Aug. 25--Arlington Park owner Richard Duchossois had just returned from a birthday celebration in the early morning hours of July 31, 1985, when the phone started ringing in his Barrington home.
"They told me a little fire had started in the breezeway, but that it was small, and I should not worry...they just wanted to notify me," Duchossois said. "And then, of course, I got another call a little while later, and was told, 'the fire has gotten bigger, and you'd better get over here.'"
But three decades after the so-called "Miracle Million" was celebrated by more than 35,000 fans who gathered in a makeshift tent city just weeks after the devastating fire to watch Great Britain's Teleprompter beat Greinton by less than a length to win the race, Duchossois says today he faces a different challenge. In particular, one that includes saving Illinois' languishing thoroughbred horse racing industry. To do so, Duchossois said he hopes to bring casino gaming to the track.
Thirty years ago, Duchossois arrived by helicopter as the fire at the historic venue in Arlington Heights swiftly spread from its start above the ceiling of the track's Horsemen's Lounge, eventually engulfing all five levels of the majestic grandstand, and forcing the village's fire chief to evacuate the burning building where roughly 200 firefighters had been battling the savage blaze for nearly nine hours.
The circa 1927 landmark he had bought somewhat reluctantly with a team of investors just a few years earlier was destroyed, but Duchossois remained determined. Never mind the fact that his grandstand was reduced to rubble and ashes; the track's grass turf was unscathed, and the prestigious Arlington Million race slated for Aug. 25, 1985, would not be scratched.
"I had made a commitment to horse owners from all around the world, some of whom had already shipped their horses over, " Duchossois, now 93, recalled in an interview earlier this month.
"Some people said it would be impossible, but I said, 'I'm the owner, and we're going to run the Million race. Period.' "
Illinois tracks typically apply for race dates with the Illinois Racing Board for the following year. This year, Duchossois is working with officials at Hawthorne Race Course in Stickney-Cicero to develop a joint plan for the Illinois horse racing industry that requests 74 live thoroughbred race dates at Arlington as well as 65 live thoroughbred race dates and 61 live harness racing programs at Hawthorne, said Tony Petrillo, Arlington International Racecourse's general manager.
"Both tracks feel this plan fulfills the legislative intent of the Horse Racing Act of 1975 to grow Illinois racing and keep Illinois racing competitive with racing in neighboring states," Petrillo said, adding: "The Illinois racing industry needs revenue from additional forms of gaming in order to compete with racing in other states and we continue to work toward a bill in Springfield that will achieve this goal."
While officials say the new joint plan shows a willingness of Hawthorne and Arlington to work together for the greater good of Illinois racing, any additional forms of gaming offered at the tracks would need the approval of the state, and has long faced opposition from existing local casinos, whose supporters have said they fear expansion could oversaturate the market.
Indeed, officials in Arlington Heights remain generally unswayed by the lure of local revenues garnered from the influx of video gaming machines allowed in neighboring communities, including Wheeling and Prospect Heights. But their past aversion to expanded wagering at the track has been tempered by the reality that the future of Arlington International Racecourse is closely intertwined with the village's financial stability.
"Our last estimate shows that Arlington International contributed about $1 million in revenue to the village, they're our largest employer, and they have 750,000 visitors a year -- all of which adds up to a big economic footprint in the village and region," Arlington Heights Village Manager Randall Recklaus said.
""We support efforts to have expanded gaming at Arlington International to preserve its long-term vitality," Recklaus said.
If state legislators do vote to pass a law aimed at reviving the ailing thoroughbred horse racing industry, it could include allowing casino gaming at Arlington International to help bolster race purses -- a key to attracting the best horses, Duchossois said.
Recklaus said the village is confident that the track would operate a facility that would be complimentary to the community.
"Arlington International has shown us they can do gaming well and in a way that is beneficial to the village, and they've being doing just that for a long time," Recklaus said.
Though the bill pending in Springfield hangs in the balance, some folks in Arlington Heights, like former Arlington Heights Deputy Fire Chief Charles Kramer, are hopeful that legislators will act soon to help a local landmark.
Kramer, 75, was a young captain with the fire department who was at home and off duty when he got an early morning call, alerting him that Arlington Park was on fire, and his services were needed.
Arriving at the track by 2:30 a.m., Kramer did not leave until 8:30 p.m. that night, joining forces with nearly 200 firefighters from 21 communities who battled an intrepid blaze that he described as, "just breathing in the air."
"There were all these hidden spaces...we'd break down a wall and put out the fire behind it, and we'd discover there were actually five different walls and three ceilings, and there was fire behind each of them," said Kramer, who now works as the village's assistant emergency management coordinator.
Kramer also recalls crews from the track hurriedly laying down a wooden plank to allow the fire engines to drive over the turf and pump water from a lake in the center of the infield. The job was accomplished without ruining the delicate turf grass, which if damaged, could not have been restored in time for the Million race just 25 days away.
"The amazing thing about Mr. Duchossois is, here's this World War II hero, who just made up his mind," Kramer said. "He knew he had horses coming to his track from all over the world, and even though the fire was still smoldering he said, 'we have a responsibility, and we're going to run this thing.'"
kcullotta@tribpub.com
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