Arlington Park news release
Contact: David Zenner
Dzenner@arlingtonpark.com
ARLINGTON MILLION TO AIR ON COMCAST SPORTSNET CHICAGO AND NATIONWIDE ON HRTV
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (August 16, 2010) – The 28th running of the Grade I Arlington Million, the centerpiece of the Chicago Thoroughbred racing season, will be shown live in a half-hour telecast to air Saturday, August 21, from 5 pm until 5:30 pm on Comcast SportsNet Chicago. The race will also enjoy national coverage on HRTV.
Hosted by Chicago sportscaster and longtime horse racing enthusiast Howard Sudberry, the 30-minute program will feature contributions from Daily Herald and horseplayernow.com handicapper Joe Kristufek, Arlington Park paddock analyst Jessica Pacheco and Arlington Park reporter Alyssa Ali.
In addition to offering live coverage of the Million, the program will show the day’s other two Grade I stakes races – the $400,000 Secretariat Stakes for 3-year-olds and the $750,000 Beverly D. for fillies and mares – on tape delay as part of the coverage of Arlington’s International Festival of Racing.
HRTV (HorseRacing Television) will feature live coverage of the entire racing card with on-site analysis from Jill Byrne, Caton Bredar and Gary Stevens.
The Arlington Million was inaugurated in 1981 as the world’s first million dollar horse race. In its 27 previous runnings the mile and a quarter turf race has been won by such turf champions John Henry, Perrault, Manila, Estrapade, Steinlen and Tight Spot.
Last year’s Million victor, Gio Ponti, was named the sports top grass male as well as top older male horse in year-end balloting and will be the likely favorite in this year’s renewal when entries for the mile and a quarter turf race are drawn Tuesday morning. Should he repeat Saturday, he would become the race’s only back-to-back winner and join John Henry (1981, 1984) as the only horses to have won the Million twice.
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 11 off-track, simulcast-wagering facilities: Trackside Arlington Park (Arlington Heights), Trackside Chicago, Trackside Quad City Downs (East Moline), Trackside Waukegan, Shooters Bar & Grill at Don Carter Lanes featuring Trackside Rockford, 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, Salerno-Pincente Ristorante featuring Trackside OTB in Hodgkins and Sundance Saloon featuring Trackside OTB in Waukegan. Information on Arlington Park can be found online at www.arlingtonpark.com.
