FOR SALE | Historic Arlington Park Hits the Market
- Glancer Magazine
- Feb 24, 2021
- 2 min read
Updated: Mar 2, 2021
STORIED VENUE GOES ON SALE, 2021 RACE SCHEDULE STILL ON
This week we learned that the owners of Arlington Park – one of the most historic and storied tracks in America – have put the Chicago venue up for sale.
News broke on Tuesday as Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI) began the selling process for the 326-acre site in Illinois that has hosted racing since 1927 and welcomed some of the sport's biggest names, including legendary Triple Crown hero Secretariat, who followed his record-breaking Belmont Stakes win in 1973 by romping to victory in the track's Arlington Invitational.
“Arlington’s ideal location in Chicago’s northwest suburbs, together with direct access to downtown Chicago via an on-site Metra rail station, presents a unique redevelopment opportunity. We expect to see robust interest in the site and look forward to working with potential buyers, in collaboration with the Village of Arlington Heights, to transition this storied location to its next phase,” Bill Carstanjen, CEO of Churchill Downs Incorporated, said in a statement, as reported by CBS-Chicago.
“In the meantime, we are very committed to pursuing the relocation of Arlington’s racing license to another community in the Chicagoland area or elsewhere in the state. We are exploring potential options with the State and other constituents and remain optimistic that we can find solutions that work for the State, local communities and the thousands of Illinoisans who make their living directly or indirectly from thoroughbred horse racing. We are committed to the Illinois thoroughbred racing industry and will consider all options in working toward opportunities for it to continue into the future.”
Arlington Racecourse currently is serving as a COVID-19 testing site for the State of Illinois.
