Arlington releases 2010 stakes schedule

The International Festival of Racing, featuring the 28th running of the

Arlington Million (G1), tops a 2010 schedule that includes 27 stakes races worth

more than $5 million during 91 days of racing at Arlington Park from April 29

through September 26. The schedule is contingent upon approval of the Illinois

Racing Board at its January meeting.

Arlington's International Festival of Racing will be on August 21, two weeks

later than in recent years, and features three Grade 1 stakes scheduled to be

run over Arlington's internationally acclaimed turf course -- the $1,000,000

Arlington Million; the $750,000 Beverly D. (G1) for fillies and mares; and the

$400,000 Secretariat S. (G1) for three-year-olds.

The Million and Secretariat are both run at a distance of 1 1/4 miles while

the Beverly D. is contested at 1 3/16 miles. Gio Ponti, the 2009 Million hero,

went on to run second to the undefeated Zenyatta in the $5 million Breeders' Cup

Classic (G1) at Santa Anita and is a finalist for an Eclipse Award in both the

turf male and older male categories.

In addition to the three Grade 1 headliners, the 2010 International Festival

will feature for the first time the $150,000 Stars and Stripes H. (G3) at its

new marathon distance of 1 5/8 miles on the turf.

Other major event days include the $600,000 Prairie State Festival for

Illinois-breds on June 19; Million Preview Day on July 17; and stakes

doubleheaders on May 15; May 22; May 29; Labor Day, September 6, when the track

presents its annual Turf Showcase card; and September 11 when two-year-olds are

showcased.

Million Preview Day, scheduled five weeks prior to the International Festival

of Racing, includes major prep races for three International Festival events.

The $200,000 Arlington H. (G2) serves as the final local prep race for the

Arlington Million while the $200,000 Modesty H. (G3) plays the same role for the

Beverly D., and the $300,000 American Derby (G2) leads into the Secretariat.

Also returning is the 11th annual Prairie State Festival, Arlington's

showcase for Illinois-breds featuring six $100,000 stakes races. Illinois-owned

horses will be spotlighted in a pair of $100,000 Illinois Owners S. scheduled

for May 15 with separate 1 1/16-mile turf races -- one for fillies and one for

colts and geldings.

The third running of the $200,000 American One Thousand Guineas for

three-year-old fillies at one mile on the turf headlines the stakes twin bill on

May 22 that also includes the $100,000 Arlington Classic for three-year-olds at

1 1/16 miles on the grass.

On May 29, older horses are featured in the $150,000 Arlington Matron S. (G3)

for fillies and mares at nine furlongs on the main track and the $100,000

Hanshin Cup (G3) for older horses at a mile over Polytrack.

Labor Day, September 6, will be highlighted by the fourth annual Turf

Showcase when nearly the entire card will be raced over Arlington's world famous

turf course. The grassy program will include two stakes races -- the $200,000

Pucker Up S. (G3) for three-year-old fillies at a 1 1/8 miles and the $100,000

Sea O Erin S. for older horses at one mile.

On September 11, two-year-olds will be featured when Arlington hosts its

signature juvenile events -- the $150,000 Arlington-Washington Futurity (G3) and

the $150,000 Arlington-Washington Lassie S. (G3). She Be Wild (Offlee Wild), the

2009 Lassie heroine, went on to capture the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile

Fillies (G1) and is a finalist for champion two-year-old filly at next week's

Eclipse Awards ceremony.

Two graded stakes will be presented over the Independence Day holiday

weekend. The $150,000 Arlington Oaks (G3) for three-year-old fillies at a 1 1/8

miles on the main track on July 3 and the $150,000 Chicago H. (G3) for fillies

and mares at seven furlongs on Polytrack which will be held on July 4. Informed

Decision (Monarchos) used last year's Chicago H. as one of her steppingstones to

victory in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) and is the

favorite to be named champion female sprinter.

One other graded stakes race during the meet is the $150,000 Washington Park

H. (G3) at 1 3/16 miles on September 4.