The Three Biggest Races At Arlington Park
English
Horse racing action takes place across the United States throughout the season, but the most eye-catching of races gravitates fans to the sport that don’t want races every week. Some of the biggest races of the season take place at Arlington Park as part of the International Festival of Racing. All three of the track’s biggest races take place over the August weekend, and all of them are Grade 1 affairs.
Arlington Million
The Arlington Million, which is now known as the Mister D. Stakes, is the biggest race of the season at Arlington Park. It is a Grade 1 with some of the most high-quality horses aged three and over involved. The purse for the race stands at $1 million, and connections will also likely target the race, as it is a ‘Win and You’re In’ for the Breeders’ Cup Turf.
This race takes place over 1 ¼ miles over the turf surface at Arlington, and has been won by some of the most famous horses since its inception in 1981. Jambalaya was the first Canadian-bred winner of the race, as he won the race back in 2007. History was also made on the same day, as Catherine Day Phillips was the first woman to ride the winner in this race.
John Henry remains the most successful horse in this race’s history, as he won the Arlington Million on two occasions in 1981 and 1984. The most recent winner of the race was Bricks and Mortar in 2019. That victory gave Chad Brown a third straight win in the race.
Beverly D. Stakes
The Beverly D. Stakes is another ‘Win, and You’re In’ for the Breeders’ Cup that takes place over the same August weekend as the Arlington Million. This is another Grade 1 contest, which is open to fillies and mares aged three and over. The winning horse in this race will automatically be entered into the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf, which takes place at Del Mar in November. This race is similar to the Arlington Million, except for the fact that it is a female-only race. It is competed over 1 3/16 miles, and there is a purse of $600,000.
It has been a hugely successful stopping point for horses that have gone on to win the American Champion Female Turf Horse in the past. The most recent winner of this race to have picked up that award was Sistercharlie in 2019.
Sistercharlie would win the Beverly D. Stakes in commanding fashion two years ago, as she finished the race in a record-breaking time of 1:52.43. That success was also her second victory in this race, and she was the shortest price favourite to ever win the race.
Secretariat Stakes
The US season typically revolves around the Triple Crown races for three-year-old. However, after the Belmont Stakes, the attention can turn to the best races on the road to the Breeders’ Cup.
One of the most exciting in the second half of the season is the Secretariat Stakes. This Grade 1 is one of the most exciting races of the season at Arlington for three-year-olds, and there have been some famous winners in the past.
The most recent famous winners of this race include Adelaide and Highland Reel. Both horses, trained by Aidan O’Brien travelled over to the United States to compete in the race. Oscar Performance was another recent big-name winner of this race in 2017. Brian Lynch trained the winning runner on that occasion, who came into the Secretariat Stakes after winning the Belmont Derby. He later went on to win the Woodbine Mile and Poker Stakes in 2018.
These are by no means the only three races that take place at the track. You can stay up to date with the latest Arlington Park Picks, Entries and Results by TwinSpires here.
