ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The Chicago Bears said they're not interested in continuing horse racing on the site of Arlington Park.
Horse racing fans hoped that the Bears would find a way to keep horse racing alive at Arlington Park in Arlington Heights starting in 2023.
However, a team spokesperson said they are not interested in horse racing at Arlington at this time.
“We are in the process of conducting our due diligence on the property and are not pursuing any horse racing opportunities on the site,” the team’s senior vice president of marketing and communications Scott Hagel wrote in an email to the Chicago Tribune.
The Tribune also reports that the president and CEO of Endeavor Properties, which was a finalist for the Arlington site when the bidding process was happening, would like to help the Bears offer both football and horse racing.
Roy Arnold said Arlington racetrack owner Churchill Downs asked potential buyers to also submit bids for the track alone. Endeavor valued the track at $40 million.
However, If the existing track and racing oval were to remain, the backstretch and practice track would have to be demolished to make room for the football stadium.
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