Meet opens with higher purses, more stakes

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – There will be ostrich, camel, and zebra racing during opening weekend at Arlington, and it would almost be too easy to talk about how appropriate that is on a Chicago horse-racing circuit that has often resembled a circus. But the horses, too, are back at Arlington, which launches a 74-day race meet Friday.

The exotic animals are housed in barns on the eastern edge of the backstretch that once held horses, but five of those barns have been closed this year, with little chance that the equine population this summer will approach capacity. But at least there are 1,000-plus horses in the stables for opening week, a far greater number than just one week ago, when a contract dispute between Arlington and the Illinois Horsemen’s Association briefly threatened the meet’s opening and caused Arlington to lock its backside save for 100 or so early arrivals to the track.

The two groups signed a two-year contract April 29, and the 2016 race meet ought to surpass last summer’s. Arlington got more simulcast-handle revenue in the first four months this year than it did in 2015, and it’s using that money to raise purses well over 2015’s historically low levels. Maiden special weight races, for instance, went for $24,000 last season and are worth $32,000 this year.

Several stakes that were dropped for lack of funding – the Arlington Classic, Chicago Handicap, Arlington Sprint, Arlington Oaks, Washington Park, and Arlington Matron – are back after being dropped for 2015. Stakes at this meet are worth $800,000 more than last year, and overnight purses will be paid at an average of $153,000 per eight-race card compared with $125,000 in 2015.

But those short eight-race cards figure to be the norm again this year, and Arlington races three-day weeks, Friday through Sunday, in May, June, and September, adding Thursdays during July and August. Arlington Million Day, which includes three Grade 1 turf races and offers $2.675 million in purses, is Aug. 13, Million Preview Day is July 9, and the stakes schedule, with so many races restored, has far fewer holes than last summer.

All the leading stables from 2015, including runaway leading trainer Larry Rivelli, are back this season. Mike Maker, who didn’t have stalls last year, was allotted 30 this summer, and Midwest Thoroughbreds, through trainer Armando de la Cerda, has stalls at Arlington again. Scott Becker, who trains privately for William Stiritz, figures to have an active summer, and though trainer Mike Stidham will ship when necessary, he has made Arlington his summer hub this year and should have a strong meet.

Jose Valdivia Jr., who came out of nowhere to win the 2015 riding title, could be in for an even better season this year. Jockey Mitchell Murrill lost his apprentice status early last meet but still won 72 races and improved over the winter at Fair Grounds.

Friday’s eight-race card (first post 3:15 p.m. Central) drew 63 horses and has as a nominal feature race 7, a first-level allowance carded at a one-turn-mile on Polytrack. There’s the potential for a pace meltdown here, and the rail-drawn Caitlins Road might get the kind of ground-saving stalking trip that over the years has so often been effective on Arlington’s synthetic main track.

Arlington expects crowds between 20,000 and 30,000 on Saturday, Kentucky Derby Day, and Sunday, Mothers’ Day. Ontrack patrons will notice a new video board installed on the infield.