Arlington Park
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 race tracks, 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 Track 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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