Arlington Racecourse Reaches Deal To Race

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(670 The Score) Arlington International Racecourse can soon prepare its starting gates for racing.

A deal has been reached between Arlington Racecourse and the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen Association, according to reports Monday, ending a lengthy dispute and setting course for racing to begin in July.

Negotiations over a deal to race at Arlington ran through the coronavirus pandemic and even during recent weeks with Illinois tracks like Hawthorne Racecourse and downstate Fairmount Park holding racing without spectators in attendance.

The deal hit a snag last week over the length of a deal and potential purse allocations in addition to a “force majeure” clause, which would break the deal in the case of an extraordinary event like in the circumstances of the pandemic, the Sun-Times reported.

Owned by Churchill Downs Inc., Arlington is scheduled to resume racing July 23 -- running Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays -- through Sept. 26.