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Possible final night of horse races held at Arlington Park after nearly 100 years

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. — Fans possibly saw the final night of racing at Arlington Park on Saturday.

The track has had a storied nearly 100-year history and was rebuilt after a devastating fire in 1985. And the future of Arlington remains uncertain. 

Some fans were devastated by the news.

“I’m really sad cause this is my first time here,” Mia Elliot said. “This is something I always wanted to go do was see the races.”

But it didn’t stop spectators from grieving in style.

Spectator Chelsea Dvorchak said she was saddened by the news but was excited to return to Arlington Park after 13 years away.

“I buy a lot of vintages and I think this is the occasion to wear a big hat and gloves and a pretty dress and dress up,” Dvorchak said.

Owner Churchill Downs did not apply for new race dates for 2022. Additionally, the Chicago bears is one of several possible buyers submitting bids for the more than 300-acre property. Nothing has been made official, however.

“The sale process is ongoing and they’re still reviewing bids and that’s really where they are right now,” said Tony Petrillo, president of Arlington International Racecourse.

Though Petrillo said he is sad to see the racecourse go, he is pleased that the spectacle is going out with a bang.

“We are going to have fireworks after the races,” Petrillo said. “But in between the races, the last race and then fireworks, we have a lot of memory videos that we are going to show.”