Business & Tech
Arlington Racecourse, Horsemen's Group Sign New Contract
The agreement means horse racing at the track will begin on schedule on May 6.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL―Local horseracing fans can rest easy. Arlington International Racecourse will start its season on time.
RELATED: Will Lawsuit Force Arlington Racecourse to Hold Its Horses This Year?
After almost a month of contentious negotiations that resulted in the filing of a federal lawsuit, the racetrack and a state group representing owners trainers agreed to a contract Friday.
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The Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association announced the agreement with Arlington at about 7 p.m. Friday night on its website and Facebook page.
The ITHA/Arlington Park 2016 Contract has been signed. Gates will open at Arlington around noon Saturday, April 30th.
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The new contract means Arlington's 2016 season will start as scheduled on May 6.
RELATED: Horsemen's Group Denied Injunction Against Arlington Racetrack
Both sides told the Arlington Heights Post that they were happy with the two-year agreement, which expires after the 2017 racing season. That's a 180-degree switch in attitude for representatives of the track and the ITHA, who had been at odds over the contract since early April.
On April 18, the ITHA filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court against the Arlington Heights track, the Illinois Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Foundation and the Illinois Racing Board, accusing the groups of engaging "in collusive conduct designed to replace the ITHA as the 'horsemen's group' under Illinois and federal law with the ITBOF for the contract Arlington needs in order to conduct live racing and simulcasting at Arlington Park for the 2016 summer meet."
A judge, however, denied the group's request for a temporary restraining order to stop Arlington from dealing with the ITBOF―a competing group representing horse breeders and owners that the ITHA claimed was in line to get a "sweetheart" contract deal from the track―after that organization dropped out of negotiations because it had become too expensive.
The racetrack and the horsemen's group returned to the bargaining table late last week to finally hammer out a deal and avoid canceling the 2016 horse racing season at Arlington.
More via the Arlington Heights Post
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