Amid uncertainty over whether or not the track will be dark in 2020 as negotiations with Churchill Downs continue, the Arlington Racing Department has released the track's 2020 Stakes Schedule.
The August 15th $1-million dollar GI Arlington Million is the highlight of the 18-stakes schedule worth $3.65 million. Opening May 1, the highlight of the 68-day race meet is the International Festival of Racing where, in addition to the 1 1/4-mile Million, Arlington also hosts the 1 3/16-mile $600,000 GI Beverly D. Stakes for fillies and mares and the 1-mile $500,000 GI Secretariat Stakes for sophomores. Both the Million and the Beverly D. are part of the “Win And You're In” Breeders' Cup challenge series. Those three races are the only Grade I races conducted in the state of Illinois.
“We are very excited for the upcoming meet,” said Arlington President Tony Petrillo. “The Arlington International Festival of Racing has always been a highly regarded event, drawing racing fans and horses from all over the world. It is the day that bringsthe superstars of racing like Illinois-bred The Pizza Man, Bricksand Mortar and Sistercharlie to our state. Illinois racing receives unprecedented attention as these horses are in the spotlight on their Road to the Breeders' Cup World Championships. This maintains an interest in Illinois racing for fans in the state and worldwide.”
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