Evans with distressing quotes regarding AP's future..

[Kasept]

Churchill Downs CEO casts doubt on Chicago track's future, says Churchill could race less
By Gregory A. Hall

Churchill Downs Inc.'s chief executive on Thursday raised doubts about the future of its Chicago-area track and said the company's flagship Louisville track may have to further reduce racing dates.

"You can't run on hope," CEO Bob Evans said in an interview after the company's annual shareholders' meeting in Louisville. "... If we get to the point where you know 'not racing' is the best answer, well that's the best answer. But we're not starting there, and I hope we don't get there."

During prepared remarks at the meeting and in the interview after, Evans talked of plans for an impending internal review of its four racetracks and said it is difficult to justify racing at tracks that don't have slot machines or other forms of gambling to supplement purses. Asked if Arlington Park and Churchill are in jeopardy, Evans said any racetrack without alternative gambling would find it difficult to keep going without some business to make up the difference.

[Travis Stone]

More on the topic...

http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/nat...ur-tracks.aspx

This entire sport is stuck in a perpetual state/feeling of, "We know it needs to be fixed but let's wait for someone else to make the move."

Everyone can say what they want - horse retirement, drugs, past posting, takeout - but without a good product, the rest don't matter. And right now, racing's product is bad.

If racetracks start to "do the Monmouth" ... then at what point do smaller outfits start to leave the game? And from there, a large portion of the industry will fragment more, fall apart and that'll be it. Horse racing might exist, on a much smaller scale, but how can it compete with larger, more appealing forms of gambling/entertainment?

Horse racing is kidding itself if it thinks slot machines will always be there... we've seen a few whispers, and eventually, governments will say, "Hey, why are we giving $x million to horse racing, let's just re-write the law and use that for schools and other programs." What voter-base will turn that down?

Racing is leaking revenue... handle is down everywhere. Yes, it's up at Monmouth, but as an industry, it is down. Less money in the game is less money in the game, no matter how you slice it.

[NTamm1215]

You can likely add Sam Houston and Retama to the list of smaller racetracks shutting down, at least from a live racing perspective.

NT

[Duvalier]

Originally Posted by NTamm1215

You can likely add Sam Houston and Retama to the list of smaller racetracks shutting down, at least from a live racing perspective.

NT

That sucks...I always liked Sam Houston.

[dellinger63]

So Arlington can't make it in the summer with one of the finest facilities out there but Hawthorne can make it running winters? Despite AP charging $8 admission?

[Cannon Shell]

Evans hasn't figured out yet that politicians dont read anything in the media unless it is about them and arent going to bend to his veiled threat.