Ladies' days at Arlington Park
Sipping white wine, 200 women enjoyed a $125-a-plate lunch of salad and salmon at Arlington Park on Thursday.
Outside, horses circled the track, breathing in the humidity.
Inside, the women chatted in the air-conditioned International Room, signaling waiters to refill their water glasses with perfectly manicured hands.
A few floors down workers set up huge tents for Saturday's Summer Bash and BBQ, which featured live music and grilled sandwiches.
This is the new face of racing -- where if someone wants to watch horse racing, great. If not, there are plenty of other things to do.
Forty years ago, race tracks were male-dominated, smoke-filled places to play the ponies. The track was there to aid and abet a person who wanted nothing more than to win or lose money, in the company of people like himself.
Today, tracks are keying in on a different audience: women and families.
"For the past three decades this has been one of the biggest challenges for tracks," said Dan Leary, Arlington Park's spokesman. "We need to replace those old fans."
Women still typically make up only 20 percent of a track's audience. That number goes up for special events like the Arlington Million.
"Women enjoy the beauty of the animals and the pageantry," Leary said. "Unlike other sports, people can get really close to the action here. Jockeys walk through the crowd. You can see the horses after the race."
To lead up to Million Week, the track recently offered free spa treatments and a champagne bar, just for women.
On Fridays and Saturdays there is live music. The Summer Bash and BBQ features local bands and barbecue sandwiches each Saturday, including the Million.
The dining options have changed, too. The track now offers everything from a hamburger to a multi-course meal. At Silk's Lounge, you can smoke a hand-rolled cigar coupled with just about any cocktail.
About 30,000 people will attend the Million Saturday, many of them making their first trip to the track.
Track officials know this and aim to get them hooked.
On Thursday the Women in Racing Forum had a cocktail reception, luncheon and fashion show as a fund-raiser.
Penny Chenery, who owned the 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat, gave the "2007 Distinguished Woman in Racing" award to Gretchen Jackson, owner of 2006 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro.
Chenery and Jackson talked about humane treatment of horses and improving living conditions for backstretch workers. They talked about loving horses since they were girls and that the sport is about much more than betting and making money.
"Stop to smell the roses," Jackson said. "Arlington is a wonderful facility. One of the best."
Gates open at 10 a.m. on Saturday for the Arlington Million. Post time for the first of 12 live races is at 11:45 a.m.
This year all three of the Festival's Grade I stakes races will be televised live by ABC Sports, airing from 3 to 5 p.m.
The Arlington Million race will be at 4:45 p.m.
Tickets are $10. The first 10,000 paid admissions will receive a free Arlington Park fleece jacket.