On October 13, 1927, 20,000 spectators braved the elements to attend the inaugural thoroughbred equestrian event at Arlington Park. That day, Jockey Joe Bollero guided Luxembourg to victory, and fans cheered in the grandstand that is now being chipped away by a wrecking ball. The rich history of Arlington, almost a century old, is now coming to a sad end. It’s time to bid goodbye to an iconic venue for horse racing.

According to an agreement between Churchill Downs Inc. and Chicago Bears which was announced in September 2021, the former has sold the property in Arlington Heights to the latter for $197.2 million. After the finalization of the sale, the demolition of the Arlington Racecourse began on June 16, 2023. Hence, the process of erasure of infinite recollections associated with the track began.

The building can be demolished, but memories are forever

Described as “the most beautiful track in America”, the Arlington Racecourse has braved many adversities during its existence. While it persevered through them, Arlington could not stand strong against the will of the people who owned it. A tweet posted by the handle @JohnGDooley reminisced about the rich history of the venue. While sharing pictures of some paraphernalia, the poster wrote in the caption, “They can tear down the bricks and mortar of a great race course, with nearly 100 years of history, but can never destroy a Million memories for #HorseRacing fans around the World. #Chicago #Illinois #ArlingtonPark”.

Since its inception, the racecourse lived through the Great Depression and even survived World War II. The old grandstand at the racecourse was wiped out by a horrible fire, and a new one was built around 34 years ago. An iconic racecourse that stood strong through these afflictions, is now crumbling under the weight of a $200 million deal. In June this year, the officials in Arlington Heights’ building and life safety department approved the construction plans by the Chicago Bears and the demolishing of the grandstand and other structures on the 326-acre large property.

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Chicago Bears are going to build themselves a new dome and entertainment center instead of the horse racing track. On the other hand, Churchill Downs announced that it will be using the proceeds from the sale for the purchase of, and improvements to, real property previously acquired in connection with the nearly $2.5 billion Peninsula Pacific Gaming acquisition that closed in 2022. The Eclipse-Award-winning racetrack will see its end soon, and horse racing fans are distressed.

Equestrian community in shambles upon hearing the sad news

A fan spoke out against the sale, while citing an anecdote, and said:

The legacy of this iconic racecourse was not limited to people who actually visited but was spread worldwide, as this comment shows:

Recalling some amazing times, a commentator expressed how distraught they were by the news, and said:

A 69-year-old woman recalled memories of her childhood, when she visited the Arlington Racecourse, and revealed this sweet anecdote:

From the sweet and nostalgic words of everyone, it is clear that the equestrian community is going to miss this legendary racecourse long after it’s gone, that is how special Arlington is.

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