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Arlington Park to feature 27 stakes races in 2010

The International Festival of Racing, featuring the 28th running of the Grade I Arlington Million, tops a 2010 proposed schedule that includes 27 stakes races worth more than $5 million during 91 days of racing at Arlington Park next season.

The track's proposed schedule would run April 29 through Sept. 26 and is contingent upon approval of the Illinois Racing Board at its January meeting.

Arlington's International Festival of Racing will be on Saturday, Aug. 21, two weeks later than in recent years, and features the Arlington Million for 3-year-olds & older; the $750,000 Beverly D. for fillies & mares, 3-years-old & older; and the $400,000 Secretariat Stakes for 3-year-olds.

In addition to the three Grade I headliners, the 2010 International Festival will feature for the first time the Grade III $150,000 Stars and Stripes Handicap at its new marathon distance of a mile and five-eighths on the turf.

Other major event days include the $600,000 Prairie State Festival for Illinois-bred horses on Saturday, June 19; Million Preview Day on Saturday, July 17; and stakes doubleheaders on Saturday, May 15; Saturday, May 22; Saturday, May 29; Labor Day Monday, Sept. 6 when the track presents its annual Turf Showcase card; and Saturday, Sept. 11 when 2-year-olds are showcased.

On July 17, Million Preview Day, scheduled five weeks prior to the International Festival of Racing, includes major prep races for three International Festival events. The Grade III $200,000 Arlington Handicap serves as the final local prep race for the Arlington Million while the Grade III $200,000 Modesty Handicap plays the same role for the Beverly D., and the Grade II $300,000 American Derby leads into the Secretariat Stakes.

Also returning is the 11th annual Prairie State Festival, Arlington's showcase for Illinois-bred horses featuring six $100,000-added stakes races. Illinois-owned horses will be spotlighted in a pair of $100,000 Illinois Owners Stakes scheduled for Saturday, May 15 with separate 1 1/16-mile turf races - one for fillies and one for colts & geldings.

The third running of $200,000 American 1000 Guineas for 3-year-old fillies at one mile on the turf headlines the stakes twin bill on Saturday, May 22 that also includes the $100,000 Arlington Classic for 3-year-olds at a mile and a sixteenth on the grass.

The following weekend, Saturday, May 29, older horses are featured in the Grade III $150,000 Arlington Matron for fillies and mares at nine furlongs on the main track and the Grade III $100,000 Hanshin Cup for older horses at a mile over Polytrack.

Labor Day Monday (Sept. 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 Grade III $200,000 Pucker Up Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at a mile and an eighth and the $100,000 Sea o'Erin for 3-year-olds & older at a mile. The following Saturday, Sept. 11, 2-year-olds will be featured when Arlington hosts its signature juvenile events - the Grade III $150,000 Arlington-Washington Futurity and the Grade III $150,000 Arlington-Washington Lassie.

Two graded stakes will be presented over the Independence Day holiday weekend - the Grade III $150,000 Arlington Oaks, for 3-year-old fillies at a mile and an eighth on the main track on Saturday, July 3, and the Grade III $150,000 Chicago Handicap, for fillies and mares at seven furlongs on Polytrack will be held the following day, Sunday, July 4.

One other graded stakes race will be run during the 2010 Arlington Park meet, the Grade III $150,000 Washington Park Handicap at a mile and three-sixteenths on the main track on Saturday, Sept. 4.