Racing at Arlington suspended indefinitely due to the coronavirus outbreak

Arlington Park's valuable summer programme, originally set to begin on Monday, has been indefinitely suspended by the Illinois Racing Board (IRB) due to restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The track is scheduled to host the Grade 1 Arlington Million on August 15 but its president Tony Petrillo has said he can offer no realistic timeline for the resumption of racing, with the IRB expected to assess the situation again at a meeting on May 22.

"We anticipate there will be a call next week to discuss the issues," Petrillo told BloodHorse. "But there's no indication or protocol to lead us to believe our race meet will open any time soon. There are many hurdles we have to overcome that are out of our hands."

Chris Block, an Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (ITHA) board member, suggested the loss of revenue during the statewide shutdown means that even if Arlington can start racing this season, its daily prize-money would be well below $100,000.

The group has stressed the importance of keeping members informed so they can plan to move horses to other jurisdictions.

"One way or another, we have to inform our horsemen," said ITHA president Mike Campbell, "We can't string them along any longer."

There was positive news from Florida on Thursday as regulators approved a request for Tampa Bay Downs to extend its meet beyond its previously scheduled closing date of May 30.

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