- ‘Against All Odds’ statue donated to Saratoga’s National Museum of Racing

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Churchill Downs Incorporated will be donating its “Against All Odds” statue depicting the finish of the 1981 Arlington Million to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame as part of its permanent collection.

The bronze statue, created by Edwin Bogucki in 1989, shows the photo finish won by Hall of Famer John Henry, ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Willie Shoemaker, as they caught The Bart just before the wire in the inaugural Arlington Million at Arlington International Racecourse in the suburbs of Chicago.

The statue will be unveiled at the Hall of Fame next Wednesday.

“It is a great honor to make this gift to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in memory of the late Richard Duchossois, where it will be prominently displayed and enjoyed by racing fans for many years to come,” CDI CEO Bill Carstanjen said in a release. “Much like Mr. Duchossois, ‘Against All Odds’ represents perseverance. May it serve as an inspiration to horses and humans alike that with courage and determination, what seems impossible can be achieved.”

“We are most grateful to Bill Carstanjen and everyone at Churchill Downs Incorporated for the generous donation of the ‘Against All Odds’ statue to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.” said John Hendrickson, Chairman of National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. “This incredible work of art represents so many iconic elements of racing history — the inaugural Arlington Million, Hall of Famers John Henry and Bill Shoemaker, and the legacy of Richard Duchossois, a true Pillar of the Turf,” said John Hendrickson, Chairman of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.

Duchossois, who died in 2022 at the age of 100, led a group of investors who bought the Chicago track, renamed Arlington Park, in 1983. He was inducted to the Hall of Fame as a member of the Pillars of the Turf in 2019.

The CDI-owned Arlington Park was closed in 2021, and in February the Chicago Bears finalized a deal to purchase the 326-acre property for the purpose of building a new stadium there.