Saturday, May 19 2012
Arlington Park Barn Notes: Fri., May 18
All that glitters is not gold, Shakespeare theorized in Merchant of Venice and Mark Bacon and Dana Wells’ Silver Max has been supporting that premise all spring.
In his last start May 4 – Arlington’s opening day this season as well as Kentucky Oaks Day at Churchill Downs, Silver Max captured the Grade II American Turf with an impressive front-running 2 3/4-length effort over the Louisville lawn as Churchill’s supporting feature on Oaks Day.
Thursday, May 17 2012
Arlington Park Barn Notes: Thurs. May 17
JOCKEY SETH MARTINEZ SETTLING IN FOR SECOND ARLINGTON SEASON
Leading rider titles at such diverse locations as Minnesota’s Canterbury Park, Washington’s Emerald Downs, and Arizona’s Turf Paradise are in his past, but at 32 years old, jockey Seth Martinez will be hanging his tack full-time at Arlington for only the second time in his career.
“Actually, I didn’t even get to complete the season here (at Arlington) last summer, because I broke my hand toward the end of the meet and was out of action for about eight weeks,” Martinez said. “But I still was able to finish seventh in the standings, so all-in-all I thought I had a pretty good summer considering I was fairly new to the Chicago circuit.\
LONESOME STREET HEADLINES GRADE III HANSHIN CUP
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (May 16, 2012) – Ken & Sarah Ramsey’s Lonesome Street, winner of the Grade II Commonwealth at Keeneland in April, headlines a field of 10 entered for Saturday’s Grade III $150,000 Hanshin Cup at Arlington Park.
The Hanshin, a one-mile race over Polytrack, is the first event on Arlington Park’s 26-race $5.8 million stakes schedule and is being run for the 18th time as an exchange race with the Japan Racing Association which annually hosts the Arlington Cup.
Wednesday, May 16 2012
Arlington Park Barn Notes: Wed., May 16
NAJJAAR, SACHEM SPIRIT, ALL STORMY LIKELY FOR ARLINGTON CLASSIC
Shadwell Stable’s Najjaar was a disappointing seventh in the Grade I Arkansas Derby April 14 in his last trip to the post, but the homebred son of 2006 Belmont Stakes winner Jazil will now likely redirected from his aborted Triple Crown campaign to one in Arlington’s Mid-America Triple.
“Everything is good with him right now,” said trainer Danny Peitz during training hours Wednesday morning at Chicago’s northwest suburban oval of the colt who was credited with a five furlong breeze in a minute flat last Saturday over the local Polytrack.
Monday, May 14 2012
Arlington Park Barn Notes: Sun. May 13
INEZ FOREGOES 2012 ARLINGTON SUMMER CAMPAIGN AS YOUNG MOTHER
Jockey Inez Karlsson, who became a mother for the first time last July, has decided to put her jockey career on hold – at least for Arlington’s 2012 season – to pursue the more ethereal rewards of motherhood.
“What they always say is true, your life completely changes when you become a mother,” Karlsson said, speaking outside Arlington’s paddock last weekend while wielding a baby carriage occupied by her daughter Sophia Rose Calcagno. “But,” she added quickly, (motherhood) is by far the best thing that has ever happened to me.
Sunday, May 13 2012
JOCKEY BRANDON MEIER TAKEN TO HOSPITAL AFTER 11TH RACE INCIDENT
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (May 12, 2012) – Jockey Brandon Meier was taken to Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights, Ill. following an incident in the 11th race at Arlington Park when his mount, High Brow Honey, fell approaching the top of the stretch in the five-furlong turf race.
Meier was conscious and alert complaining of upper body pain and was taken directly to the hospital for further evaluation. According to track veterinarians, High Brow Honey was said to be lame in the left front and was vanned back to the barn for further evaluation.
Friday, May 04 2012
Arlington Park Barn Notes: Thursday, May 3
JOCKEY ROSEMARY HOMEMEISTER JR. STARTING A NEW LIFE
Jockey Rosemary Homeister Jr. may be a new name on the Arlington racing program this summer, but she’s hardly a new name to racing fans around the nation.
Her mother and father were both jockeys, her own distinguished riding career began 20 years ago, and during the summer of 2009 she surpassed the legendary Patti Cooksey to become the second leading female rider of all time behind Hall of Fame jockey Julie Krone.
Thursday, May 03 2012
Arlington Park, ITHA Reach Contract on 2012 Season
Arlington Park and the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association jointly announced that they have agreed to new contract for the 2012 race season.
Arlington Park’s opening day is Friday, May 4th. The program will feature 9 live races and will include all races from Churchill Downs featuring the Kentucky Oaks. Doors open at 11:15 a.m. and first post is 3:00 p.m.
Wednesday, May 02 2012
ARLINGTON PARK PURSES REDUCED BY 20% BEGINNING MAY 4
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (May 1, 2012) – As a consequence of the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (ITHA) not allowing Arlington Park to accept wagers on its races outside of Illinois, Arlington Park is forced to announce that purses will be reduced by 20% beginning Friday May 4, 2012.
In the interest of Illinois horse racing and as a last ditch effort to avoid a purse reduction, attached is a letter to Glen Berman of the ITHA dated Sunday, April 29, 2012 setting forth Arlington Park's offer to operate the 2012 race meet under the previously agreed to 2011 agreement while both sides continue to negotiate to resolve outstanding issues. Unfortunately, our offer was not accepted. This offer is still open for the ITHA's acceptance and Arlington Park will reinstate purses as soon as we can once again accept wagers from outside of Illinois.
Arlington Park Barn Notes: Tues. May 1
RUSSIAN REDUX: GENNADI DOROCHENKO GETS LAST LAUGH ONCE AGAIN
Think back to the initial days of Arlington’s racing season a year ago, and how an unfamiliar Russian-born trainer named Gennadi Dorochenko arrived on the Chicago scene as a total unknown with little but the visionary foresight of Arlington racing secretary Chris Polzin to recommend him.
At the time, the native of Krasnodar, Russia, had horses that were something of an anomaly – including stock purchased at the Keeneland sales for bottom-feeder prices that had subsequently begun their circuitous racing careers at unfamiliar courses in Poland and Russia.
Wednesday, March 21 2012
$725,000 OVERNIGHT STAKES PROGRAM ANNOUNCED
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (March 21, 2012) – A schedule of 11 overnight stakes races worth an aggregate $725,000 for the 2012 meet was announced by Arlington Park Director of Racing and Racing Secretary Chris Polzin.
Two Arlington overnight stakes schedule for Arlington Million Day on Aug. 18 will carry a purse of $70,000 each while the remaining nine races each will carry a purse of $65,000.
Tuesday, February 14 2012
GIANT OAK VOTED ILLINOIS HORSE OF THE YEAR FOR 2011
LYONS, Ill. (Feb. 13, 2012) -- Daniel Sullivan, president of The Illinois Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Foundation, announced Feb. 13 that Giant Oak had been named the state’s 2011 Horse of the Year and champion older handicap male. Giant Oak, owned by Virginia H. Tarra Trust, is a homebred son of Giant’s Causeway
Other divisional awards, which were voted on by members of the state’s racing media and racing secretaries, are as follows:
