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Horse Racing - Arlington Park History

History - Stakes

Arlington Park Race History

1927 - Arlington Park Racetrack was opened in October 13, when over 20,000 spectators came to witness jockey Joe Bollero win the first race aboard Luxembourg.

1933 - Arlington installs the world's first all-electric totalisator.

1934 - Arlington runs turf races for the first time in Illinois history.

1936 - Arlington installs the first photo-finish camera in Chicago racing.

1940 - Arlington installs the first electric starting gate in Chicago racing.

1942 - Arlington becomes the first track ever to bank the turns on its turf track.

1967 - Arlington installs the largest closed-circuit color TV in all of sports.

1971 - Arlington hosts the first commercially sponsored $100,000 race in the U.S. - the Pontiac Grand Prix and introduces Trifecta wagering in Chicago.

1981 - Arlington hosts the first ever million dollar race for thoroughbreds - the Arlington Million.

1985 - Fire devastates the original grandstand facility.

1987 - With a victory at Arlington, Jack Van Berg becomes the first trainer to win 5,000 races.

1989 - Arlington re-opens as Arlington International Racecourse.

1996 - Arlington hosts the Arlington Citation Challenge, in which Cigar ties Citation's record for 16 consecutive victories, as well as the simulcast of the first Dubai World Cup, the world's first $4 million race, in North and South America.

2000 - Arlington reopens after a two-year absence. In September, Arlington Park and Churchill Downs Incorporated completes its merger. Track name reverts to Arlington Park.

For the past several years, Arlington has been recognized nationally and throughout the racing world as an innovator and standard-setter in racetrack marketing. Many racetracks throughout North America and across the globe have followed Arlington's example of innovative marketing.

In recognition of its overall excellence, Arlington has been awarded three coveted Eclipse Awards by the Thoroughbred Racing Association for its overall excellence. Arlington received its first Eclipse in 1985 for staging the "Miracle Million" and its second such honor in 1987 for the production of 10 television shows featuring Arlington's major stakes races. In 1989, after Arlington's highly successful re-opening, Arlington received another Eclipse Award for its overall contribution to racing.

Arlington has established formal, friendly relations with the recently reconstructed Hanshin Race Course, just outside Chicago's sister-city of Osaka, Japan, and with England's newest facility, the Newbury Racecourse. In recent years, the Hanshin and Newbury Handicaps have been run at Arlington and Arlington-titled stakes have been run at both Newbury and Hanshin.

A special relationship has developed between Arlington and the Japan Racing Association, which owns and operates Japanese thoroughbred racing facilities. A living and growing symbol of the relationship between Arlington and Japanese racing is a commemorative cherry tree planted in the Arlington paddock by the Japan Racing Association, to commemorate Golden Pheasant as the first thoroughbred ever to win both the Arlington Million and the Japan Cup.