A federal judge on Thursday denied a temporary restraining order request by the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (ITHA) that would have kept Arlington International Racecourse from negotiating with a rival horsemen's group on a contract for the fast-approaching summer race meet.
The request was part of an ITHA lawsuit filed on Monday in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (Eastern Division) that named the Illinois Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Foundation (ITBOF) and the Illinois Racing Board (IRB) as co-defendants because they allegedly acted “in collusion” and “unlawfully and backhandedly attempted to usurp the ITHA as the horsemen's lawful representative body.”
Judge Manish Shah wrote in a court order that the ITHA did not demonstrate an immediate need for a restraining order at a Wednesday hearing because “plaintiff's threat of litigation has deterred defendant ITBOF from pursuing a contract with Arlington” and that “plaintiff has not established a likelihood that it is entitled to a legal declaration right now that it is the exclusive horsemen's group at Arlington for the entire upcoming season.”
Shah further ruled that “since I conclude that a contract between Arlington and an alternative group is not presently a risk to plaintiff, I also conclude that the irreparable harm to plaintiff's standing as the horsemen's group is not likely to occur…Before ITBOF reared its head as an alternative group, the dispute between plaintiff and Arlington was about money, and now that ITBOF has retreated, urgent equitable relief is not necessary.”
A status hearing on May 3 is the next legal step. The Arlington meet is supposed to start May 6.
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