you. made perfect sense to me.