Before it was the most-discussed empty lot in Illinois, the 326 acres off Euclid Avenue were one of America’s best-known racetracks. Arlington Park ran for 94 years, survived a fire that should have ended it, and introduced the sport’s first million-dollar race. Its final race was run on September 25, 2021, and by the fall of 2023 its grandstand was gone. Whatever happens with the Chicago Bears, this is the history that came before.
1927: Curly Brown’s track opens
Arlington Park was founded by Harry D. “Curly” Brown, a California businessman, and opened on October 13, 1927. About 20,000 people turned out for opening day. For most of the 20th century the track was a summer fixture for the northwest suburbs and a major stop on the national thoroughbred circuit.
Secretariat comes to Arlington
In 1973 the track created the Arlington Invitational specifically to bring Triple Crown winner Secretariat to the Midwest. He won easily, and the track later named the Secretariat Stakes in his honor. Decades later, in 1996, the champion Cigar tied Citation’s record of 16 straight wins at Arlington.
1981: The first million-dollar race
In 1981 Arlington hosted the first Arlington Million, the first thoroughbred race in the world with a $1 million purse. The Million became the track’s signature event and drew international fields for decades.
1985: The fire and the rebuild
On July 31, 1985, a fire destroyed the grandstand and clubhouse. Remarkably, the Arlington Million went on that August with temporary bleachers, an effort later honored with a special Eclipse Award as the “Miracle Million.” The track then built a new grandstand. It fully reopened in 1989 as Arlington International Racecourse. After a two-year shutdown over contract disputes, it reopened in 2000 under the Arlington Park name, and hosted the Breeders’ Cup World Championships in 2002.
Churchill Downs, and the end of racing
Churchill Downs, the Kentucky company behind the Kentucky Derby, bought Arlington in September 2000. In February 2021 it announced it would sell the property. The last race, a race called “The Luxembourg,” was run on September 25, 2021, and won by Sister Ruler. Four days later, on September 29, the Chicago Bears signed a $197.2 million agreement to buy the land. The sale closed on February 15, 2023.
2023: The grandstand comes down
Interior demolition of the grandstand began May 30, 2023, and the structure was down by September 26, 2023. The village required erosion controls and protections for the Salt Creek watershed during the work, along with a traffic plan for demolition trucks. Today the site is cleared land owned by the Bears, zoned under a racetrack overlay district the village amended in 2022.
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1927 | Arlington Park opens October 13 |
| 1973 | Secretariat wins the Arlington Invitational |
| 1981 | First Arlington Million, racing’s first $1M race |
| 1985 | Fire destroys the grandstand July 31 |
| 1989 | Reopens as Arlington International Racecourse |
| 2000 | Churchill Downs buys the track; Arlington Park name returns |
| 2002 | Hosts the Breeders’ Cup |
| 2021 | Sale announced (Feb.); last race (Sept. 25); Bears sign deal (Sept. 29) |
| 2023 | Bears close purchase (Feb. 15); grandstand demolished (May–Sept.) |
Share your Arlington Park memories
A lot of readers grew up going to the track, worked there or remember the day of the fire. I’d like to collect those stories here. If you have a memory or a photo you own and are willing to share, send it my way and I’ll consider it for a follow-up post.