Slots or not, Arlington has room to grow

Nearly two decades after its spectacular opening, it remains the marble-plated sleeping giant of the industry.

And that industry has never needed Arlington Park as much as it does right now.

The Oval seemingly has it all with its unmatched physical plant, brilliant turf course, and new Polytrack surface, but there are still days when you survey the scene and wonder why it's not tapping into all its resources, and firing on all cylinders.

Naturally, until the Oval gets the slots necessary to compete with the boats and raise purses, horse racing in Illinois will continue to suffer because cards ache, fields get squeezed, quality slides, and payouts articulate all of the above.

Yes, it's been better in 2007, but Arlington can still be more creative and attentive, and maximize the opportunity to bring in dollars that it can pass along in prize money, which leads to better cards, bigger wagering pools, larger payouts, and returning customers.

Walking around Million weekend, it was hard not to recognize the beauty and the fabulous way in which the track presented itself to the nation, but you also couldn't miss the ways in which Arlington missed.

So as a fan of the sport, one hoping that it doesn't die like so many are predicting both here and around the nation, we offer a few simple notions that will make racing more enjoyable for the patrons that keep Arlington Park in business:

•On Million Day last Saturday, the horses hit the track for the Beverly D. post parade with only three minutes on the board.

Lines were long and thousands of people at the Oval and around the country were shut out. No doubt it was a made-for-TV mistake, but it still shouldn't happen.

Attendance was up 7 percent for the Million over last year, but handle was down 2 percent, and that 3-minute post parade -- which should have been 10 -- was enough to make up the difference.

Unfortunately, getting shut out at Arlington is not rare enough.

•Why not make the most of the Friday Party in the Park?

There was a Jumbotron set up in the park last Friday for Million weekend, and it ought to be there every Friday, late into the evening, broadcasting Del Mar past sunset.

Patrons, especially those who arrive after the 5 o'clock whistle, aren't ready to leave with the last Arlington result, and the track could simply leave TVs on with machines available and they'd be raking in extra dollars until the cows come home.

People want to stay in the park and enjoy the summer weather while it lasts.

Turn the one simulcast hut in the park into a simulcast hut/sports bar with TVs showing the Cubs and White Sox, and fans will be donating left, right and back up the middle.

Furthermore, many TVs and machines in the park are difficult to see with the reflection of the sun, a problem that ought to be easy to solve in this era of technology.

•Open up the infield again.

It's a waste of a beautiful area. We can see picnics, paddle boats, fishing and a driving range out there. OK, if not a driving range, at least a putting green or mini-golf.

•Start the July 4 card later in the day, rather than have a long break between racing and fireworks. Give people a reason to spend the entire day there.

•More self-serve machines that take cash and update the equipment, which will shorten lines everywhere.

On Million Day, a patron stood in line for 10 minutes, got to the front and found a teller with a frozen machine because the system was overwhelmed, according to the teller.

Again, it's 2007 and machines shouldn't freeze on the biggest day of the year.

The bottom line is it remains a great facility and has the most honest and fair Polytrack running in America today.

But there's never been a more important time in Illinois racing as the future of gaming is up for grabs, and there's never been a more important time for Arlington to present its very best product if it wants legislative relief.

The better Arlington gets today, the better chance Illinois racing has to survive tomorrow.

Seam stress

It's not unusual for a team to get into a funk for a few days when it loses a huge bat (Alfonso Soriano) from its lineup, but the reason the Cubs fell so fast and for so long is that Aramis Ramirez picked the same moment to go on holiday.

Now, after breaking out offensively the last two days, the Cubs should manage to stay afloat until Soriano returns, and then the division will still be right there for them.

Cardinals pitching has been hot, but don't be shocked if the Cubs pound that staff this weekend.

Jenks a lot

Raise your hand if you stuck around for the end of the White Sox game Thursday just to see Bobby Jenks, who warmed up in the ninth, but never entered the game.

Ivan Boldirev-ing

Congrats to Riverwoods' Tyler Brickler for being named to the Under-17 Select Team USA participating at the 5 Nations hockey tournament in Prague next week.

UnBearable

Quick … name three things worse than preseason football.

And finally …

Comedian Alex Kaseberg: "O.J. Simpson turned 60. To give you an idea how old he is, O.J. actually can't remember where he buried the knife.''