Arlington opens its doors for the 2013 season on Friday, May 3rd with first post for the 10-race opening day program at 3 p.m. (CDT).
The 89-day season continues through September 29, with live racing conducted on a four-day per week schedule. In May and June, Arlington will be open for live racing every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday with a post time of 1 p.m. and every Friday with a first post of 3 p.m.
Fans of high-quality turf racing will want to make plans at Arlington on July 13 for Million Preview Day, and again on August 17 for the Arlington Million and International Festival of Racing.
On Million Preview Day, the track will present four Grade 3 turf races — the $200,000 Arlington Handicap, the $200,000 Modesty Handicap, the $200,000 American Derby and the $150,000 Stars and Stripes — which will serve as prep races for the International Festival of Racing five weeks later.
In addition to the Grade 1 Arlington Million, the International Festival of Racing includes the Grade 1, $750,000 Beverly D., Grade 1, $500,000 Secretariat and the $400,000 American St. Leger.
In all, Arlington International will present 25 stakes races, 15 of which are graded, worth more than $5.5 million.
Other major stakes days include May 25, featuring a trio of Grade 3 races — the $150,000 Arlington Classic, the $150,000 Arlington Matron and the $150,000 Hanshin Cup. Each of the first three Saturdays in June will feature a pair of $100,000 stakes races for Illinois-bred horses; and September 7, when two-year-olds will be featured in the Grade 3, $150,000 Arlington-Washington Futurity and the $100,000 Arlington-Washington Lassie.
Returning wagers with a low 15 percent takeout rate are the 50-cent Pick 5 and the $1 Jackpot High 5, which last year returned an Arlington record payoff of more than $1.1 million when it was finally solved for the first time on the 23rd day of the meet.
Offering a 15 percent takeout rate for the first time in 2013 are the $1 Pick 6, which will cover the final six races daily, and the all-new 10-cent Jackpot Pick 9.
Like the Jackpot High 5, the entire carryover pool (plus 50 percent of that day’s net pool) on the Jackpot Pick 9 will only be paid out when there is a single winning ticket sold that correctly selects the official winners in the designated Pick 9 races with 50 percent of the day’s net pool being split amongst those ticket holders with eight of nine winners. If there are multiple tickets sold that correctly select the official winners in the designated Pick 9 races, then 50 percent of the daily Jackpot Pick 9 pool will be distributed among those ticket holders and 50 percent of the daily pool will be carried over to the next day.