Balmoral Park reopens in April
The landmark Balmoral Park (a former harness racing track) in Crete is slated to reopen in April as a "world-class" hunter/jumper equestrian center that's expected to draw show jumping horses from all around the globe.
HITS Inc., an upstate New York-based company, achieved its longtime goal of entering the Chicago market after it snatched the 70,000-seat harness racing track in south suburban Crete out of bankruptcy last year. It plans to reopen the track where Al Capone and Jack Dempsey once watched the ponies as HITS Balmoral Park on April 18, and has scheduled 13 weeks of shows running through September.
Spokeswoman Emily Glass said there's been a significant amount of construction.
"HITS has to transform the park from a harness track to an upscale showjumping facility," she said.
HITS acquired Balmoral Park for $1.6 million but is not disclosing the additional amount of investment in the 200-acre property. The company is adding six hunter rings, four jumper rings and hundreds more stables to handle the expected influx of show horses.
"It's a big investment, but we're going to reap the rewards in a couple of years," HITS President and Chief Executive Officer Tom Struzzieri said. "We run horse shows all over the country, in California, Texas, New York and Florida and our newest destination will be the Balmoral Race Track. We're going to bring in international hunters and jumpers from all over the world."
As many as nine or 10 competitions will take place simultaneously during the weekend shows, which is expected to draw spectators from as far as 120 miles away. The contests also will be webcast, and may be eventually broadcast on television.
Show jumpers will compete for $3 million in prizes during the first season. HITS has purses of up to $1 million at its tracks.
There won't be betting on the horses like there was when it was a trotting track.
The business model for hunter/jumper equestrian centers is built around entry fees from bringing in horses and riders internationally, but HITS also expects to draw crowds of around 5,000 spectators on Saturdays and Sundays.
"It's an opportunity to bring the family," Struzzieri said. "Admission is very inexpensive. It's great family entertainment. You can get up close to the horses and watch them jump."
The arrival of HITS should give new hope to the many who feared the closing of Balmoral Park in late 2015 would take a toll on the Crete area, where many horse boarding farms operated.
"There's already been real estate moves and investment," he said. "Once they know we're putting our anchor here for a long time, it behooves some of them to be nearby."
For more information on HITS equestrian shows visit http://www.hitsshows.com/
The last harness race in the history of the 89-year-old horse track took place at the end of 2015. It switched from thoroughbred racing to harness racing in the early 1990s.
The mile-long racetrack was built as Lincoln Fields in 1926 and remained one of the top tourist attractions in the Chicago Southland almost until the end. It simulcasted races to 3,000 off-track betting parlors across the nation.
By Joseph S. Pete
Reprinted with permission of The Times of North West Indiana
Joseph S. Pete is a Lisagor Award-winning business reporter who covers steel, industry, unions, the ports, retail, banking and more. The Indiana University grad has been with The Times since 2013 and blogs about craft beer, culture and the military.
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