Arilngton Park News Release: SEVERAL NEW STABLES IN ARLINGTON PARK BARN AREA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: David Zenner

 (847) 385-7535

Cell (847) 371-1670

Fax: (847) 385-7251

Dzenner@arlingtonpark.com

 

SEVERAL NEW STABLES IN ARLINGTON PARK BARN AREA

 

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (May 4, 2011) – The British are coming, the British are coming! This invasion of Arlington Park is not just limited to a major racing stable from Great Britain, but there are new stables shipping in from all over the United States.

 

A fair amount of new outfits accounting for a significant number of horses will be racing at Arlington for the first time this summer or returning to Arlington after an absence.

 

Among the new outfits is that of British-born Newmarket-based horseman Gerard Butler, who is expected to arrive from overseas Sunday morning with a contingent of six or seven stakes-caliber horses scheduled to compete in Arlington’s major events throughout the 86-day spring and summer session which begins this Friday and runs through Sunday, Sept. 25.

 

Butler, you may recall, sent Pachattack here last summer to contest the $750,000 Grade I Beverly D. Stakes where she finished sixth after getting off to a poor start at the break.

 

“This means a high number of quality European horses will be here for the duration of the season, as well as for the major races like the Arlington Million, Beverly D. and Secretariat,” said international racing aficionado Nick Clarke.  “This is a pioneering initiative for a trainer, Gerard Butler, to set up a satellite training operation in the middle of the United States, and it’s a great compliment to Arlington Park, and reflects the high standing of Arlington Park around the world.”

 

Another new face for the 2011 season belongs to Russian-born Gennadi Dorochenko, who will have 30 horses based at Arlington Park this summer.  He has worked with horses all his life and spent 33 years as a jockey in addition to training and owning Thoroughbreds most of those years.

 

In addition to Butler and Dorochenko, to name a few other new names of note on the Arlington Park barn list include Tim Ice, trainer of the 2009 Belmont Stakes winner Summer Bird, who will have 25 horses stabled here; Mike Maker, who is returning after several years, will have 35 head; Patrick Byrne, best known as trainer of 1997 Horse of the Year Favorite Trick, is slated to have 14 horses based locally; Eric Reed, who will up his local contingent to 20 for the upcoming season; and Clay Bischoff, who will have 10 horses stabled here this year.

 

“We are very excited to have many new trainers coming into Arlington for the first time. The new faces and the new horses will add a lot to our racing program. And the fact that we have a major stable shipping in from Europe says a lot about what we have to offer,” says Tony Petrillo, Arlington Park General Manager.

 

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