The Arlington Classic Stakes is a Grade III American

Thoroughbred horse race Thoroughbred racing is a sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter known as National Hunt racing in ...

for three year old horses over a distance of miles on the

turf Sod is the upper layer of turf that is harvested for transplanting. Turf consists of a variable thickness of a soil medium that supports a community of turfgrasses. In British and Australian English, sod is more commonly known as ''turf'', ...

held annually in late May at

Arlington Park Arlington Park (formerly known as Arlington International Racecourse) is a former horse race track in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights, Illinois. Once called the ''Arlington Park Jockey Club'', it was located adjacent to the Illinois Rou ...

race track A race track (racetrack, racing track or racing circuit) is a facility built for racing of vehicles, athletes, or animals (e.g. horse racing or greyhound racing). A race track also may feature grandstands or concourses. Race tracks are also us ...

near

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

History

The event was inaugurated in 1929 as the Classic Stakes over a distance of miles on the dirt. At one time the Arlington Classic was one of the most important races in the United States, drawing the best 3-year-olds in the country. Triple Crown winner

Gallant Fox Gallant Fox (March 23, 1927 – November 13, 1954) was a champion American Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse who is the second winner of the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, American Triple Crown. In a racing career which la ...

attracted a crowd of 60,000 in 1930 and he continued his six race winning streak in the event. In 1932 when Gusto, a grandson of the great Man o' War won, it was then the richest race for 3-year-olds in America with a purse of $88,100. A noteworthy upset in the Arlington Classic occurred in 1946 when

Assault In the terminology of law, an assault is the act of causing physical harm or consent, unwanted physical contact to another person, or, in some legal definitions, the threat or attempt to do so. It is both a crime and a tort and, therefore, may ...

, who had just won the United States Triple Crown, finished last. The Arlington Classic was run at the now defunct Washington Park Racetrack from 1943 through 1945. It was known as the Grand Prix Stakes in 1971, 1972 and 1973 and in 1977 it was made open to horses three-year-olds and up as was labelled as the Arlington Classic Invitational Handicap. There was no race held in 1974, 1975, 1976, 1988, 1998 and 1999. The Arlington Classic became part of Arlington Park's "Mid-America Triple" which included the

American Derby The American Derby is an American Thoroughbred horse race first run at Chicago's old Washington Park Race Track on the city's South Side and raced there until 1905 when the facility was closed following the state's ban on gambling, and horse ra ...

in July and the

Secretariat Stakes The Secretariat Stakes is a Graded stakes race, Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds over a distance of one mile on the Grass, turf. The event was originally raced at Arlington Park in Arlington Heights, Illinois, Arlingto ...

in August. The Triple was last won by Honor Glide in 1997. The event held a Grade I classification between 1981 and 1989. In 2007, this Grade III stakes race was downgraded to an ungraded stakes by the American Graded Stakes Committee, but it has been returned to its Grade III status. The Arlington Classic was raced on dirt from 1929–1973, 1977–1987, 1989–1993.

Distance

Since its inception, the Arlington Classic has been contested over a variety of distances: * 1929–1951 – miles (dirt) * 1952–1972 – 1 mile (dirt) * 1973 – miles (dirt) * 1977–1979 – miles (dirt) * 1980–1993 – miles (dirt) * 1994–2001 – miles (turf) * 2001 onwards – miles (turf)

Records

Speed record: (at current miles distance) *1:41.87 – Silver Max (2012) Largest margin of victory: * 13 lengths – Alydar (1978) Most wins by an owner: * 4 – Belair Stud * 3 – Calumet Farm Most wins by a

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used ...

: * 6 – Pat Day * 4 – Braulio Baeza, René Douglas Most wins by a trainer: * 4 – Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons * 3 – Ben A. Jones, William I. Mott, Max Hirsch

Winners of the Arlington Classic

''Legend:''

''Notes:''
¶ Filly
† Held at Washington Park Race Track

References

{{reflist Flat horse races for three-year-olds Turf races in the United States Graded stakes races in the United States 1929 establishments in Illinois Recurring sporting events established in 1929 Arlington Park Horse races in Illinois