SPRING TRAINING BEGINS THIS WEEK AT ARLINGTON:18 STAKES WORTH $2,750,000 SLATED WITH AUGUST 14TH, 2021 “MILLION DAY” TO HONOR DUCHOSSOIS FAMILY
As trainer Larry Rivelli arrives with 100 horses for Spring Training this week, and 75 other trainers on deck for the 2021 race season, Arlington has released their stakes schedule which will showcase three Grade I races, all carrying the namesake of the Duchossois family to honor Mr. Duchossois and his family’s contributions to racing.
The feature of the 68-day race meet is on August 14th, “Million Day,” featuring and paying tribute to the Duchossois Family with the $600,000 GI Mister D. (formerly the Arlington Million) run at 1-1/4 mile, the $400,000 GI Beverly D. run at 1-3/16th mile for fillies and mares, and the $300,000 GI Bruce D. (formerly the Secretariat) run at 1 mile for three year olds, highlight the strong eighteen race stakes schedule worth $2,750,000.
The three races are the only Grade I races conducted in the state of Illinois. In addition to the $100,000 GIII Pucker Up Stakes for three year old fillies at 1-1/8th mile on the turf, there are four Illinois Stakes races being added to the Million Day celebration of racing: the six-furlong $75,000 Isaac Murphy Stakes for fillies and mares three year olds & up, the six-furlong $75,000 Addison Cammack Memorial Stakes for three year olds & up, the 1-1/16th mile $75,000 Mike Spellman Memorial Stakes for fillies and mares three year olds & up on the turf, and the 1-1/16th mile $75,000 Black Tie Affair for three year olds & up also on the turf. Million Day will showcase eight stakes races for the first time in the track’s history, with six of the races contested on the turf.
On July 17th, the track will host Million Preview Day. The day features three turf prep races for the Grade I races on Million Day worth $100,000 each: the 1-3/16th mile GIII Arlington Stakes (Mister D.), the 1-3/16th mile GIII Modesty Stakes (Beverly D.) and the listed American Derby (Bruce D.) to be contested at 1 mile. The first three horses across the finish line will have their entry fees waived for their Grade I equivalents. The 1-1/16-mile $75,000 Hatoof Stakes for three year old fillies at 1-1/16th is also slated for the turf that day.
“We are very excited for the upcoming meet,” said Arlington President Tony Petrillo. “Million Day has always been a highly regarded event and now to honor Mr. Duchossois and his family will make this year the most special of all. It is the day that brings the superstars of racing to our state and unprecedented attention to Illinois racing. This maintains an interest in Illinois racing for fans in the state and worldwide.”
Other stakes races on the calendar are the seven furlong $100,000 GIII Chicago Stakes and the 1-mile $100,000 Hanshin Cup on Saturday, June 26th; and two Illinois Stakes, the 1-mile (Turf) $75,000 Richard P. Hazelton Memorial Stakes, the 1-mile (Turf) $75,000 Sharon N. Kirby Memorial Stakes on August 7th; the stakes program concludes on Saturday, August 28th, with the seven furlong (Turf) $75,000 Arlington-Washington Futurity, and the seven furlong (Turf) $75,000 Arlington-Washington Lassie.
