In the News!   By Joan Colby

It's Official for July 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: David Zenner

 (847) 385-7535

Cell (847) 371-1670

Dzenner@arlingtonpark.com

 

ARLINGTON PARK TRIMS STAKES PURSES

 

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (June 11, 2010) – Arlington Park and the Illinois Thoroughbred Horseman’s Association (ITHA) board of directors have agreed to trim stakes purses for 11 stakes races as well as putting one stakes race – the Sea o’ Erin – on hiatus for 2010 resulting in a reduction of $725,000 in stakes purses for the balance of the 2010 meet.  All graded stakes purse levels remain sufficient to retain graded stakes status.

Unaffected by the cuts are the six Illinois-bred stakes races that comprise the June 19 Prairie State Festival and the three Grade I races that make up the International Festival of Racing on Aug. 21 – the Arlington Million, the Beverly D. and the Secretariat Stakes.

 

A decrease in out-of-state handle on Arlington Park’s races is the reason these cuts have become necessary.

 

"In order to maintain support for current overnight purses, it became necessary to make these adjustments to the stakes program,” said Arlington Park president Roy Arnold.  “While lowering purses is never easy, we want to do our best to provide as healthy an overnight purse structure as possible for the horsemen who stable on our grounds and support our program on a daily basis.  These adjustments will allow us to retain current purse levels.”

 

“We are hopeful that we have seen the worst in the way of handle at Arlington Park for the season and we hope that things will improve as the season progresses,” said ITHA president Mike Campbell.  “It is incumbent on the horsemen stabled at Arlington to race here in order to help field size, which will improve the handle, and hopefully make further cuts unnecessary.”

 

Changes will be reviewed at the next Illinois racing Board meeting scheduled for late June.  

The affected stakes races are:

Stakes Race & Date

Original Purse

New Purse

Reduction

Arlington Sprint – June 26

$100,000

(+$50,000 BCF)

$75,000

(+$50,000 BCF)

$25,000

Arlington Oaks – July 3

$150,000

$100,000

$50,000

Chicago Handicap – July 4

$150,000

$100,000

$50,000

American Derby – July 17

$300,000

$200,000

$100,000

Arlington Handicap – July 17

$200,000

$150,000

$50,000

Modesty Handicap – July 17

$200,000

$150,000

$50,000

Stars & Stripes – Aug. 21

$150,000

$100,000

$50,000

Washington Park Handicap – Sept. 4

$150,000

(+$50,000 BCF)

$100,000

(+$50,000 BCF)

$50,000

Pucker Up – Sept. 6

$200,000

$100,000

$100,000

Sea O’Erin – Sept. 6

$100,000

Canceled

$100,000

Arlington-Washington Futurity – Sept. 11

$150,000

$100,000

$50,000

Arlington-Washington Lassie – Sept. 11

$150,000

$100,000

$50,000

-END- 


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ILLINOIS THOROUGHBRED HORSEMEN’S ASSOCIATION  Annual Picnic

Monday, July 26, 2010

Picnic Grove Park

Birch Ln

Fox River Grove, IL 60021

12:00-6:30 PM

Games, Music, Boating, Swimming, Fishing, Bingo

 

Bring a Picnic Lunch

Pig Roast to start at 4:00 PM

Huge Prizes: TV’s, Grills, Fabulous Gifts

 

Owners, Trainers, Assistant Trainers,

Jockeys, Agents, and Racing Staff

Call Iris for Tickets

(847) 577-6464

iris@itharacing.com

www.itharacing.com

 


ITHA News | Breaking News

Meeting with Senate President Cullerton

Posted On: May 25, 2010 | Posted By: Lisa

Monday, May 24

 

Today, Monday, May 24th, horse racing industry leaders met with Senate President John Cullerton for 90 minutes. At this meeting Senator Cullerton announced that he would NOT be calling the “slots at the tracks bill” this week, but he was quick to tell us that help was right around the corner. He told us that he had political issues that made calling this bill difficult. He cited strong opposition from the riverboat Senators as well as complications with taking a vote on a gambling expansion bill in an election year. 

 

The tracks and horsemen, in particular, made impassioned pleas, but to no avail. However, as difficult as this sounds, we can take one very encouraging point from this meeting: Senator Cullerton gave us his word that he is committed to a slots bill and that he will call the bill in the November veto session, after the election. He stated that at that time the political climate will change and he will be prepared to help us push the bill. He also said he would work closely with Speaker of the House, Mike Madigan.

 

Everyone has worked extremely hard, particularly, in the last 2-3 months, to get a good bill worked out. We now have all facets of the industry, as well as many labor unions on the same page. Senator Cullerton went out of his way, to congratulate everyone in the room, for getting a bill that was unanimously supported by the racing industry.

 

The calls that everyone have made, have not fallen on deaf ears. They have heard us loud and clear and need to continue to hear us throughout the summer. It is important for everyone to continue to support SB 3146 in its current form and hold senior leadership accountable to call the bill after the election in November in the veto session.

 

Both harness horsemen and thoroughbred horsemen can take great pride in knowing that we have a solid commitment from Senator Cullerton to endorse and actively support a slots at the track bill. If we can just take one message from today’s meeting it is that SB 3146 is not dead, it is just on hold until after the election.

Dave McCaffrey Mike Campbell

President IHHA President ITHA

 

VERY IMPORTANT PLEASE READ & SAVE ILLINOIS RACING!

BELOW is the link to SB3146, the slots bill. Call your legislators and tell them you support this bill and ask them to vote for it to save Illinois racing.

To find your legislators go to www.capwiz.com/ala/il/

and click "view" next to "my Elected Officials" and then put in your address.

Click here ---> SB3146

Or copy and paste their web address into your browser:

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=3146&GAID=

10&DocTypeID=SB&LegID=50885&SessionID=76&SpecSess=&Session=&GA=96#actions

 


Publisher: Gene Laulunen

Editor: Joan Colby 

Webmaster: Caroline Kreitz

Photo Director: Jesse Saenz

Meet Our Writers!

David Zenner

Philip Von Borries

Denise Grzyb Byrne

Neil Milbert

Fran Lowry

Tim Vana

Joe Carper

Dan Sullivan

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Gail Radke

Lanny Brooks

Greg Szymski

Cheryl Magana

Sharyn Cole

Mike Campbell

Dana Waier

 

 

Congratulations to the winners on Illinois Day at Hawthorne, Apr. 24.

 SOUPER MISS winner of the Peach Of It. Handicap. Bred and owned by Bob Ackerman, trained by Mickey Goldfine.

 RACING BRAN winner of the Milwaukee Avenue Handicap. Bred and owned by William Stiritz, trained by Scott Becker.

 NICKS winner of the Governor's Lady Handicap. Bred by Carson Springs Farm, Owned by Robert Dobbs and Ken Meeker, trained by Christine Janks.

 RIVER BEAR winner of the Robert S. Molaro Handicap. Bred and owned by Dana Waier Thoroughbreds LLC., trained by Rusty Hellman.

 WILD HOPE winner of the Pretty Jenny Stakes. Bred and owned by Gary & Beth Leverton, trained by Frank Kirby.

 BIG LOUIE winner of the Land of Lincoln Stakes. Bred and owned by S.D. Brilie Ltd. Partnership, trained by Christine Janks.

Special kudos to Christine Janks for training two winners plus two second placed horses!!

 
Theodore Roosevelt Association
Teddy Bear Gift Program
To a sick child hospitalized for serious medical comfort and a new best friend. For more than 20 years, the Theodore Roosevelt Association has been delivering Teddy Bears to these youngsters. Your kindness can help us bring more Teddy Bears and more smiles to more kids across America

 

 

  

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Sunday June 13, 2010 11:06 AM -0500