Tuesday, March 09 2010

‘FESTIVAL FREE PASS’ OFFERED TO WINNERS OF SELECTED GROUP I RACES AS WELL AS ARLINGTON PREPS

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (March 8, 2010) – Arlington Park officials announced that the track will offer automatic starting berths into the Arlington Million and other International Festival of Racing events plus waive entry and starting fees for the winners of selected Group I races overseas as well as the top finishers in the track’s local Festival prep races.

In addition to the Grade I Arlington Million, the August 21 International Festival of Racing includes the Grade I $750,000 Beverly D. for fillies and mares and the Grade I $400,000 Secretariat Stakes for 3-year-olds. All three races will be run over Arlington’s internationally acclaimed turf course.

Tuesday, January 12 2010

ARLINGTON TO RUN 27 STAKES IN 2010 WORTH MORE THAN $5 MILLION

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (Jan. 12, 2010) – The International Festival of Racing, featuring the 28th running of the Grade I Arlington Million, tops a 2010 schedule that includes 27 stakes races worth more than $5 million during 91 days of racing at Arlington Park from Thursday, April 29 through Sunday, Sept. 26. The schedule is contingent upon approval of the Illinois Racing Board at its January meeting.

Arlington's International Festival of Racing will be on Saturday, Aug. 21, two weeks later than in recent years, and features three Grade I stakes scheduled to be run over Arlington’s internationally acclaimed turf course – the $1,000,000 Arlington Million for 3-year-olds & older; the $750,000 Beverly D. for fillies & mares, 3-years-old & older; and the $400,000 Secretariat Stakes for 3-year-olds.

Wednesday, October 28 2009

THREE ARLINGTON BREEDERS’ CUP CHALLENGE WINNERS ON LIST OF BREEDERS’ CUP PRE-ENTERED HORSES

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (Oct. 28, 2009) – Arlington Park again proved to be a stepping-stone for the Breeders' Cup World Championships with three Breeders’ Cup Challenge winners, four additional 2009 Arlington stakes winners, nine other Arlington Park ’09 participants and five additional horses who raced at Arlington in past seasons listed among the 166 horses pre-entered for this year's event to be run at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., Friday, Nov. 6 and Saturday, Nov. 7.

Leading the way among 2009 Arlington stakes winners pre-entered in the Breeders’ Cup is Dynaforce, who earned a berth into the Grade I $2 million Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf by virtue of winning the Grade I Beverly D. on Aug. 8. The Beverly D. was part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” format, which automatically places the winners of selected major stakes races at racetracks worldwide including Arlington Park into a corresponding divisional race.

Sunday, September 27 2009

CALABRESE, CATALANO, ALVARADO TAKE DOWN 2009 TITLES AT ARLINGTON PARK

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (Sept. 27, 2009) – The 98-day meeting at Arlington Park ended Sunday, Sept. 27, with owner Frank C. Calabrese and trainer Wayne Catalano in their familiar positions atop the standings in their respective divisions while jockey Junior Alvarado picked up his first riding title at the suburban Chicago racetrack.

The white and black diamond silks of Calabrese were displayed in the winner’s circle on 38 occasions. Calabrese has been leading owner in races won at Arlington Park every year since sharing the title with Lothenbach Stables in the year 2000. Calabrese has also been leading owner in purses earned in 2001, 2002 (excluding Breeders’ Cup Day), 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008, and was leading owner in purses won excluding the winning owner of the Arlington Million in 2000, 2004 and 2009.

PEYOTE PATTY WINS ILLINOIS OWNERS STAKES AT ARLINGTON

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (Sept. 27, 2009) – Timothy Keely’s Peyote Patty captured her fifth straight race when making her turf debut in the $100,000 Virginia H. Tarra Illinois Owners Stakes, the closing day feature at Arlington Park. Tim Thornton rode the Steve Fridley-trained daughter of Cactus Ridge who covered the mile and a sixteenth over a turf course rated “good” in 1:44.94.

“Every time we put her to a new test, she’s proven to us she can do it,” Thornton said. “Last time was the first time she went long and she broke a little slow, dropped back and came on to win easily. Sprinting she was always right there, so we weren’t sure what to expect today. I thought we’d be on an easy lead but the horse on the inside of me (Positivelycharming) wouldn’t go away and kept testing me, but like the mature horse she is she gave herself a break on the turn and when I asked her, she went on.”

Arlington Park Barn Notes: Sun. Sept. 27 (closing day)

TELLING TUNES AT ARLINGTON FOR BELMONT’S JOE HIRSCH TURF CLASSIC

Alex and JoAnn Lieblong’s Telling, who shipped from Arlington in mid-August to earn the winner’s slice of the pie in Saratoga’s Grade I Sword Dancer Invitational, breezed a half-mile in 50 flat at Arlington Sunday morning in preparation for Saturday’s Grade I Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational at Belmont Park.

Also pointing to that $600,000 Turf Classic is Castleton Lyons’ Gio Ponti, who captured the Grade I Arlington Million in his last start Aug. 8 and will be shooting for his fifth straight Grade I victory in the Joe Hirsch.

FORMER CLAIMER SUMACHA’HOT WINS GOING AWAY IN JIM MCKAY MARYLAND MILLION CLASSIC

LAUREL, MD. 09-26-09---Hubert (Butch) Cave’s Sumacha’hot came from out of the clouds to win the $200,000 Jim McKay Maryland Million Classic. The former $5,000 claimer won $110,000 for owner/trainer Cave, who had cross-entered his star in both the Classic and the $50,000 Starter Handicap where the gelding was the 7-5 morning line favorite. Sumacha’hot nearly doubled his career earnings. He earned $113,940 during his first 19 starts.

The Maryland Million is the second-most important racing day in the state after the Preakness, 12 races for runners sired by Maryland-based stallions with combined purses totaling $1.23 million. The 24th annual event drew a crowd of 21,695, who braved light rain during the second half of the card.

PLACE PICK 9 CARRYOVER SWELLS TO $53,756 FOR SUNDAY

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (Sept. 26, 2009) – There will be a $53,756 carryover into Arlington Park’s Place Pick 9 pool for Sunday’s card, the final program of the season at the suburban Chicago racetrack.

The Place Pick 9, a $1 wager, requires the bettor to correctly select the official winner or second-place horse in nine consecutive races, beginning with the first race on the card. However, with Sunday being the final day of Arlington’s 98-day meet, in the event there is no ticket sold which designates the correct numbers in the Place Pick 9 races, the entire net Place Pick 9 pool will be paid out to those with the most correct numbers.

Arlington Park Barn Notes: Sat. Sept. 26

JOCKEY JUNIOR ALVARADO CLOSE TO ARLINGTON TITLE

Arlington Park’s 2009 jockey championship is not a done deal by any means, but whatever happens in the last two days of Arlington Park’s 2009 session, Junior Alvarado, who has led the local standings for much of the summer, deserves congratulations for his excellent Chicago summer.

The 23-year-old native of Barquisimeto, Venezuela – still being doggedly pursued by jockey James Graham – had a four-win lead over that Irish rival at the end of Friday’s twilight racing program.

Friday, September 25 2009

Arlington Park Barn Notes - Friday, September 25, 2009

INEZ KARLSSON REINFORCES HER REIGN AS ‘QUEEN OF ARLINGTON’

June was busting out all over and so was jockey Inez Karlsson when she became Arlington’s all-time leading female jockey in the latter days of that month, but in mid-September her Arlington summer got even better.

That’s when the 26-year-old Swedish native passed the 60-win mark at the current meeting, breaching her final total of Arlington’s 2008 session.

Thursday, September 24 2009

Arlington Park Barn Notes: Thursday, Sept. 24

NANCY KNOTT ON HAND FOR ‘CLOUDY’S’ KENTUCKY CUP TURF WIN

When S J Stables’ Cloudy’s Knight returned to racing after more than a year off and captured last weekend’s Grade III Kentucky Cup Turf Stakes at Kentucky Downs, an old friend was on hand to witness the 9-year-old gelding’s brilliant 2 1/2-length tally.

That was equine masseuse Nancy Knott, who in former seasons had a professional “hands-on” relationship with Cloudy’s Knight before the courageous chestnut came under the care of Hall of Fame trainer Jonathan Sheppard.

Wednesday, September 23 2009

Arlington Park Barn Notes: Sept. 23, 2009

JOCKEY JUNIOR ALVARADO ENJOYS 4-WIN SUNDAY AT ARLINGTON PARK

Jockey Junior Alvarado, who has been Arlington’s leading rider most of the summer, rode a quartet of winners during Sunday’s 10-race program to gain a four-win advantage in the local jockey’s standing entering Thursday’s 10-race card.

Four racing days remain in Arlington’s 2009 racing season before Chicago’s northwest suburban oval brings down the curtain Sunday evening.