Fairmount Park kicks off its 100th anniversary season April 22 with an eight-race card and a brand new casino that only seemed to take 100 years to get into operation.
Opening day has eight races with total purses of $125,000—modest by some standards but encouraging for local horsemen who have suffered through years of decline and disappointment.
Even more encouraging is the temporary casino that opened its doors April 18 with a range of slots and electronic table games for gamblers and the promise of additional purse money for horsemen.
Illinois tracks were authorized to apply for casino gaming licenses through legislative action in 2019, and the entire state racing industry expected a renaissance. Then, one by one, casino action at the state's three tracks stalled out.
First, Churchill Downs Inc., which owned Arlington International Racecourse, shocked the industry by declining to even apply for a gaming license and instead closed and sold the track. The iconic grandstand was demolished by the land's current owner, the NFL's Chicago Bears.
Hawthorne Race Course applied for a license and gutted its grandstand to make room for a casino. But funding has been elusive, and the skeleton of the former grandstand now looms over the racing surface.
Action also stalled at Fairmount, located across the Mississippi River from St. Louis in Collinsville, Ill., alongside Interstate 55. Once the track was sold to Accel Entertainment in December of 2024, though, action shifted into high gear.
After relatively rapid-fire approvals by the Illinois Racing Board and Illinois Gaming Board, Accel set its sights on having the temporary casino operational in time for the May 3 Kentucky Derby (G1)—and made it with two weeks to spare.
"It's been a long time coming, and we're thrilled the day is finally here," IRB executive director Domenic DiCera said. "It's encouraging to the entire industry."
A percentage of racetrack casinos' adjusted gross revenue is allocated, on a sliding scale, to purses and eventually should help boost Fairmount's daily offerings significantly from the opening-day level. The gaming expansion legislation also mandates part of the AGR be devoted to improvements on the track backstretch.
Jim Watkins, head of the Illinois Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, said walking into the casino opening was "a great day. A great feeling."
Watkins praised Accel for hiring Vince Gabbert Sr., a former official at Keeneland, as general manager of the entire enterprise.
"I mean, this is a gaming company. For them to put a racing guy in charge of the whole thing really says a lot about their commitment," Watkins said.
He acknowledged change will take some time. "But," he said, "it will be fun to watch the reload."
Operating Fairmount is a new direction for Accel, and the company went to great lengths to convince state regulators of its commitment to both gaming and racing.
Watkins noted all eight races on the opening-day program are sprints at 5 and 5 1/2 furlongs. He said horsemen and track officials agreed to start short to address conditioning issues caused by nasty winter weather, but said the horse population on the backstretch—about 600 with more promised—should support average eight-horse fields on eight-race programs.
"We are thrilled to open our casino and showcase our park improvements, highlighting the hard work and dedication of our employees and partners," Gabbert said.
Accel CEO Andy Rubenstein credited the support of state and local officials.
"I would like to thank the Illinois Racing Board, the Illinois Gaming Board, the city of Collinsville, and our local elected officials for their guidance and partnership throughout our development of this historic property. We would not have been able to complete this casino and park improvements in less than five months without their support," Rubenstein said.
Fairmount will celebrate its 100th anniversary Sept. 19, hosting the fifth running of the $250,000 St. Louis Derby, the richest race on the Illinois calendar. The 2022 edition was won by Rattle N Roll, the first grade 1 winner to compete at Fairmount in any local's memory.
