Arlington Park to go for 2011 Breeders' Cup

By: SPORTS NETWORK

Arlington Heights, IL (Sports Network) - While the 25th Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships have yet to be conducted, Arlington Park is making a play to host the two-day event in 2011. This year's and the 2009 Breeders' Cup will both be held at Santa Anita Park.

Arlington Park, which hosted the Breeders' Cup in 2002, has been granted additional dates for its 2009 season by the Illinois Racing Board. The home of the Arlington Million will hold live racing from May 1 through September 30.

"We would like to run a Breeders' Cup in the near future," Roy Arnold, Arlington Park President, said to the Illinois Racing Board. "We're looking at 2011. By going to Columbus Day we would be able to keep the backstretch open."

When Arlington Park had the 2002 World Throroughbred Championships, more than 46,000 fans attended and better than $108 million was wagered on the eight Breeders' Cup races.

The site of the 2010 Breeders' Cup has yet to be announced. Last month there were indications that Churchill Downs was interested in hosting. The famed racetrack has been the host track six times, most recently in 2006.