I was looking at the ITHA website to see if there was anything recent to learn there, and there wasn't, but there was this interesting little notice as of January 22:
"On January 10th, the Illinois Racing Board approved the 2006 Arlington Park stakes schedule without the support of the ITHA. The ITHA rejected the stakes proposal by Arlington Park because Arlington Park failed to provide the ITHA with a purse structure for the upcoming 2006 live meet. Although the ITHA supports stakes races and big days, management at Arlington Park must realize that overnight racing is what makes our product. Overnight purses are what drives our sport. Horsemen do not ship to racetracks to participate in a race meeting because of what the stakes line-up is. They ship for what the daily average distribution is going to be."
WHAT'S THE DEAL? I thought with the extra racing days and the big bonus of having Kentucky Derby day with Arlington as simulcast host, there was going to be bazillions for purses, all would be hunky dory with the horsemen and purses, and a general warm rosy glow would spread over The Land Beyond O'Hare. And now ... it's not?
Some other interesting information, too.
http://www.ithainc.com/page9.html
