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ARLINGTON ANNOUNCES NEW ST. LEGER
Arlington Park released its 2012 stakes schedule
yesterday, which includes a new turf race worth
$400,000. The International Festival of Racing, to be
held Aug. 18, features the 30th GI Arlington Million and
tops a lineup that includes 26 stakes races worth $5.8
million. In addition to the Million, the Festival features
the GI Beverly D. S. and GI Secretariat S., as well as
the newly created $400,000 Arlington St. Leger for 3-
year-olds and up going a mile and eleven-sixteenths
(1m 5 1/2f). The Secretariat receives a $100,000 boost
to its purse for 2012. "The International Festival of
Racing has always been a great event, but now with
the celebration of the 30th running of the Million, the
addition of the Arlington St. Leger, and the purse
increase of the Secretariat, the Festival is set to go to a
whole new level," said Arlington Park General
Manager Tony Petrillo.
"We are extremely proud to be
able to launch a new race with the Arlington St. Leger,
he continued. "This is an historic race in Great Britain,
the third leg of the English Triple Crown. We are
honored to be able to name our race after that laCssic.
It strengthens our relationships with the international
racing community and we are sure this race will be very
popular with the American racing fans." Arlington will
conduct 90 days of racing beginning Friday, May 4 and
running through Sunday, Sept. 30. The stakes schedule
now goes to the Illinois racing board for approval.
This is a welcome addition. The purse will hopefully bring even more Europeans out to Chicago. Now if we could only get more staying races on the dirt…
Well I hope you guys are right but I fear that yet again the British and Irish trainers will pass over the opportunity to win vastly more prize money than over here and also against lesser opportunity.
British trainers are very adept at winning big prizes abroad Zarkava – especially with stayers. I’m not sure what you mean?
How often do European trainers send their horses over to the US to pick up prizes worth far more than over here?
British trainers are very adept at winning big prizes abroad Zarkava – especially with stayers. I’m not sure what you mean?
If British trainers were smart they would send every single horse over here because even the lowest purses are higher than what they’d be earning over there. And we all know American turf routers are mediocre. Japan has even bigger purses but they’ve actually got good competition.
http://www1.drf.com/misc/pursevalueindex.pdfHow often do European trainers send their horses over to the US to pick up prizes worth far more than over here?
We usually buy them first
Recognize anyone? http://www.nationalsteeplechase.com/wp- … _hills.pdfHow often do European trainers send their horses over to the US to pick up prizes worth far more than over here?
We usually buy them first
Recognize anyone? http://www.nationalsteeplechase.com/wp- … _hills.pdfOh wow, look at them all. Jump racing’s getting big over there then?
How often do European trainers send their horses over to the US to pick up prizes worth far more than over here?
We usually buy them first
Recognize anyone? http://www.nationalsteeplechase.com/wp- … _hills.pdfOh wow, look at them all. Jump racing’s getting big over there then?
I wish. Remember that the state legislatures where steeplechasing is popular happen to be full of bible-thumpers and/or casino lobbyists who refuse to grant licenses for steeplechase courses to conduct legal wagering. So none of these meets (with the exception of the few races held at Saratoga, Monmouth, etc.) have any betting. And most of the meets are fundraising for charitable organizations, with companies and/or rich people funding the purses, so the high prices of admission ($20-$50 compared to the $2-$5 for American flat tracks) really don’t go back into the sport.
No betting creates a sort of "purer" sporting atmosphere, but it also leads to this situation:
http://www.nationalsteeplechase.com/wp- … Budget.pdf
As long as there is foxhunting there will be steeplechasing, but I expect there to be more point-to-points (which have no purse except for a trophy and maybe a bottle of whiskey) replacing NSA-sanctioned meets in the near future.
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