Illinois Harness
Horsemen's Association
Illinois Harness
Horsemen's Association
OUR VISION
Standardbred Racing
Standardbred Racing has had a long and magnificent relationship in Illinois. Our extended history with the sport was so popular that in 1900, 80 Illinois County Fairs featured trotting and pacing competitions.
The popularity continued to grow as over 200,000 people showed up at the Springfield State Fairgrounds to watch Greyhound race in 1935.
The Opening Of Maywood Park
In 1946, after parimutuel racing was granted in Illinois, Maywood Park opened as a dedicated harness-racing track.
Pari-Mutual Racetracks Open
Since then, pari-mutual racetracks opened up throughout Illinois and we eventually raced at Aurora Downs, Washington Park, Cahokia Downs, Sportsman’s Park, Balmoral Park, Quad City Downs, Fairmount Park and those glorious double headers in the winter at Hawthorne, and yes, even two seasons at Arlington Park in 1978-79. As recently as the early 2000’s as many as 42 County Fairs hosted harness racing.
Our Vision
As we race into the future, the IHHA has embraced a “vision” of what we want our sport to look like going forward. With the passage of the gaming bill, we believe we are poised to move back to the front on the national stage of harness racing.
Spearheaded by our very own Bill Wright, the following thoughts and ideas have been developed by various committees throughout the years. These committees have been made up of industry leaders from different aspects of the harness racing community. The IHHA has acknowledged the work of these committees and has endorsed “Our Vision.” The following views are just a few things that we believe are required for long-term Illinois Harness Racing prosperity and sustainability.
“Our Vision” starts with a Racino as a destination location. First and foremost, it must include harness racing as the focal point within the entertainment complex. Our envisioned destination venue would combine the thrills of harness racing with traditional casino wagering.
The main entrance to the race track should emphasize harness racing immediately. As other casinos are already prevalent in Illinois, this will differentiate us from the rest of them. The lobby should create a first impression that will complement our presence. It should provide clear access to the racetrack, the grandstand, the dining room, and the casino area. We believe the paddock should be a part of the customer experience. A clear and weather-controlled view into the paddock activities should be considered when our customer enters. Again, this gives us an advantage over all other traditional casinos. We have watched some other states build their Racinos with horse racing as an afterthought. We have visited these tracks and are astounded how difficult it is sometimes to even know there is racing going on. We will do all we can to ensure that is not the case here.
We believe the racetrack must be a 7/8- or 1-mile all-weather track with exceptional lighting. It must be wide enough to accommodate ten horses on the gate. The track apron should be slightly elevated to allow clear visibility for our fans to watch the action as it goes down the backside.
We believe there should be a Family section – An area, mostly segregated from alcohol and gaming, should be provided to encourage families and to serve as an introduction to the sport. It should have visual access to the track and paddock.
We believe that marketing is a universal responsibility which includes horsemen as well as racetrack owners and operators. Harness Racing must re-invent itself into a fan or customer attractive sport. We need to create heroes, both horse and human, through teamwork with the racetracks. We need our racetrack owners to understand the need to promote our sport as well as the casino operations. We have collectively compiled a long list of marketing and public relations ideas. Some ideas have a proven record of success. Some are far-fetched but intriguing. Some are downright wacky. All should be discussed when the times comes.
We have embraced these ideas because we love our sport and we want it to be successful and prosper. However, there are also benefits for the entire State.
- Additional state and local tax revenues.
- Provide communities with additional revenue sources and community pride.
- Illinois is an agribusiness state. This will allow our once robust breeding program to flourish well into the future.
- The equine industry provides green-space and an environmentally friendly atmosphere for so many during an age of industrial pollution.
- A horse racing backstretch is an agricultural atmosphere, yet it co-exists within an urban environment. This is an incredible opportunity as a learning tool for our youth.
- Additional new jobs utilizing multiple skills and a workforce of people with diversified cultural and racial backgrounds.
Our Basic Principles
We understand that this “vision” may not be shared by everyone. However, we do believe that these are some basic principles for us to share with and encourage our future racino partners to embrace. None of these ideas will add to the overall cost of the racino. They just take a little extra planning and commitment. We believe that if implemented correctly, it will allow us to be successful for years to come.
What We Look Forward To For Our Future
We look forward to the day when, as an association, we can begin to concentrate on being pro-active leaders in the industry as well as our community. Right now, we are spending all of our energies on fighting for every nickel and racing opportunity we can find. Once Hawthorne gets up and running and once the second racino project sees daylight, we can begin to bring these ideas to a realization and to improve the overall quality of life for Illinois horsemen in many different ways. We want to restore the pride to Illinois Harness Racing.