Arlington Park requesting 115 racing days for 2008

With their numbers up across the board this season, Arlington Park officials have to be feeling pretty good about their chances for increasing the number of racing days for 2008.

Perhaps that's why they've asked the Illinois Racing Board for 115 dates next year, up from the 94 they're running this year.

Arlington petitioned the racing board to begin its season May 2, the day before the Kentucky Derby, and run all the way through Oct. 13, a few weeks before the Breeders' Cup.

In between, Arlington would like to run both four- and five-day weeks as it did this season when it ran four days a week early in the meet before expanding to five in the middle of summer.

Arlington began its 2007 meet May 4, and it runs through Sept. 16.

Hawthorne Race Course requested 129 dates for 2008 (Jan. 1-13, Feb. 29-May 4 and Sept. 29-Dec. 31.)

Hawthorne raced from Feb. 23 to May 3 in the spring, and its fall meet begins Sept. 21 and runs through Dec. 31. The Hawthorne Gold Cup, its signature race, will be run Sept. 29.

Hosting the Gold Cup, a major prep race for the Breeders' Cup, is a definite plus for Hawthorne and might just be a reason Arlington's dates request may not be granted in full.

Whether Arlington gets its requested dates for 2008 will be announced by the racing board Sept. 18.