The 2009 Breeders' Cup, horse racing's most prestigious event consisting of 14 Breeders' Cup races and $25.5 million in purses, held on November 6-7 at Santa Anita Park has ended with Zenyatta stamping her name in horse racing history as the first female to win the Breeders' Cup Classic. Find out who the other Breeders' Cup winners are.
Now, the question remains, who will be Horse of the Year? The Preakness winner filly Rachel Alexandra who is 8-for-8 this year or undefeated mare Zenyatta with 14-0 horse racing record?
Get free horse racing picks and betting tips from horse racing handicappers in the horse racing forums.
The Illinois Derby, held annually at the Sportsman's Park, is Chicago's most anticipated thoroughbred stakes race and is part of the prep races en route to the world renowned Kentucky Derby. Another prestigious stakes race is the Arlington Million hosted by Arlington Park.
Illinois Derby
The Illinois Derby began in in 1923 at Hawthorne. But after being run at Aurora in 1938, it was discontinued until being revived at Sportsman's Park in 1963. It became such a success that owners and trainers started to ship horses from everywhere. The race has grown to be one of the richest for 3-year-olds an done of the preparatory races for the Kentucky Derby race. List of Kentucky Derby Preparatory Races
Arlington officially opened in 1927 when more than 20,000 fans braved the cold weather to witness jockey Joe Bollero guided Luxembourg to victory in the very first race. Arlington maintains its international presence by exchanging races with leading tracks in England and Japan, in 2005 it was selected to organize the North and South American simulcast of the Dubai World Cup.
Fairmount Park opened in 1925. The Fairmount Derby's of the '20s sent several winners to Churchill Downs that will eventually conquer the, the race is also considered one of the premier races in the country.
In 1890 Edward Corrigan purchases 119 acres of land in Cicero Township and construction begins on the Hawthorne grandstand. The following year, Hawthorne Race Course opens with a five-race card featuring the Chicago Derby, a 1/4-mile race won by Brookwood, owned by Edward Corrigan. The Chicago Tribune estimated the crowd at 6,000.
Sportsman's Park is home to the famed Illinois Derby, Chicago's much anticipated stakes race that is also part of the preparatory races for the Kentucky Derby.
Harness racing is a form of horse racing restricted to Standarbreds, and usually pull two-wheeled carts called sulkies. Standardbreds have proportionally shorter legs and longer bodies than thoroughbreds. They also are of more placid dispositions, as suits horses whose races involve more strategy and more re-acceleration than do thoroughbred races.
The 1,050 acre-track just south of Crete was built in 1925 as "Lincoln Fields" under the auspices of Col. Matt J. Winn, manager of Churchill Downs. The large oval was surrounded by Kentucky bluegrass which Winn imported from Kentucky. It opened in 1926 featuring the $5,000 Joliet Stakes for 2 year-old colts and geldings.
Horse racing experts may agree that Illinois' Du Quoin State Fairground is the area's earliest and most successful reclamation project. The Du Quoin horse track features harness racing with varying open racing dates.
Maywood Park is the only Chicago racetrack devoted exclusively to standardbred racing, and was the first track in Illinois to acquire a harness racing license in 1946. The track is located in Melrose Park just 10 miles south of O'Hare and 17 miles from downtown Chicago, features harness racing, as well as simulcast betting.
Off-Track Betting (OTB) Stations
Find off track betting (OTB) station locations in the Illinois area:
Illinois Sports
MLB, Baseball - Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox
College – Illinois Fighting Illini, Northwestern Wildcats
Illinois Casinos
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