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Arlington Park Horseracing

Arlington Park is a thoroughbred racing facility in Arlington Heights, Illinois featuring two tracks. Its racing season typically runs from May / June through September / October.

As one of Illinois' top racetracks, Arlington Park regularly hosts high-profile stakes races, among them are the Arlington Million, the Beverly D. Stakes, the Secretariat Stakes, Stars & Stripes Breeders' Cup and the Washington Park Handicap.

Over the last few years, Arlington Park took on an active international role by exchanging races with leading tracks in England and Japan, participating in global conferences on international racing, and taking on an advisory role in efforts to develop a worldwide thoroughbred racing series. In various capacities, it has participated in several international projects including the Emirates World Series Racing Championship, the Dubai World Cup and the Singapore International Cup.

Arlington Park Facts

Main Track - One mile and one eighth oval with chutes for 6½, 7/8, 7½, 1 mile

  • Composition - 5½ cushion pad - sand top soil mixture, 18% clay, 22% silt, 60% sand
  • Width - 90 feet wide through the stretch
  • Distance from last turn to finish - 1,049 feet

Turf Course - One Mile Oval

  • Composition - Grasses are 15% red fescue, 52% Kentucky blue grass, 31% perennial rye
  • Dark brown topsoil with 3% organics
  • Width - 150 feet wide through the stretch

Training Track - Five Furlongs

  • Stable Accommodations - 2,140 Stalls, 35 Barns

Arlington Park Records

Dirt Track
DIST HORSE AGE WGT DATE REC
400 Y De Elegant Oscar 5 124 Aug 25, 2002 :19.71
4 1/2 F Wheat Penny 2 119 Jun 08, 2000 :51.64
4 1/2 F Bold America 2 120 Jun 28, 2002 :51.64
5 F Staunch Avenger 2 119 Jun 29, 1970 :57 1/5
5 F Heisanative 2 118 Jun 12, 1971 :57 1/5
5 F Shecky Greene 2 118 Jun 12, 1972 :57 1/5
5 F Zarb's Magic 9 118 Sep 7, 2002 :57 1/5
5 1/2 F Hey That's Great 5 113 Jun 27, 1992 1:02 3/5
6 F Taylor's Special 5 118 Aug 22, 1986 1:08
6 1/2 F Pentelicus 6 115 Jul 14, 1990 1:14 1/5
7 F Tumiga 4 120 Jul 13, 1968 1:20 2/5
7 1/2 F I'll Raise You One 3 112 Aug 3, 1987 1:28 4/5
1 M Dr. Fager 4 134 Aug 24, 1968 1:32 1/5
1 M 70 Y Geo. Groom 5 111 Oct 25, 1927 1:42 4/5
1 1/16 M Kindly Manner 4 114 Aug 22, 1977 1:41 2/5
1 1/16 M Mojave 3 109 Jun 30, 1981 1:41 2/5
A. 1 1/16 M Ashleigh's Jet 4 120 Jun 14, 2001 1:44.10
1 1/8 M Spectacular Bid 4 130 Jul 19, 1980 1:46 1/5
1 3/16 M Tenpins 4 116 Sep 29, 2002 1:55.07
1 1/4 M Private Thoughts 4 117 Aug 20, 1977 1:59 2/5
1 5/16 M Rush Home 5 115 Aug 7, 1971 2:10
1 5/16 M Evanescent 6 114 Jul 18, 1993 2:10
1 3/8 M Playdale 3 98 Jul 19, 1932 2:15 2/5
1 1/2 M El Misterio 5 112 Sep 5, 1960 2:28 1/5
1 5/8 M Fool's Robbery 4 111 Jul 5, 1973 2:45 3/5
1 3/4 M Deux-Moulins 8 119 Jul 14, 1955 2:59 2/5
2 M Swede Of Norfolk 6 127 Aug 15, 1970 3:26 2/5
2 1/4 M Djem 4 119 Jul 30, 1953 4:05 3/5

Turf Course
DIST HORSE AGE WGT DATE REC
5 F Distinctive Mr. B 5 122 Sep 15, 2001 :56.36
5 1/2 F Chief Sun Dance 4 115 Jul 6, 1970 1:02 3/5
1 M Gee Can He Dance 6 113 Sep 4, 1995 1:34.50
1 M 70 Y Pass The Brandy 7 114 Jul 25, 1970 1:38 4/5
1 1/16 M Zeeruler 4 113 Sep 7, 1992 1:41
1 1/8 M Mr. Leader 4 116 Jul 4, 1970 1:47 2/5
1 1/8 M Jinski's World 3 111 Jul 6, 1991 1:47 2/5
1 1/8 M World Class Splash 3 113 Jul 11, 1992 1:47 2/5
1 3/16 M Reluctant Guest 4 123 Sep 1, 1990 1:53 1/5
1 1/4 M Awad 5 126 Aug 27, 1995 1:58.69
1 1/2 M Cetewayo 8 118 Jul 6, 2002 2:27.50
1 5/8 M Coincident 4 117 Jul 26, 1951 2:45
1 3/4 M Pennsburg 5 110 Jul 5, 1941 3:02 3/5
2 M Penaway 5 118 Jul 24, 1953 3:25 2/5
2 1/16 M Deux-Moulins 8 124 Jul 28, 1955 3:30 4/5
2 1/8 M English Harry 6 108 Jul 30, 1941 3:45


History of Arlington Park

  • Arlington Park opened to an enthusiastic crowd of about 20,000 on October 13, 1927. In the first race run, jockey Joe Bollero guided Luxembourg to victory.
  • In 1933, the track installed the first all-electric totalisator.
  • In 1934, Arlington Park ran turf races for the first time in the state's history.
  • In 1936, the track installed Chicago's first photo-finish camera, called the Eye in the Sky.
  • In 1940, the track installed the first electric starting gate in Chicago racing.
  • In 1967, Arlington Park installed the largest closed-circuit color TV in all of sports.
  • In 1971, Arlington hosted the Pontiac Grand Prix - the first commercially sponsored $100,000 race in the U.S. That same year, Arlington introduced Trifecta wagering in Chicago.
  • In 1981, Arlington hosted the first ever million dollar race for thoroughbreds - the Arlington Million. In that race, jockey Bill Shoemaker led John Henry to a come-from-behind win over longshot The Bart.
  • In 1985, a fire devastated the original grandstand.
  • In June 1989, Arlington changed its name to Arlington International Racecourse. Their new casino and amusement park ushered in a new concept in thoroughbred racing by offering entertainment for the entire family.
  • In 1996, Arlington hosted the North and South American simulcasts of the first Dubai World Cup, the world's first $4 million race.
  • In 2000, Arlington merged with Churchill Downs Inc. and its name reverted back to Arlington Park.

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