The new owners of Fairmount Park outlined for the Illinois Racing Board Nov. 21 ambitious plans for improvements at the downstate track including commitments to purse increases and improvements on the backstretch.
They also told the board to expect "some crazy ideas from time to time."
The presentation was spearheaded by Vince Gabbert, a former Keeneland Association executive and now owner's representative for Accel Entertainment, which expects to close early in December on the purchase of the track across the Mississippi River from St. Louis. Accel also plans to open a temporary casino at the track in April.
In its current iteration, the track is known as FanDuel Sportsbook and Horse Racing. Accel refers to it as Fairmount Park and plans to trade heavily on its 100-year legacy.
"Accel's commitment is to deliver a first-class product ... We want to increase the wagering, we want to increase the handle, we want to increase purses, and we want to create a first-class product," Gabbert said.
The presentation hit notes throughout that resonated with long-standing IRB concerns including breeding, marketing, and backstretch stabling and living conditions.
"We understand that Illinois-bred numbers have fallen drastically over the last 10 or 15 years," he said. "I think we can create a program that supports that, that keeps that agricultural product in the state, that enhances that breeding program.
"It's not going to be overnight. This is not a six-months project. This is a multiyear project. But I think with the commitment of Accel, we have that opportunity."
Gabbert said Accel already has worked to gain the cooperation of horsemen and praised the willingness of horsemen's groups to partner with new ownership.
"The horsemen down there are amazing. I can tell you Illinois is blessed, whether it's Chris Block and his group (the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association) up here in the north or Jim Watkins and Scottie Becker (the Illinois Horsemen's Benevolent & Protective Association) down south. It's very refreshing to walk into a room and the horsemen want to sit on the same side of the table with you—not across from you."
He said Accel has negotiated "a handshake deal just waiting on execution on a five-year purse deal that provides them a guaranteed increase year-over-year. We're making that commitment early on so that they understand what's going into the product, allows them to plan long-term."
Beyond commitment to purses, Gabbert outlined plans for physical improvement on the backstretch, including electrical and technology improvements and security upgrades. But he also noted seemingly small things can make a big difference to those living and working on track.
"I'll give you one small example—picking out the muck pits on a daily basis rather than once or twice a week. It's hard to push a wheelbarrow over the top of muck so it's better if it's pushed back into the pit. I know it sounds like a little thing but it's a major piece of making sure the backside stays clean and workers and trainers and all the horsemen on the backside feel valued."
The down-home example drew a compliment from Commissioner Patricia Saccone.
"Thank you for coming forward and using terms that really show us that this is going to be a collaborative effort," she said.
Gabbert also said Accel will work on "regionalism" with tracks in surrounding states to try to maximize the use of the existing Midwest horse population and develop a marketing program that will feature the Fairmount's 100th birthday Sept. 19, 2025.
That celebration, he said, might include the running of the $250,000 St. Louis Derby, currently Illinois' richest race.
"When I talk about the opportunity that exists at Fairmount, we also are probably going to be coming to you with some crazy ideas from time to time," he told the board. "Things that you can't do in other jurisdictions. There's certain things from a wagering standpoint, from an activity standpoint, that you can't pull off in New York or Kentucky or Florida or California. We feel like at Fairmount we have that opportunity.
"So we'll be coming to you and asking permission. We won't ask for forgiveness. We will ask for permission."
IRB chairman Daniel Beiser, himself a Fairmount patron, raised his eyebrows at that but said, "We're always willing to listen to ideas."
