A southwest suburban man with interests in several trucking-related companies is the new owner of the storied harness racing track Balmoral Park near Crete, records show.

Radomir Dobrasinovic has been on something of a real estate buying spree in recent months in and around Crete, according to public records, including buying a bowling alley and shuttered amusement center.

He paid $3.9 million at the end of January for Balmoral Park, and around the same time purchased the nearby Balmoral Woods Country Club for $1 million, records show.

Along with other family members, Dobrasinovic, 54, has interests in trucking, through MGR Express in Summit, as well as businesses involved in truck sales, leasing, financing and insurance.

Balmoral Park, 26435 S. Dixie Highway, in unincorporated Will County just outside of Crete, had been home to both harness and thoroughbred racing over the decades, but hosted its final harness races the day after Christmas in 2015 after track owners filed for bankruptcy.

It was purchased out of bankruptcy in 2016 for $1.6 million by New York-based Horse Shows in the Sun, or HITS, which undertook an extensive renovation and conversion to host horse jumping events. The first such events took place in 2017.

The 200-acre property was put on the market last year with an asking price of $4 million.

After buying Balmoral and the 120-acre Balmoral Woods, to the east of Balmoral Park and east of Illinois Route 394, Dobrasinovic paid $181,000 in April for the shuttered Crete Family Fun Center.

The business, 955 Main St., north of Crete’s downtown business area, is on 27 acres and closed in October 2013, according to a property listing. The asking price was $750,000, and the amusement center boasted an 18-hole miniature golf course, driving range, batting cages, go-cart track and video game arcade.

In late July, Dobrasinovic paid $500,000 for Pin & Tonic, a bowling alley at 643 Dixie Highway in Beecher, records show.

He did not respond to a request for comment about plans for Balmoral Park.

Crete Mayor Mike Einhorn said he had a short conversation with Dobrasinovic shortly after the purchase, and that the buyer said he did not have any immediate plans for the property, which is outside of the village.

Einhorn said that, before that talk, he spoke with someone who purported to be a representative of Dobrasinovic who said that plans were to use the Balmoral property for horse training.

Will County Commissioner Sherry Newquist, a Democrat from Steger whose district includes Crete and Balmoral, said she had not seen anything filed with the county regarding a possible reuse or redevelopment of the property.

Balmoral opened in 1926 as Lincoln Fields and was changed to Balmoral in 1955 under new owners.

While HITS didn’t disclose what it spent to covert the property from harness racing to equestrian events that drew riders from around the

world, the work included a massive renovation of the stables as well as removal of the oval track and infield. Ten competition arenas or rings were built, with paths running among them and bleachers set up for spectators.

Much of the property remained intact, including the 4,400-seat enclosed grandstand, and other elements of the track’s history, such as the finish line pole, were incorporated in the makeover.

About a month ago, vandalism was reported at Balmoral, which included several pictures and a horse skeleton display being damaged and more than 40 windows in the enclosed grandstand broken, according to Will County sheriff’s police.

Multiple fire extinguishers were emptied and thrown about, a billiards table was flipped over, holes were knocked into the walls, furniture overturned and glass bar shelving was shattered, police said. A caretaker at the property told police that replacing the broken windows would cost between $5,000 and $10,000 apiece.

mnolan@tribpub.com