NEWSWIRE : Arlington Reopening Approved

Arlington International Racecourse received approval Tuesday from the Illinois Racing Board to reopen next year with a summer thoroughbred meeting at Arlington Heights, Ill.

Arlington, the state’s top track before it closed in 1997 in a dispute over competition from casino gambling, was awarded the dates May 14 through Sept. 30.

The Arlington Million will be run in August. The track also has been bidding for the Breeders’ Cup.

Track President Richard L. Duchossois closed the racecourse two years ago when he was unable to get state legislation passed to help the ailing horse racing industry better compete with the state’s 10 gambling boats and other casinos in nearby Indiana.