The migration of Thoroughbred racing from large cities to smaller racetracks over the past several decades has hindered the growth of the sport.
To the credit of smaller horse racing states, they found a way to move forward with additional gaming options that increased prize money at a time when some larger tracks and racetracks resisted such ideas. That contributed to the loss of horse racing in cities like Boston, Columbus, Ohio and Portland, Ore.
Traditional horse racing states that were slow to offer supplemental play or still don’t offer supplemental play, such as California, Illinois and New Jersey, have struggled to survive as smaller players with supplemental play have attracted big-money horses. The advent of racetracks has helped keep prize money steady, and those prize money has improved as major racing states like New York and Kentucky have embraced supplemental play. But in the meantime, it appears that horse racing has lost some of its fans in those big markets that the typically smaller markets in racetrack states haven’t replaced. This trend has contributed to a 26% increase in U.S. prize money from 2010 to 2023, while pari-mutuel betting has increased just 2% over that time.
This brings us to the Arlington Million Stakes (G1T) on August 10 at Downs ColonyFor decades, the Arlington Million has highlighted the horse racing season at Arlington Park, a spectacular facility that draws crowds from the Chicago area on weekends. Churchill Downs Inc. closed Arlington Park and last year moved the major horse racing event to Colonial Downs, in New Kent, Va., near Richmond, Va.
Saturday’s card, the second Arlington Million at Colonial, will offer more than $2.8 million in prize money and three graded prizes. While the event may no longer draw the population of the country’s third-largest city, CDI hopes to turn the day into an event that will draw interest across the region—where there is a lot of interest in horse racing and the industry. Four grades have been added to this year’s card, which also offers the Secretariat (G2T) and Beverly D. (G2T). Beverly D. is a Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” race with the Filly & Mare Turf (G1T).
The day, which marks Colonial’s $5.7 million stakes program in 2024, serves as another reminder to horse bettors of the growing opportunities in turf racing, which are highlighted at Colonial. Overall, the first CDI meet at Colonial in 2022 awarded more than $15.2 million in prize money, and last year’s meet awarded more than $18 million.
For a race, the Arlington Million doesn’t boast a huge field, with just six horses entering (this year’s meet averaged 7.69 runners per race). But the field still follows the international tradition of the Arlington Million, with Fitriani Hay Ancient Rome Trains from Europe to Charlie Hills while Godolphin Pride of Nations Coached by Charlie Appleby, boasts group or level wins in five different countries.
