Most probably in the next months we are going to watch the end of this track.
"Racing has declined to the point at which the large land areas, which most big tracks possess, is worth more if sold to real estate or developer interests. I fully expect downstate New York racing to go the same way one day. I always thought Aqueduct would go first, but I'm beginning to think Belmont might also be either shrunk dramatically or sold in total to developers. They certainly have declined horribly, both in terms of track accommodations and attendance. Back in the day, tracks were owned by sportsmen and women could never have foreseen this day — but unfortunately, it's here."
AP belongs to Churchill Downs Inc. Other tracks were closed down the last decade, and some of them were available on exchange markets. I'm thinking about Beulah Park, Atlantic City and Suffolk Downs. Horse racing is not popular among younger people and there are many risks ahead like though regulations imposed by animal rights activists.
Greg Wood (The Guardian) has written an interesting article about how it came about "Arlington track’s demise down to the ominous growth of gaming" (published 19 AUG 2021).
Greg Wood (The Guardian) has written an interesting article about how it came about "Arlington track’s demise down to the ominous growth of gaming" (published 19 AUG 2021).