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Horse racing in Illinois faces uncertain future
SPRINGFIELD -- Hundreds of spectators lined the grandstands and placed their bets at the Illinois State Fair on what was another day of horse racing in August. At the track level, dozens of horses, riders and owners waited for the first race, adjusting colorful harnesses and taping the horses' legs. Among them was Brenda Watson and her son, Trenton, owners of their horse, Super Tea Rose. Watson has participated in the horse racing industry in some capacity since she was a child and now, her 23-year-old son owns, trains and drives his own horses. But with the future of the horse racing industry suspect in Illinois, Watson, of the southern Illinois town of Fairfield, encouraged Trenton to graduate from community college before putting full-time efforts into horse racing. Despite her history in the sport, Watson joins many in the industry in being unsure about its future. ''He can at least have an associate's (degree) and get a job,'' she said. Even those deeply connected to horse racing acknowledge times are tough in Illinois for the sport, and most government attempts to help the industry have collapsed on the homestretch year after year. Illinois Racing Board figures are clear: The amount bet on horse races in Illinois is down 18 percent from 2002 to 2007, down to about $929 million bet last year. The amount paid out to horse owners in races has dropped as well. It dropped 28.5 percent between 2002 and 2007, down to about $85 million paid out last year. In a sign of the times, the racing board approved a plan earlier this month to cut the number of races at some harness tracks in 2009 as a way to pump up purses for the remaining racing dates. It may be too late. The smaller paydays have led many Illinois owners to take their horses, and the jobs that come with caring for them, to more profitable states. ''I'm on the brink of moving,'' said Maywood Park-based owner David McCaffrey, who already has begun racing horses elsewhere on the east coast. ''I'm a Midwest guy,'' he said. ''I don't want to move.'' Many of he states Illinois owners are eyeing have installed slot machines at horse tracks. The machines can draw more gambling cash and lead to higher payouts for the winners. But experts say that even in those states, more money won't necessarily reverse a national trend that shows when people want to gamble, they'd rather not wait 20 to 30 minutes between races. They prefer the immediacy of casinos. The racing economy Some owners already have moved. The racing industry claims the sport supports up to 40,000 jobs in Illinois, from trainers and farmers to blacksmiths and grooms. Bill Wright of Morton has owned horses off and on since his youth. Now, he said, it doesn't make any sense to buy and race them in Illinois. ''This year, I'm not going to buy any Illinois horses,'' Wright said. Clearly, though, not everyone's leaving. The Illinois State Fairgrounds stable where Wright stables at least one of his horses remains busy on a typical day. People wash the horses, jog them around a track and train them to race. The animals stay at the stable until a race day, then often travel to race in Chicago area - where many of the state's tracks are. And Jane Cross of Olney has managed to keep her business, Cross Harness Supply, viable. She travels to racetracks and sells most anything a jockey or horse owner might need, from race equipment to embroidered horse clothing. ''It seems like when one door shuts, another opens,'' Cross said. Slot machines The door that many in the industry wish would stay open is the opportunity to put slot machines at the state's racetracks. The draw of slot machines could bring more cash to the tracks, resulting in bigger payouts for racers, and then attracting, in theory, higher quality horse racing. The idea is appearing to work for some other states such as Pennsylvania and New York, as well as Canada. But some doubt it's a good long-term solution. Bennett Liebman, a professor at the Albany Law School and former member of the New York State Racing and Wagering Board said general disinterest in horse racing compared to other forms of gambling is a nationwide trend. ''Illinois isn't that much different,'' he said. At casinos, gamblers can pull a lever and bet every couple seconds. Since the advent of casinos in Illinois, the state has seen the closure of the Quad City Downs in East Moline, which is open for betting via simulcast but no live racing. It hosted its last race in 1993. Also, Sportsman's Park in Cicero last had horse racing in 2006, before attempting a conversion to a car race track. It's now closed. Now, there are five tracks in the state hosting live racing including Fairmount Park in Collinsville and Balmoral Park in Crete. The most successful track measured by the amount of money that is bet there is Arlington Park in Arlington Heights. Critics of expanding gambling in the state say adding slot machines isn't an enhancement of the sport of horse racing. Instead, they say, it's simply a way to make money by adding a different kind of gambling. ''You're going to attract different kinds of people,'' said Anita Bedell, director of Illinois Church Action on Alcohol and Addiction Problems. There's no doubt, Liebman said, that putting slot machines at horse tracks would generate cash. But would it actually generate interest in the sport of horse racing itself? ''The fact is, nobody really knows,'' Liebman said. Racing politics Another unknown is whether tracks actually will ever be allowed to get slot machines. The concept of gambling expansion comes up for debate by state lawmakers nearly every year. This year was no different in that lawmakers and Gov. Rod Blagojevich looked toward new casinos and slots at tracks to raise money for billions of dollars in state construction projects. This year also was no different in that the plan failed. State Sen. Dale Righter, R-Mattoon, said the lawmaking environment in Springfield is contentious as ever. ''The governor has earned a reputation for not being trustworthy,'' he said. Betting A live horse race can be a loud, exciting affair where spectators enjoy the outdoors and bet on the races every half hour or so. But most of the horse race betting in Illinois – nearly 73 percent in 2007 -- is done at off-track betting facilities, where patrons can bet on simulcast races pumped onto TV screens from locales across the country, and as far away as Dubai and Australia. On a Friday afternoon at the All Seasons Entertainment OTB in Normal, seats are full of regulars, quietly watching an abundance of screens. Food and drinks are available at an adjacent bar and restaurant, which includes a golf pro shop and two-tiered driving range. Janet Kupferschmid, the company's regional manager, has been working in off-track betting facilities since starting as a deli clerk at one in Peoria 21 years ago in 1987, the year Illinois legalized the practice. She said the key to good business there is just like any other – customer service. ''I'm a talker and I love my customers,'' Kupferschmid said. ''They feel comfortable here.'' She said if anything, the poor economy and new smoking ban might be hurting the establishment's returns. The casino industry has cited the same factors in its own sagging betting numbers. ''We really have to work for our money and it gets harder every day,'' Kupferschmid said. Horse owner Brenda Watson would agree with that. At the state fair race, her horse Super Tea Rose finished out of the money. ''You almost have to be first or second to cover your costs anymore,'' Watson said. But, she said, losing is the reality of the business. Sometimes, it's a risky one. ''It is a horse race,'' she said. E-mail this story | Print this story | Search archives | RSS Show comments |  Hide comments | Hide comments on all stories |
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