The Illinois Racing Board will hire another consultant to analyze the racing surface at Arlington Park after learning the board’s first consultant, Charles Coon, apparently met with track executives and provided recommendations that were not included in the report he later submitted to the board.
Arlington officials could not be reached for comment on what Coon’s recommendations were. The report to the board said the track was safe and “remarkably consistent and uniform.”
Coon’s inspection of the racing surface was prompted by a sudden upsurge in catastrophic breakdowns at this year’s meeting. Eighteen horses have received lethal injections after breaking down in races during the first 61 days of the 95-day meeting versus 12 at last year’s entire meeting.
“Recommendations for alterations to the track surface and track maintenance procedures were communicated in writing directly to track management but not made part of his original report,” the board said in a statement released Friday afternoon.
In June, Arlington hired an independent track surface expert to conduct an analysis, and he pronounced the surface safe. But when the breakdowns continued the board hired Coon, a track consultant from Florida, to get another opinion, and his report also said it was a safe surface.
The board’s executive director, Marc Laino, said that the board also is investigating whether Coon’s discussion with Arlington’s executives violated its rules.