Saturday, July 04 2009
Arlington park Barn Notes: July 3
MEDIA ADVISORY – SUNDAY IS EARLIE FIRES DAY AT ARLINGTON
It’s time to sing “Thanks for the Memories” to the most enduring jockey in the history of Arlington Park!
How many Chicagoans cut their teeth as Thoroughbred racing fans watching the inexhaustible talents of Hall of Fame jockey Earlie Fires as he drove horses to the wire – encouraging each animal’s best effort with his patented furious finish?
Friday, July 03 2009
Arlington Park Barn Notes: Thursday, July 2
INFORMED DECISION DUE THURSDAY FOR SATURDAY’S CHICAGO HANDICAP
Early in the spring last season at Arlington Park, Hall of Fame trainer Jonathan Sheppard quietly shipped in Augustin Stable’s Forever Together for Arlington’s Reluctant Guest Stakes – an overnight event with a $50,000-added purse – and at that time the developing 4-year-old filly returned an $18.40 win price.
The healthy payoff was also almost twice as much as Forever Together paid when she won the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf at the end of the year at Santa Anita.
Thursday, July 02 2009
Arlington Park Barn Notes: Wed. July 1
JOCKEY RANDY MEIER JOINS ARLINGTON’S ALL-TIME TOP TEN LIST
Veteran Illinois-based reinsman Randy Meier, who became a regular on the local circuit in 1981, joined Shane Sellers in a tie for 10th position in Arlington’s all-time leading rider list when he guided Richard Glander’s Double Silver to an upset three quarter-length tally in Sunday’s fourth race.
Double Silver, an Honour and Glory colt trained by Monique Cameron, was making the first start of his career and paid a $49.20 straight mutuel.
Sunday, June 28 2009
Arlington Park Barn Notes: June 28, 2009
RUMOR HAS IT – ‘SHORTY’ GOES LONG IN POLAR EXPEDITION
Saturday’s $52,500 Polar Expedition at 1 3/4-miles over Arlington’s Polytrack was designed as potential prep for horses being considered for the $500,000 Breeders’ Cup Marathon in early November, and it may have hooked an interested party with the connections of Saturday’s winner Rumor Has It.
“The owners and I talked about that (the BC Marathon) a little bit right after yesterday’s race,” said winning trainer David Hinsley during training hours Sunday morning. “They (James Glenn and William Patterson) bred this horse as well and we’re probably going to consider that Breeders’ Cup race down the line.
RUMOR HAS IT TAKES POLAR EXPEDITION STAKES
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (June 27, 2009) – James Glenn and William Patterson’s Rumor Has It had everything his way going gate to wire in Saturday’s $52,500 Polar Expedition for 3-year-olds and up at Arlington Park on Saturday at the seldom used distance of a mile and three-quarters.
Rumor Has It, perfectly timed throughout by jockey Eduardo Perez, broke on top in the six-horse field and was never pressed, drawing off to lead by as many as 20 lengths early before reporting home 5 ¾ lengths in front.
Arlington Park Barn Notes: Sat. June 27
ARLINGTON ANNOUNCES DISCOUNT RACING/FIREWORKS PACKAGE FRIDAY
Arlington Park has announced a $20 restricted tent area package deal ($10 for children 12 and under) for individuals who purchase their tickets online in advance of Friday’s racing/fireworks show at Chicago’s showcase Thoroughbred oval.
Included in the advance online package is premium seating for the combined racing and fireworks show in the tents and grassy area in front of the tents, but also included is appropriately-themed America’s Birthday weekend food such as hot dogs, hamburgers, potato chips, mixed green salad, watermelon, cookies and cotton candy.
Saturday, June 27 2009
Arlington Park Barn Notes: Fri. June 26
GANGBUSTER COLD CHALK IN SATURDAY’S POLAR EXPEDITION STAKES
Allshouse Racing Stable’s Gangbuster, who upset Keeneland’s $100,000 Ft. Harrod Stakes April 10 in his initial attempt at 1 5/8-miles, has been installed as the solid 8-5 morning line favorite for Arlington Park’s featured $50,000 Polar Expedition Stakes at 1 3/4-miles Saturday.
The Ft. Harrod was run on Polytrack and the Polar Expedition is slated for that same synthetic surface locally, but in his last start May 23 at Churchill Downs Gangbuster was a non-threatening sixth in the Grade III Louisville Handicap when asked to negotiate 1 1/2-miles over the grass course there.
Friday, June 26 2009
Dining With The Dynasties Fund-Raiser
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (June 25, 2009) --- The Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund and the Racetrack Chaplaincy of America jointly announce the expansion of the Dining With The Dynasty event to be held in the Governor’s Room at Arlington Park on Friday, Aug. 7, 2009.
The Dining With The Dynasty, a ticketed luncheon event, affords event attendees a once in a lifetime chance to gather, dine and converse with legendary jockeys from Thoroughbred racing’s glorious past and who have created some of the most exciting moments in horse racing history.
Arlington Park Barn Notes: Thurs. June 25
POLAR EXPEDITION STAKES DESIGNED AS BREEDERS’ CUP MARATHON PREP
Serving as the Arlington Park’s feature attraction this weekend is the inaugural running of the $50,000 Polar Expedition Stakes, to be run at the marathon distance of 1 3/4–miles over the Polytrack course this Saturday.
“We’ve run local stakes named the Polar Expedition before,” said Arlington vice-president/racing and racing secretary Kevin Greely of Saturday’s event in honor of the multiple Illinois Horse of the Year, “but none of those other Polar Expedition Stakes were run at a mile and three-quarters.
Thursday, June 25 2009
Arlington Park Barn Notes: Wed., June 24
SUNDAY MARKS 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF MODERN ARLINGTON PARK
On June 28, 1989, less than four years after the original Arlington Park building was completely destroyed by fire, the suburban Chicago racecourse reopened as an innovative guest-friendly facility that was quickly dubbed as the “Taj Mahal of Thoroughbred Racing.”
This Sunday Arlington Park will celebrate the 20th anniversary of that 1989 opening day with a rededication ceremony – and the first 2,000 fans through the gates will receive a mystery mutuel voucher worth anywhere from $2 to $100.
Road To The Million III: Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Archipenko, denied victory by three-quarters of a length in last summer’s Grade I Arlington Million after being boxed in much of the way, is likely to try again, according to a spokesman for the International Racing Bureau (IRB) contacted earlier this week.
Owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa al Maktoum and Dr. A. H. Parker and trained by world renowned South African-born conditioner Mike de Kock, Archipenko went to the post as the strong choice in last summer’s Arlington Million based on his decisive win in Hong Kong’s Group I Audemars Piquet Queen Elizabeth II Cup, but in Chicago’s showcase race the Kentucky-bred son of Kingmambo was a victim of traffic problems until finally getting clear in mid-stretch.
Tuesday, June 23 2009
ARLINGTON PARK TO HOST FOUR BREEDERS’ CUP CHALLENGE RACES
he Breeders' Cup Challenge, a series of automatic qualifying races for the $25.5 million 2009 Breeders' Cup World Championships, will increase expansion this year with a record 62 races taking place in seven countries at the world’s greatest racing venues, it was announced today. Arlington Park will host four races during the 2009 Breeders’ Cup Challenge Season beginning on July 11, with the $200,000 Arlington Sprint Handicap, a Turf Sprint qualifier. The $300,000 Washington Park Handicap is one of three Challenge races that will serve as a Breeders’ Cup Classic qualifier. Click here for complete 2009 schedule:
http://www.breederscup.com/schedule.aspx?tab=1
