Reports indicate that Balmoral and Maywood Park aren't quite out of the horse racing business just yet.
According to a notice posted by the Illinois Harness Horseman's Association, Maywood and Balmoral Park were granted licenses by the Illinois Racing Board to operate their OTB’s and their intertrack facility in 2016.
However, the auction for the tracks' assets has yet to conclude. Bids for Maywood and Balmoral Park and all of their assets were due in their attorney’s office by last Friday. Three bids were submitted, only one met the qualifying criteria. That bid was on the Balmoral property alone.
As a result, attorneys for the racetracks and the riverboats motioned the court to allow them another two weeks to negotiate with the lone qualified bidder and to find more interested buyers to stimulate the bidding process. That motion was granted and the new auction date has been extended until Monday, December 28.
Balmoral has put together this video tribute to its 89 years of racing history.