Horse Racing: Arlington Million

Somehow, Arlington Park survived the inferno in 1985 that reduced one of America's revered horse racing venues to 21000 tons of blackened rubble. Just three weeks later, hastily constructed bleachers and betting operations welcomed the running of the annual Arlington Million. By 1989, a rebuilt and renamed Arlington International Racecourse had…

In the immediate aftermath of Ya Primo's victory in the G1 Longines Gran Premio Latinoamericano, the focus shifted to how it was likely his last race in South America. Ahead of the contest, a 50 percent stake in the now dual G1 winner was sold to Sol Kumin, meaning Ya Primo is bound for the United States and will join Chad Brown's barn. However,…

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (CBS) -- The Arlington International Racecourse is not applying for a gaming license - and it could even move somewhere else. The reason has everything to do with taxes. The racetrack in Arlington Heights is home to the Arlington Million Race. Churchill Downs owns it, and says the taxes in the new Illinois gaming law are…

Belmont at the Big A starting gate. (Susie Raisher) NYRA Press Office OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Upland Flats Racing's stakes-placed Blue Creek will seek to display his late-running tactics en route to a stakes triumph in Saturday's 11th edition of the $135000 Awad for juveniles going 1 1/16 miles over the inner turf at Belmont at the Big A. The dark bay…

Highestdistinction ups his win streak and makes the grade (Jim McCue/MJC) David Joseph/Maryland Jockey Club BALTIMORE- Willow Lane Stables, Inc. homebred Highestdistinction, better than ever at the age of 6, ran his win streak to three races with a second consecutive stakes triumph and first in graded company in Saturday's $200000…

An overflow field of 16 turf stayers will run 1 1/2 miles on the Kentucky Downs green in the $1.7 million Kentucky Turf Cup S. (G2) on Saturday. United Nations S. (G1) winner #11 Therapist (7-2) is the morning-line choice for conditioner Mike Maker, who has a trio of dangerous contenders in the cast. $1 trifecta 11 with 2,7,8 with all…

Buttercream Babe gave Mike Maker his first win of the meet as he took the opener on Thursday (Grace Clark) Kentucky Downs Press Release FRANKLIN, Ky.- Mike Maker had no idea what percentage of his career success was on grass, just that it was a lot. So here are some numbers: Maker is Kentucky Downs' all-time winningest trainer, getting his 80th…

When the horses came out on the track for the $500000 Tapit Stakes at Kentucky Downs on Thursday, trainer Whit Beckman had to do a double take. He knew his 5-year-old gelding Harlan Estate would not be one of the favorites in the field of 11. But he didn't think the son of Kantharos would be the longest shot on the board, either. That's exactly…

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- The town remains stately. It's no wonder George Washington liked it so much. Zac Brown, a new sort of revolutionary, played the Performing Arts Center last week. Phish has a two-nighter next weekend. Saratoga -- the legacied race track -- still stands as the region's signature landmark. For seven weeks or so every summer…

NEW KENT - On Saturday, I had a hay day at Colonial Downs Racetrack's "Festival of Racing." Princess Anne Hunt chose the exciting venue to celebrate huntsman Martyn Blackmore's birthday. Colonial's "Festival of Racing" card included the Arlington Million, $500000 Beverly D and $500, 000 Secretariat Stakes. My card included eating cake, admiring…

It was old-timers day at Saratoga and Colonial Downs on Saturday, as a pair of seven-year-olds proved best in the two signature races of the day, the Fourstardave Handicap and the Arlington Million. The Fourstardave featured a rematch between Casa Creed and Annapolis, a relative youngster at four. The two had squared off in the Kelso Stakes (G2) at…

Somewhere the late Virginia breeder Bill Backer is trying to keep a chuckle from turning into a belly laugh. Or maybe not. "He would have been laughing probably," said Hunter Lee Marek, the equine manager at Backer's Smitten Farm. "He would have been so happy, shocked, but very confident because he was always so confident in his horses. That's what…

Saturday sees the biggest day in Virginia racing with the running of the international Arlington Million Stakes and Beverley D Stakes at Colonial Downs, in the'Festival of Racing.' And can Godolphin's US based Irishman Brendan Walshe make it back-to-back'Millions' with Santin stepping up to the traditional Arlington Million of 1m2f, having been run…

The so-proclaimed "biggest day in Virginia horse race history" took place on Saturday at Colonial Downs, and spectators filled the grandstands as they watched their favorites thunder down the track. Gates opened at noon, but fans piled in throughout the day as they waited in anticipation for the three biggest races that were being held for the…

The Secretariat statue was in New Kent. A Tweedy was on the grounds. A Virginia-bred won the Grade 2 Secretariat Stakes. Maybe the racing gods were smiling on Colonial Downs Saturday. "Oh my goodness, right? Named for him in the state where he was born and raised, it couldn't be a better fit," said the Virginia Equine Alliance's Jill Byrne a couple…

With the stakes races at Saratoga today lacking a bit of luster - put quite frankly, they stink - we need to look elsewhere for our Saturday afternoon action, and fortunately, there is no shortage of intriguing and playable races across this great land, especially at Colonial Downs, which has picked up the three biggest races of the year that used…

These Saturday races at Saratoga and Colonial Downs meet the criteria I've established forusing the superfecta-key betting strategy. Saratoga Race 10 This dirt mile allowance event for 3-year-olds and up attracted a field of 10, including two trained by Linda Rice and six saddled by new trainers, one of whom is Rice. Nine runners exit dirt races -…

Far away from its Chicagoland roots, the Arlington Million starts a new chapter Saturday in Virginia. Atone is the 7-2 morning-line favorite for the Grade 1, $1 million Arlington Million, which will run for the first time at Colonial Downs. Post time is 6:40 p.m. EDT, with FanDuel TV showing the 1 1/4-mile turf stakes. Churchill Downs, Inc., the…

Horse racing gamblers are you looking for 2023 Arlington Million Stakes Free Pick & Handicapping Odds…plus some predictions? Need some advice on who to take? The 2023 Whitney is set for August 12 at Colonial Downs in New Kent, Virginia. Here's a preview of our top contenders.

The first $1 million race in America was the 1981 Arlington Million won by John Henry. Run at Arlington Park in the Chicago suburbs until the facility closed in 2021, last year the race took place at Churchill Downs. With its' lush turf course, Colonial Downs in the suburbs of Richmond, VA, will host the event this year. Read on for our Colonial…

From well-bred maiden prospects to well-traveled turf campaigners, compelling racing is in store on Arlington Million Day. Here are some horses to consider on the terrific card at Colonial Downs, including a mini-version of an international scouting report on Romagna Mia in the Beverly D. (G1). #4 Beyond Oscar (5-1) is a half-sister to Bricks and…

One of the country's most storied turf races will run at Colonial Downs for the first time when the starting gate opens in the 2023 Arlington Million on Saturday. The $1 million race was run at Arlington Park from its inception in 1981 to 2021 before moving to Churchill Downs last year. This year, the historic race has been moved again and returns…

You could excuse the Arlington Million if it's suffered an identity crisis the past three years. In 2021, America's first-ever million-dollar race was offered as the $600000 Mr. D. Stakes at the track rebuilt by Richard Duchossois, the former chairman of Churchill Downs Inc., which brought the track from the veteran magnate in the early 21st…

The quality summer racing from Del Mar continues Saturday. The track features a Grade 3 on dirt and the Grade 2 Yellow Ribbon Handicap on Turf. Turf racing represents a different challenge for handicappers. Dirt races are frequently dominated by front runners. The race shape tends to be quick in the early stages with the horses decelerating to the…

Our horse racing betting picks are focusing on key grass races on the road to the Breeders' Cup taking place this Saturday, namely the Fourstardave Handicap and the Arlington Million. Read on for in-depth analysis of each event. Photo By - USA TODAY Sports Some of the best turf horses this side of the Atlantic will square off on Saturday as…

A good Thursday morning to you all! Arlington Million Day card here at Colonial Downs has been drawn and getting ready for the big day. It was looking like we'd maybe have seven or eight for the Million coming into entry day, but we ended up with a good size field of 11 runners that look pretty evenly matched. Excited to see how all that plays…

Saturday's Grade One Arlington Million 2023 runners will see 11 entries heading to post in search of the lucrative first prize - one that trainer Chad C. Brown has won three times since 2017 and is double-handed again this year. The Arlington Million has had more homes than the Littlest Hobo in recent years having moved from Arlington Park to…

A pair of Pennsylvania-bred 2-year-olds made their Colonial Downs debuts Saturday in $150000 5-furlong dirt stakes, and both came away with victories - though they occurred in very different fashion. Cash is King and LC Racing's Carmelina and Robert and Tammy Klimasewski's Going Up got their pictures taken in the Keswick Stakes for fillies and…

A trainer takes her horse on a practice run on the dirt track at Colonial Downs. From George Washington pitting his best breed of horses against Thomas Jefferson's to the spectacular Triple Crown victory of Doswell-born Secretariat in 1973, horse racing has a legendary history in Virginia. Now that legend is about to get a leg up. Colonial Downs,…

Churchill Downs Inc. (CDI) is set to go ahead with plans to move the GI Arlington Million, the GI Beverly D S. and the GII Secretariat S. to Colonial Downs, where the races will be run on Aug. 12. CDI acquired the New Kent, Virginia, track in August of this year. The three races were long-time fixtures at Arlington Park, which closed at the…

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Churchill Downs Inc., the parent company of Churchill Downs which host's the famed Kentucky Derby, recently announced it would donate "Against All Odds," a bronze statue by Edwin Bogucki, to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. This statute will become part of the museum's permanent collection and will be…

Six months sufficed to liquidate Arlington Park's assets, but eradicating its history and cherished memories proves a far greater challenge. On October 13, 1927, despite adverse conditions, a crowd of 20000 witnessed the inaugural thoroughbred equestrian event at the Park. Jockey Joe Bollero steering Luxembourg to triumph. The grandstand that…

Churchill Downs Inc. will donate Against All Odds, an inspiring bronze statue by Edwin Bogucki, to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame as part of the museum's permanent collection. The statue will be unveiled at its new home in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., next Wednesday. Against All Odds depicts the thrilling photo-finish victory of hall of…

Churchill Downs Incorporated has announced a thoughtful donation. Home of the Kentucky Derby, they have contributed an inspiring bronze statue titled'Against All Odds.' The statue, made by renowned artist Edwin Bogucki, is to be housed in the prestigious National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. This meaningful addition commemorates a significant…

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…

Further underlining the merit of last year's G1 St Leger, Juddmonte's Haskoy (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}) got up late to register a winning return in Saturday's G3 Aston Park S. at Newbury and enhance her claims in next month's G1 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot. Demoted from second to fourth in the Doncaster Classic, which was coming up quickly after her…

There's a reason we're the #1 trusted source for premium racing picks & info. Millionaire Santin, a well-bred colt who ships in from Kentucky to try his luck in the Grade II, $250000 Seabiscuit Handicap Saturday, looms as the one to beat in the nine-horse lineup for the Thanksgiving weekend headliner. And while the son of Distorted Humor figures…

Colonial Downs will be the new home for three high-profile horse races, after the Virginia Racing Commission recently approved 27 live race dates at Colonial Downs during the 2023 meet. All three are run on turf and before 2022 were held at the now-shuttered Arlington Park track in suburban Chicago. The three include the Arlington Million Stakes,…

Of all the rich memories this reporter still can summon from the first running of the Arlington Million - other than John Henry's operatic victory over The Bart that summer of 1981 - two linger like hard-learned lessons. The first took place in the lobby of the Arlington Hilton Hotel, located a healthy walk from the racetrack, two nights before the…

It is sometimes called the most important turf meeting in the U.S. this side of the Breeders' Cup. But is the Arlington Million card really all that? The ingredients are certainly there. Impressive purses for three Grade 1 races that have endured for more than three decades. Horses from around the world representing the sport's biggest powerhouse…

Jane Elliott: has ridden three winners in the US The US is known as the land of opportunity and jockey Jane Elliott is determined to give her American adventure every chance of succeeding. Elliott's name has been absent from British racecards since January and, after encouragement from trainer Tom Dascombe and agent Steven Croft, she crossed the…

NEW KENT - Racing at Colonial Downs has picked up speed since the course reopened under new owners in 2019. Now, next year promises to be an even bigger season. Gov. Glenn Youngkin's office announced Wednesday that a trio of Thoroughbred stakes races are moving to Virginia - the Grade 1 Arlington Million, the Beverly D. Stakes and the Grade 2…

The Arlington Million anchors Saturday's Arlington International Festival of Racing, which is the highlight of the summer at Arlington Park, regularly attracting big crowds and first-class racehorses to the Chicagoland track. With a hefty purse and a spot in the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf on the line, it's easy to see why the Arlington Million is…

Two Emmys wins Saturday's Grade I Mr. D. Stakes at Arlington Park, the final gasp of what once was the Arlington Million. Photo by Coach Photography, courtesy of Arlington Park Aug. 16 (UPI) -- There was something for everyone in Saturday's presumed final run of "Million Day" at Arlington Park with a victory for top international raiders and…

Racing started at Arlington Park in 1927 Top US trainer Chad Brown has expressed his disappointment that the owners of Arlington Park - one of the most historic and storied tracks in America - have put the Chicago venue up for sale. Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI) on Tuesday launched a process to sell the 326-acre site in Illinois that has…

The Pizza Man steps up to Grade 1 company in Saturday's Arlington Million at Arlington Park. (Photo by Eclipse Sportswire) Thirteen horses will enter the gate in Saturday's 33 running of the Arlington Million at Arlington Park with no true standouts among them, leaving us with a prime wagering opportunity. It's no secret that handicapping the…

Juddmonte's multiple graded stakes winner Set Piece was tabbed as the 2-1 morning line choice by morning line odds maker Mike Battaglia in Sunday's 43 running of the Grade 3, $300000 River City at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. The River City is one of three stakes events on the program. Run at 1 1/8 miles on turf, the River City will go as the…

The Arlington Million, which has been rerouted to Churchill Downs following the sale of Arlington Park, is one of the big weekend graded-raced this Saturday. But we've also more top-notch contests at Saratoga and Del Mar to look forward to. Let's take a look at the best races this Saturday and the probable runners. We've three Grade 1 turf races to…

Churchill Downs, Ellis Park To Offer Two-Day Pick Six Betting Option (Churchill Downs / Coady Photography) From the Churchill Downs Media Team: A special two-day $1 Pick 6 including stakes races from Churchill Downs and Ellis Park highlights Saturday's Arlington Million Day wagering menu at Churchill Downs. Billed as the "Bluegrass Pick 6," the…

America's first ever million dollar race was one that will forever be treasured in Chicago racing history. After months of building anticipation, the inaugural running of the Arlington Million was unveiled on a late summer afternoon of 1981. Much to the delight of everyone, Arlington Park had attracted the defending turf champion. In John Henry,…