Arapahoe draws runners from all over for opener

Horses who last raced in Iowa, Minnesota, Texas, and Wyoming will meet in Colorado on Friday to run in the $36,250 Inaugural, which is the opening-day feature at Arapahoe Park.

There was some question whether the track would race this year due in part to facility upgrades required by the county, but a website post noted there will be racing after approvals from both the county and state.

The Colorado Racing Commission confirmed the meet to Daily Racing Form. An agency spokesman said Arapahoe was approved for a conditional license for a 2024 meet. Racing will be conducted Friday through Sunday, through Nov. 10, with first posts at 1 p.m. Mountain.

Arapahoe officials informed the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority that the track would not be exporting its signal, according to a spokesperson for HISA. As such, the track is not racing under the jurisdiction of HISA, which oversees most Thoroughbred tracks in the United States. Arapahoe is a small track that operates a mixed meet for Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses.

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Desperate Man is the probable favorite in the Inaugural, which is for 3-year-olds at six furlongs. He comes off an allowance win at Prairie Meadows for which he earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 81. Earlier in the Iowa meet he placed in two stakes for trainer Kevin Eikleberry.

The card also includes the $26,000 Dolls Prodigy for Quarter Horses, and Mr Dash Fire should get good support off his fourth-place finish to Champion of Champions winner Flash Bak last out in the Grade 2 Mr Jet Moore at Remington.

Arapahoe has a five-race card Friday and also on Saturday, when it runs the $50,000 Arapahoe County Commissioners Stakes for 3-year-olds and up at six furlongs. There is an eight-race card Sunday led by the $35,000 Molly Brown for Thoroughbreds.

◗ Prairie Meadows announced it has added Sept. 26 to its racing calendar to make up for a lost card July 15. “There’s a possibility of running as many as nine Thoroughbred races on Thursday, Sept. 26,” official Stuart Slagle said.

This article was updated to include information about Arapahoe's simulcasting export status.

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