Mike Spellman Memorial Stakes race returns to Arlington

Trainer Chris Block, a mainstay in the Chicago area the past three decades, summed up what late Daily Herald sports writer Mike Spellman meant to Arlington International Racecourse and horse racing.

"Mike was a guy who was always dedicated to the industry," Block said. "He was always around it and wrote positive articles for it. It's fantastic that Arlington has a race in his honor."

Saturday's second Mike Spellman Memorial Stakes will be a $50,000 1 and 1/16ths mile turf event for Illinois-bred fillies and mares, 3-years old and up. It will be contested as the sixth race (3:45 p.m. scheduled post) on the eight-race card.

The winner of last year's race, trainer Donnie Von Hemel's Cabana, returns as a co top-weight (123 pounds with jockey Chris Emigh) in the eight-horse field.

Arlington general manager Tony Petrillo was a driving force in naming the race for Spellman last year after he died unexpectedly in January 2015.

"What a privilege it was to have Mike's family and friends here to represent him," Petrillo said. "It's just incredible. We are so proud to have a race in his memory. If Mike wasn't smiling, it was a gloomy day."

Spellman, a graduate of St. Viator High School where he was a standout catcher, worked for the Daily Herald for 23 years. His Scorecard column was a favorite among readers. He covered everything from preps to college to pro sports, and became the Blackhawks beat writer after the death of veteran Hawks writer Tim Sassone in 2014.

"We had so much support from his family and friends last year," said Howard Sudberry, Arlington's senior director of marketing and communications. "It's nice to see everyone come here to honor him at the place where he loved to be."

Spellman was also the newspaper's horse racing writer for many years.

"A lot of people - not only at Arlington Park but in the greater Chicago sports community - were shocked by the sudden passing of Mike," said Brian Spencer, the track's manager of communications and racing analyst.

"Mike really lit up the press box," Spencer added. "Maybe your day wouldn't be going that great, or things were a little quiet in the press box. Mike would walk in and you could almost feel it change.

"You would always look forward to that day of the week when Mike would be out."

Spencer said it is fitting there are two more races after the Mike Spellman Stakes.

"He'd say if you didn't get a race right, you still had a chance to correct that in the next one," Spencer said.

Mike's family and friends are once again invited to the winner's circle after the race.

"And Mike's in charge of the weather," Petrillo said. "So he better not play a joke on us."