Races are known to have taken place at Arlington Park since its inaugural meeting on 13th October 1927, with the very first winner being the Joe Bollero ridden Luxembourg. The track is situated in the Arlington Heights area of Chicago in the state of Illinois, and was founded by Harry 'Curly' Brown.

In 1884 the first American Derby was run over 9.5 furlongs. The race now takes place at Arlington Park and was won by Cozzetti, ridden by Shaun Bridgmohan in 2012.

I am grateful to our American Racing Correspondent Richard Gauthier for the badges shown on this page.

The track is famous for being a pioneer, being the first to have a public address system, the first electronically operated tote in 1933, and the first to make use of electric starting gates in 1940.

The photo below shows Lake Drive winning a 9 furlong race at Arlington Park on 18th July 1958 when trained by Ben Stutts and ridden by R L Barnett.

The Secretariat Stakes over 10 furlongs was first run in 1974. In 2012 the race was won by Bayrir when partnered by the crack French jockey Christophe Lemaire. The racecourse hit the headlines in 1981 when introducing the worlds first $1 million dollar race, the now famous Arlington Million. That first race was won by Bill Shoemaker riding John Henry when just getting up to defeat the outsider The Bart. More recently the 10 furlong race has been won in 2012 by Little Mike ridden by Ramon Dominguez.

In 1985, on 31st July, the course grandstand was gutted by fire but, incredibly, the track was still able to go ahead with its August meeting using temporary accommodation. By 1989 its facilities were back, once again, to their very best.

In 1987 the first running of the Grade 1 Beverley D Stakes took place over 9.5 furlongs. In 2012 the British excellent female jockey Hayley Turner rode I'm A Dreamer to victory.

A tribute to Felix Fatica from his loving wife Darlene Fatica
Felix Fatica was 23 when he launched his career as a jockey, going to Arlington Park in Arlington Heights, near Chicago, travelling from his home in Cleveland, starting out older than most of his contemporaries. He had been a secretary at Lincoln Electric and then served for a time in the Army. At Arlington he became a Bug Boy, living above a Tack room, and gained his inaugural win on a horse named Dawn of Chi at Sportsman's Park, appropriately enough near Chicago. His future wife, Darlene, was just one year old when Felix began his journey as a jockey, he being 22 years older than her. Indeed, she had just graduated from High School when he rode his last race. In later shared moments together Felix recalled that his favourite horse was Sol Invictus, a multiple winner for him, but he also had a fondness for Risky Rebel, who loved the mud, which was just as well as he won at Waterford Park, well-known for being muddy. Besides Sportsman's Park (now demolished), he rode at Ascot Park in Cuyahoga Falls (an industrial park now), Cranwood Park, (an industrial park now), Randall Park, Sunshine Park which is now Tampa Bay Downs, Thistledown Race Track, Tropical Park and Waterford Park. Felix’s daughter, Nancy, was born across the Ohio River in Steubenville, which also happened to be the birthplace of Dean Martin.
In 2002, still little, still thin, but still handsome, he returned to his beloved Arlington Park. In 2020 Darlene lovingly recalls, 'I sang to him as he passed away, which is how we had begun our journey together in the first place. We met in the Brecksville Broadview Heights Community Chorus, I was singing, 'All I ask of you', from Phantom of the Opera. We married 6 months later on October 19, 1996. Sadly, Felix died during Covid. When I finally was able to get into his room, he of course, was unconscious & breathing fast & shallow. I told him to slow his breathing & go into the arms of the Angels. I then sang to him a song from the end of the musical, 'Civil War' where an Angel comes to take the fallen home. As I sang, he slowed his breathing. When I was done, he took 3 more breaths and passed away.' I was so thankful for the time I was able to spend with him in his last few moments on this earth.