Arlington Park

Contacts: Jim Gluckson, Breeders’ Cup 212-230-9512
Jason Howarth, Conover Tuttle Pace 617-412-4000

ARLINGTON PARK TO HOST THREE BREEDERS’ CUP CHALLENGE RACES AS PART OF 2008 EXPANDED SCHEDULE

Series To Include New Races In Toronto, Seattle, Boston, Miami, Delaware and New Jersey

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (Feb. 14, 2008) – The Breeders’ Cup Challenge, a series of automatic qualifying races for the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, will be expanded from 24 races to a minimum of 49 races at 12 of North America’s premier racing venues in 2008, Breeders’ Cup announced today. Arlington will host three races during the 2008 Breeders’ Cup Challenge season beginning on August 9 with the Arlington Million and Beverly D.

The expanded Challenge will now include six international races at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Canada. Other new markets and tracks for the 2008 Breeders’ Cup Challenge include Emerald Downs in Auburn, Wash.; Suffolk Downs in Boston; Delaware Park in Wilmington, Del.; Calder Race Course near Miami; and Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J. The 2008 Breeders’ Cup Challenge races will be televised on ABC, ESPN, TVG and HRTV in more than 120 countries.

The 2008 Breeders’ Cup Challenge will be highlighted by its “Win and You’re In” provision, with the winner of each of the 49 Challenge races automatically qualifying for a spot in the corresponding divisional race in the fourteen-race, $25.5 million Breeders’ Cup World Championships. The 2008 Breeders’ Cup marks the 25th running of the event, which will be held October 24-25 at The Oak Tree Racing Association meet at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., and will be televised live on ESPN.

Arlington will host the following Breeders’ Cup Challenge races:

DATE - RACE - BC QUALIFYING RACE
August 9, 2008 - Arlington Million - Turf
Beverly D. - Filly & Mare Turf
August 23, 2008 - Arlington Sprint - Turf Sprint

“Following last year’s successful launch of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge, there was a great deal of interest from tracks around the country and internationally to be a part of this years series, and that interest led to the expansion of the Challenge,” said Greg Avioli, president and chief executive officer of Breeders’ Cup Ltd. “The creation of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge has served as a powerful link between America’s greatest races to the Breeders’ Cup and has created an increased level of awareness for the horses competing in the World Championships.”

Five of the 49 races will be automatic qualifiers for starting positions in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic beginning with the Whitney Handicap in Saratoga (July 26), the Pacific Classic Stakes at Del Mar (Tentative - August 24), the Massachusetts Handicap at Suffolk Downs (September 20), The Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park (September 27), and the Goodwood Stakes at the Oak Tree Racing Association’s meet at Santa Anita Park (Tentative - September 27). The Classic is limited to 14 starters.

Breeders’ Cup Challenge expansion also includes the addition of qualifying races for the $1 Million Dirt Mile, $2 Million Juvenile Fillies, $ 1 Million Juvenile Fillies Turf and $1 Million Juvenile Turf. In its first year the Breeders’ Cup Challenge consisted of 24 races.

In its first year the Breeders’ Cup Challenge had 14 winners who competed in the 2007 Breeders’ Cup World Championships; four horses won - War Pass (Juvenile), Ginger Punch (Distaff), English Channel (Turf), and Curlin (Classic).

Shamdinan (Turf), Lawyer Ron (Classic), Tiago (Classic), Greg’s Gold (Sprint), Idiot Proof (Sprint), Wicked Style (Juvenile), Tough Tiz’s Sis (Distaff), Unbridled Belle (Distaff), Purim (Mile) and My Typhoon (Mile) were BC Challenge winners who also competed in the 2007 Breeders’ Cup.

While 49 races have been established as the preliminary Challenge schedule for 2008, Breeders’ Cup officials indicated that they might expand by an additional 5 or 6 races pending ongoing discussions with partner tracks.

Introduced in 2007, the Breeders’ Cup Challenge helped drive attendance, wagering, television and media coverage in participating markets where Breeders’ Cup and its partner tracks co-promoted the events.

2008 Breeders’ Cup Challenge Schedule

Date/Track - Race - BC Qualifying Race

July 5, 2008
Monmouth Park - Salvator Mile - Dirt Mile
United Nations - Turf

July 12, 2008
Calder Race Course - Princess Rooney - Filly & Mare Sprint
Smile Sprint - Sprint

July 13, 2008
Delaware - Delaware Handicap - Distaff

July 19, 2008
Del Mar* - San Diego Handicap - Dirt Mile

July 26, 2008
Saratoga - Whitney Handicap - Classic
Go For Wand Handicap - Distaff
Diana Stakes - Filly & Mare Turf
A.G. Vanderbilt Handicap - Sprint

August 2, 2008
Del Mar * - John Mabee - Filly & Mare Turf

August 9, 2008
Arlington - Arlington Million - Turf
Beverly D. - Filly & Mare Turf

August 16, 2008
Saratoga - Sword Dancer - Turf

August 17, 2008
Emerald Downs - Longacres Mile Handicap - Dirt Mile
Del Mar* - Del Mar Handicap - Turf

August 23, 2008
Saratoga - Ballerina - Filly & Mare Sprint
Arlington - Arlington Sprint - Turf Sprint

August 24, 2008 Del Mar* - Pacific Classic Stakes - Classic
Rancho Bernardo - Filly & Mare Sprint
Del Mar Mile Handicap - Mile
Pat O’Brien Handicap - Sprint

September 7, 2008
Woodbine - Natalma - Juvenile Fillies Turf

September 14, 2008
Woodbine - Woodbine Mile - Mile

September 20, 2008
Suffolk Downs - Massachusetts Handicap - Classic

September 24, 2008
Oak Tree at Santa Anita Park* - Morvich Handicap - Turf Sprint

September 27, 2008
Belmont Park - The Jockey Club Gold Cup - Classic
The Pilgrim - Juvenile Turf
Oak Tree at Santa Anita Park* - Goodwood Stakes - Classic
Lady’s Secret Stakes - Distaff
Yellow Ribbon - Filly & Mare Turf
Oak Leaf - Juvenile Fillies
Ancient Title Stakes - Sprint

September 28, 2008
Belmont Park - Miss Grillo - Juvenile Fillies Turf
Oak Tree at Santa Anita Park* - Norfolk - Juvenile
Oak Tree Mile Stakes - Mile

October 3, 2008
Keeneland* - Darley Alcibiades - Juvenile Fillies

October 4, 2008
Keeneland* - Thoroughbred Club of America - Filly & Mare Sprint
Lane’s End Breeders’ Futurity - Juvenile
Shadwell Mile - Mile
Woodbine - E P Taylor - Filly & Mare Turf
Summer Stakes - Juvenile Turf
Canadian International - Turf
Nearctic - Turf Sprint
Belmont Park - Champagne - Juvenile
Frizette - Juvenile Fillies

October 5, 2008 Keeneland* - Juddmonte Spinster Stakes - Distaff
JP Morgan Chase Jessamine - Juvenile Fillies Turf
Woodford Reserve Bourbon - Juvenile Turf

* = Tentative date

Breeders’ Cup administers the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, Thoroughbred racing’s year-end Championships consisting of 14 races and $25.5 million in purses. The organization also administers the Breeders’ Cup Challenge qualifying series, and the Breeders’ Cup Stakes Program. Breeders’ Cup is located in Lexington, Ky., and in New York City. Breeders’ Cup press releases appear on the Breeders’ Cup Web site, www.breederscup.com.

Arlington Park – the Chicago area’s premier Thoroughbred racetrack located in Arlington Heights, Ill. – will run a 96-day meet in 2008 from Friday, May 2 through Sunday, Sept. 21. Arlington Park, whose parent company is Churchill Downs Incorporated (Nasdaq: CHDN), also operates nine off-track, simulcast-wagering facilities: Trackside Arlington Park (Arlington Heights), Trackside Chicago, Trackside Quad City Downs (East Moline), Trackside Rockford, Trackside Waukegan, Fat Sam’s Bar & Grill featuring Trackside OTB in Lockport, Lucky’s featuring Trackside OTB in South Elgin, Nicolino’s featuring Trackside OTB in McHenry and The Inferno featuring Trackside OTB in South Beloit. Information on Arlington Park can be found online at www.arlingtonpark.com.