Arlington Park news release
Contact: David Zenner
Dzenner@arlingtonpark.com
CHRIS POLZIN NAMED DIRECTOR OF RACING AND RACING SECRETARY AT ARLINGTON PARK
Longtime Assistant Promoted to Head Racing Office
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (Dec. 4, 2009) – Christian A. Polzin, a longtime racing official on the Chicago circuit, has been named director of racing and racing secretary at Arlington Park, it was announced Friday by track president Roy Arnold.
“After conducting a nationwide search and interviewing a number of high-quality candidates from all over the country, I am proud to announce that the right person for the job was already here in Chicago and that we were able to promote Chris as our new director of racing and racing secretary,” said Arnold. “Chris’s many years of experience as assistant racing secretary and stakes coordinator give him the relationships necessary with horsemen locally, nationally and internationally to move Arlington’s stakes program and overnight racing forward in 2010.”
Polzin, a Chicago native and son of former Chicago Tribune handicapper and turf writer Elmer Polzin, got his start in racing working in the Arlington Park press box as statistician in 1981. His first job as a racing official came in 1982 at Sportsman’s Park and he joined the Arlington Park racing office in 1985 as clerk of scales. He has been the assistant racing secretary here since 2005 and prior to that was stakes coordinator from 1991-2002. The 55-year-old Polzin has also served as assistant racing secretary at Hawthorne Race Course and Sportsman’s Park.
“I’ve spent practically my entire life at Arlington Park and I am excited to have the opportunity to be director of racing and racing secretary,” Polzin said. “I am looking forward to continuing to work with the Illinois horsemen as well as horsemen from all over the world who send their horses to compete in our stakes races and I welcome the challenge to make Arlington’s racing program even stronger than it already is.”
Polzin will assume his duties at Arlington later this month and among his first tasks will be to finalize the track’s 2010 stakes program.
Arlington Park – the Chicago area’s premier Thoroughbred racetrack located in Arlington Heights, Ill. – will run a 91-day meet in 2010 from Thursday, April 29 through Sunday, Sept. 26. Arlington Park, whose parent company is Churchill Downs Incorporated (Nasdaq: CHDN), also operates 10 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, Tad’s Sports Bar & Grill featuring Trackside OTB in South Beloit and Salerno-Pincente Ristorante featuring Trackside OTB in Hodgkins. Information on Arlington Park can be found online at www.arlingtonpark.com.
