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Chris Polzin Named Indiana Grand’s Director of Racing

Arlington Park’s former director of racing and racing secretary, Chris Polzin, will assume the same titles and duties at Indiana Grand Racing & Casino, beginning Monday, Oct. 26.

Associated with racing for nearly 40 years, Polzin is an Illinois native whose father, Elmer Polzin, was a Chicago-area turf writer and handicapper. Polzin has been with Arlington Park since the early ’80s, holding positions ranging from press box statistician to clerk of scales. He was the director of racing and racing secretary for the past 11 years.

“I’m very excited and looking forward to joining the Indiana racing program,” said Polzin. “The breeding industry in Indiana right now is fantastic and the purse structure is very solid. I have also seen how dedicated track management is to the horsemen and the racing program. Their commitment to see the industry grow is very impressive. I look forward to being part of that vision.”

Indiana Grand, which has a one-mile dirt track and a seven-furlong turf course, will hold live racing in 2020 until Nov. 19.

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Illinois Racing Board Awards 2021 Race Dates; Arlington To Host Million Festival Races Next Year

The Illinois Racing Board on Wednesday awarded 2021 race dates to Arlington Park and Hawthorne Race Course.

Arlington will host 68 live race days, with opening weekend featuring the Kentucky Oaks (April 30, 2021) and the Kentucky Derby (May 1, 2021), and will conclude on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021.

Hawthorne will host 50 live race dates, from March 6 through April 25 and from Oct. 1 through Dec. 31.

Arlington International Racecourse President, Tony Petrillo, is enthusiastic about continuing Arlington's traditions in 2021.

“This will be our 94th year of operation and Arlington remains committed to fans, guests, bettors, horsemen/horsewomen, and the community,” Petrillo said. “We look forward to showcasing the renowned Arlington Experience in 2021, featuring our beautiful facility and providing race fans with the opportunity to wager on quality races along with a slate of graded stakes races.”

The Arlington meet will host many of the graded stakes races that were placed on hiatus in 2020 and will feature a festival of stakes races for Illinois horses, featuring the Bruce D. Stakes, Beverly D. Stakes, and the newly renamed Arlington Million: “Mister D. Stakes,” in honor of Richard Duchossois, who will be 100 years old next year.

Racing for the 2020 season continues Thursday through Saturday now until Sept. 26.

More specific race date information is available below:

ARLINGTON PARK – 68 Thoroughbred race programs and 220 total host programs.

January 3 through March 5 – dark host time. No live racing.
April 26 through May 31, racing 2 days per week on Fridays and Saturdays. Live racing begins on April 30. Dark April 26 through April 29 and May 7, racing on May 9.
June 1 through June 30, racing 3 days per week on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Racing on June 20.
July 1 through August 14, racing 4 days per week on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Dark July 1.
August 15 through August 31, racing 4 days per week on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Dark August 4 and 11, racing on August 1 and 8.
September 1 through September 30, racing 3 days per week on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Dark September 2, 3 and 26 through 30, racing on September 5.

HAWTHORNE RACE COURSE – 50 Thoroughbred race programs and 145 total host programs.

January 1 and 2 – dark host time. No live racing.
March 6 through April 25, racing 2 days per week on Saturdays and Sundays.
October 1 through November 30, racing 3 days per week on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
December 1 through December 31, racing 2 days per week on Saturdays and Sundays. Dark December 25

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Influential Illinois Racing Commissioner Resigns

Commissioner Thomas McCauley, who volunteered his time to play a major role in mediating the recently contentious contract negotiations between Arlington International Racecourse and the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association (ITHA), abruptly resigned from the Illinois Racing Board (IRB) “effective immediately” on Sep. 4.

No reason was cited for McCauley’s sudden departure, which was announced in an IRB press release late Friday afternoon on the cusp of the Labor Day holiday weekend.

McCauley, an attorney who specializes in gaming law and regulatory compliance counsel as a partner at the Chicago-based Nisen & Elliott, LLC, was frequently the only member of the IRB to ask direct, pointed questions of racing industry stakeholders at IRB meetings. He served two stints on the IRB, first in 2014 and again starting in 2017.

McCauley was especially blunt over the past year in repeatedly grilling executives from Arlington and its corporate parent, Churchill Downs, Inc., (CDI). At an IRB meeting last September, he chastised CDI for lacking “any regard for social responsibility whatsoever” after the gaming corporation intentionally missed a deadline to apply for gaming licensure after a decade of working with the ITHA to get a state law passed to attain that privilege.

IRB Chairman Dan Beiser said in the release that “The Illinois horse racing industry has benefitted immensely from Tom’s service over the years and will definitely miss his valuable input.”

Commissioner Arlene Mulder, whose term on the IRB recently expired, was not reappointed, the IRB release also noted.

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Arlington To Allow Limited Spectators

Arlington Park will allow limited spectators to attend live race days beginning Sept. 3 and for the remainder of the COVID-19 abbreviated race meeting, according to a post on the track’s website that appeared late Thursday afternoon.

Up to 300 patrons will be permitted to watch races on track from a variety of outdoor seating areas with strict safety protocols in place. All racegoers will be required to wear masks at all times, unless consuming food or beverages. No gatherings will be permitted indoors. The only interior areas with public access will be located on the first floor for restrooms and self-wagering terminals. Live mutuel clerks will be limited and restricted to cashing tickets only. No wagers will be accepted. No patrons under the age of 18 will be allowed admission.

The racing season at Arlington was scheduled to begin May 1, but for many weeks, there remained lingering doubt as to whether any sort of race meet would be staged in 2020. For a time, there was resistance to running a meet in the absence of spectators, but it was announced June 22 that the track would in fact open for 30 days of live racing beginning July 23.

The stakes program for 2020 was canceled in its entirety, with Chicago’s only three Grade I races–the Arlington Million, the Beverly D. S. and Secretariat S.–each put on hold for at least this year.

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