Arlington Cuts Secretariat Distance, Raises Purse

Arlington International Racecourse's Secretariat Stakes (G1T) is being cut back to a one-mile distance on the turf with a bump to a $500,000 purse for this year's running in response to the New York Racing Association's creation of a Turf Triple Crown series.

Contested last year at a mile-and-a-quarter distance on the turf with a $400,000 purse during the Illinois track's famed Arlington Million (G1T) card, that placement puts the race in direction competition with the new $1 million, mile-and-three-sixteenths Saratoga Derby, the middle leg of the "Turf Trinity" announced by NYRA Feb. 13.

The Saratoga Derby is scheduled for Aug. 4 at Saratoga Race Course and will be contested the weekend before the Secretariat.

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Chris Polzin, Arlington's director of racing and racing secretary, said he was "looking forward" to the change, which will give American and international horsemen a rare opportunity for their 3-year-olds to win a grade 1 stakes at a mile on the turf in restricted company.

"We cut the Secretariat to a mile and got permission from the Graded Stakes Committee to keep the grade 1 status. Now with a $500,000 purse and being the only grade 1 in America run at a mile on turf for 3-year-olds, I'm looking forward to it," Polzin said. "There are no grade 1s in Europe for 3-year-olds at a mile at the same time. They have to run against older horses, so hopefully that will help us as well."

Owner Sol Kumin praised the idea of racetracks coordinating their stakes to give horsemen more opportunities to compete in major stakes.

"It's a tremendous idea to coordinate the distances," said Kumin, who won the 2016 Secretariat and 2017 Arlington Million with Beach Patrol (owned by Sheep Pond Partners, Head of Plains Partners, and James Covello). "It makes 3-year-old turf racing an exciting division with real money."

Polzin agreed that it made more sense to have two races at different distances than compete for the same pool of distance turf runners.

"The days of battling for the same horses are over," he said. "This is good for the game and the fans."

NYRA's Turf Trinity closes with the $1 million Jockey Club Derby at a mile and a half and its Turf Tiara for 3-year-old fillies ends with the $750,000 Jockey Club Oaks at a mile and three-eighths. Both turf stakes are scheduled for Belmont Park Sept. 7.

Kentucky Downs staged two distance turf stakes in that same time frame last September. The $400,000 Exacta Systems Dueling Grounds Derby for 3-year-olds and the $300,000 Dueling Grounds Oaks were both contested at a mile and five-sixteenths Sept. 12.

Efforts to reach Kentucky Downs officials for comment were unsuccessful.