Arlington Park in Arlington Heights, Ill.
What if?
Literally millions of horse players, owners, breeders, fans, coaches, jockeys and associates believe that the loss of Arlington Park would be a grave loss to the sport.
So I would suggest that we millions of horses band together and save the historic circuit near Chicago.
The reader is probably wondering where we lovers of Arlington Park and racing would find the money to buy the Churchill Downs Inc. property.
Given the popularity and success of the MyRacehorse Group’s funding model, in which a very large number of people contribute small sums of money, it may be possible to get a large group of good sports colleagues to band together and raise the funding for a purchase together. For example, if two million fans contributed $ 100 each, that would bring in $ 200 million to buy and operate the route. And of course, fewer contributors are needed when several deep pockets emerge. That would surely attract the attention of the parent company.
If there are as many fans of Arlington Park and sports in Chicago as I think there are, then I suggest that an Arlington Alliance raise enough money to buy and run the circuit.
The first step would be to create an organization that would accept these small percentage investments and contributions, manage the cash flow, and appoint a group of directors so that the Arlington Alliance can make a formal bid for the circuit.
After the successful purchase, the Arlington Alliance would need to be organized and ready to enter into agreements with equestrians and labor associations and work towards a sustainable model of running races to enable quality sport with a robust wallet level.
With a successful rewrite similar to the Keeneland Association, the Arlington Alliance could ensure high quality races in Chicago while benefiting the city of Arlington Heights and its neighborhoods by maintaining jobs and participating in community programs. An Arlington Park as committed to its city and its neighbors as to their survival would make the race an integral part of the fabric of this great city for decades.
– Frank Mitchell, family tree analyst, author, and consultant
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