ARLINGTON ANNOUNCES 156 NOMINATIONS TO MID-AMERICA TRIPLE

Includes 25 Overseas Horses from International Racing Bureau

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (April 12, 2002) -- A total of 156 horses, including 25 submitted by the International Racing Bureau, have been nominated for the Mid-America Triple turf races at Arlington Park this summer. Total purses for the trio of races is $800,000.

The series of turf races for three-year-olds of world-class caliber kicks off with the 68th running of the Grade 2 $175,000 Arlington Classic, presented by Woodford Reserve, at a mile and an sixteenth over the turf Saturday, June 29. This year's distance is a sixteenth of a mile shorter than the 2001 running.

The Grade 2 $225,000 American Derby, presented by Jack Daniels, on the turf at a mile and three-sixteenths is scheduled to be run for the 88th time on Sunday, July 21.

The triple concludes on International Festival of Racing Day at Arlington Park on Saturday, Aug. 18 with the 25th edition of the Grade 1 $400,000 Secretariat Stakes at a mile and a quarter on turf. On that Saturday, Illinois' only three Grade 1 stakes will be run for fourth time on the same day with the $1 million Arlington Million and the $700,000 Beverly D. combining with the Secretariat for total purse money of $2.1 million in those three races.

On the list of 156 original nominees are 29 foreign breds including, 14 Irish breds, eight from Great Britain, five French breds and one each from Germany and Japan. Among the nominees are four fillies -- Michael Bello's Megahertz; Kenneth & Sarah Ramsey's Perfect Touch; Mrs. C.L. Weld's Rowan Flower, an Irish bred; and Bertram Firestone's Saranac Lake.

Ireland-based Dermot Weld leads all trainers with 11 Mid-America nominations, followed by Robert Frankel with eight and Niall O'Callaghan with six. Trainers Neil Drysdale, Bill Mott and Elliott Walden have five apiece.

Among owners, Moyglare Stud has the most nominees with four, while Amerman Racing Stables, Pin Oak Stable and William Sorokolit each have nominated three to the turf series.

Late closing dates for the three races are as follows -- the Arlington Classic on Wed., June 5, American Derby on Wed., July 3 and Secretariat Stakes on Wed. July 24, 2002.

Arlington Park, host of the 2002 Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships on Oct. 26 and Chicago area's premier Thoroughbred racetrack located in Arlington Heights, Ill., will run a 107-day meet in 2002 from Wednesday, June 5 to Sunday, Oct. 27. Arlington Park, which merged with Churchill Downs Incorporated (Nasdaq: CHDN) in September 2000, also operates five off-track, simulcast-wagering facilities -- Trackside Arlington Park (Arlington Heights), Trackside Quad City Downs (East Moline), Trackside Chicago, Trackside Rockford and Trackside Waukegan. For further information on Arlington Park, visit our website at www.arlingtonpark.com.

2002 MID-AMERICA TRIPLE
FOR THREE-YEAR-OLDS

ARLINGTON CLASSIC (GII)
$175,000 - One Mile and One-Sixteenth (On The Turf)
To Be Run on Saturday, June 29, 2002

AMERICAN DERBY (GII)
$225,000 - One Mile and Three-Sixteenths (On The Turf)
To Be Run on Sunday, July 21, 2002

SECRETARIAT STAKES (GI)
$400,000 - One Mile and One-Quarter (On The Turf)
To Be Run on Saturday, August 17, 2002