The 91-day meeting at Arlington
Park ended Sunday, Sept. 26, with
owner Frank C. Calabrese and trainer Wayne Catalano in their familiar positions
atop the standings in their respective divisions while jockey Michael Baze
picked up his first riding title in his first season at the suburban Chicago racetrack.
The white and black diamond silks of Calabrese were
displayed in the winner’s circle on 65 occasions while his horses earned a
meet-leading $794,952 in purses. Calabrese has been leading owner in races
won at Arlington
Park
every year since sharing the title with Lothenbach Stables in the year
2000. Calabrese has also been leading owner in purses earned in 2001,
2002 (excluding Breeders’ Cup Day), 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2010, and
was leading owner in purses won excluding the winning owner of the Arlington
Million in 2000, 2004 and 2009.
Catalano saddled 75 winners to better his single-season
record of 74 victories set in 2007 when he was private trainer for
Calabrese. The 2010 title is Catalano’s sixth straight crown and his
ninth in the last 11 seasons overall. He has also been leading trainer in
purses earned in 2002 (excluding Breeders’ Cup Day), 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2008
as well as this year when his starters earned $1,514,389.
Michael Baze won the race for leading jockey, which went
down to the meet’s final week with 104 victories, seven more than runner-up
Junior Alvarado. Baze also led in purse money earned with $2,199,740.
HRH Princess Haya of Jordan’s
Debussy, trained by John Gosden and ridden by William Buick, took the Grade I
Arlington Million on Saturday, Aug. 21. The win was the first in the
Million for all of Debussy’s connections.
Donegal Racing’s Paddy O’Prado solidified his status as the
nation’s top 3-year-old turf horse with his 1¼-length victory in the Grade I
$400,000 Secretariat Stakes. The Dale Romans-trained son of El Prado gave
jockey Kent Desormeaux his second straight victory in the Secretariat and his
third overall in the mile and a quarter turf race.
However, the most emotional moment of the International
Festival of Racing came in the Grade I $750,000 Beverly D. Stakes when Arlington
Park
chairman Richard L. Duchossois’ Éclair de Lune won the race that is named in
memory of his late wife. Hall-of-Fame trainer Ron McAnally saddled the
daughter of Marchand de Sable who was ridden to victory by Junior Alvarado.