Alas, a key scratch hit our race yesterday. But, what can we do but try again?

For Episode 217 of Chicago Race of the Day, we switch to the polytrack and return to the maiden ranks for the day’s 4th race. Often older-horse maiden claimers don’t have as many lightly-raced horses as this one does, making this a brain-bending challenge. So, let’s jump in and make some sense of it!

For Episode 216 of Chicago Race of the Day, we stay on the lawn, but go a little longer.

Race 7 at Arlington on Friday, June 4 is a turf mile for fillies and mares, N1X or $20,000 claiming. The race drew a field of eight, including a pair of likely short-priced horses about whom I have some questions. So, let’s dive in and see if we can find a price!

Brace yourselves: Thursday racing is coming.

For Episode 215 of Chicago Race of the Day, we get back on the turf and return to the maiden ranks. Thursday’s 5th race at Arlington is an open maiden special weight. All the runners are fairly lightly-raced, including four first-time starters. As always, there are pedigree questions, trainer questions…and more pace to think through than usual, for a race with so many firsters.

So, let’s dive in!

For Episode 214 of Chicago Race of the Day, let’s return to the polytrack for an Illinois allowance-optional sprint!

The race features the return of one of last autumn’s most exciting horses, Readthecliffnotes, cutting back to a trip he’s never tried. We’ll pick apart the conditions, set up the pace, and identify a horse who shapes as a serious upset candidate at a square price!

For Episode 213 of Chicago Race of the Day, we stay on the lawn, but cut back to one turn.

Friday’s third race at Arlington is an allowance-optional turf dash with a tough field of nine, including some up-and-comers as well as some proven stakes horses. Get to know some of the best turf horses on (or, in one case, visiting) the grounds, and let’s figure out how this race is going to set up!

The weather in Chicago is great for turf racing this weekend.

For Episode 212 of Chicago Race of the Day, we look at the 5th race on Saturday at Arlington: a starter-optional claimer at a mile on the turf. There are two different horses (including an Illinois stakes winner) who are returning from lengthy layoffs, and several others who are making class moves…so let’s delve into the field, figure out how the race is going to set up, and find who makes sense!

Let’s return to the maiden ranks for Episode 211 of Chicago Race of the Day!

The race is an open maiden special weight sprint on the polytrack for fillies and mares. It drew a field of nine three- and four-year-olds, and most of them are lightly raced. That includes four first-time starters! So there’s a little bit of pace, a little bit of pedigree, and a lot of angles to consider.

Episode 210 of Chicago Race of the Day stays on the grass for a filly and mare turf mile, Saturday’s Arlington 2nd! It’s a field of just six, but has enough quality to merit a real deep dive, since these may be horses we’ll be seeing in the nicer distaff turf races at Arlington all summer. Plus, it’s full of new faces: most of the field has yet to race at Arlington, so it’s a good time to get to know them.

Let’s dive in!

Episode 209 of Chicago Race of the Day dives into a race that would be a headliner at Arlington Park, even on a Saturday. Friday’s 7th is a turf mile allowance whose field of eight features many stakes horses, including the last two winners of Arlington’s American Derby!

Let’s dive into the race, find out how it’s likely to set up, and see who is ready to rise to the challenge!

Episode 208 of Chicago Race of the Day gets back on the main track for Sunday’s Arlington 7th. It’s one of my favourite situations to bet: a race with some short-priced horses who are untested on the Arlington polytrack. When that happens…it can be very profitable to look for a well-spotted horse who is already proven over the surface, and there’s exactly that sort of horse in this race, too.

Episode 207 of Chicago Race of the Day looks at the Arlington: the 4th race on Saturday, an top-shelf optional claiming turf dash. With a sharp pace likely, some potential scratches to puzzle through, and even a horse trying the grass for the first time in a very tough field? There’s a lot going on, so let’s get started!

Listen to Chicago Race of the Day right here. And, make sure to subscribe on either Google Play, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or through the RSS feed so you don’t miss an episode!

Episode 206 of Chicago Race of the Day moves onto the grass. Saturday’s Arlington 7th is a maiden special weight on the turf open to ages three and up — though it only drew three-year-olds — going a mile and a sixteenth. There are some exciting pedigrees, some surprising patterns, and a lot of ways to go.

So, let’s take a horse-by-horse look at the field!

Listen to Chicago Race of the Day right here. And, make sure to subscribe on either Google Play, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or through the RSS feed so you don’t miss an episode!

For Episode 205 of Chicago Race of the Day, let’s scoot across town! As usual, Arlington Park opens its summer meet on Kentucky Oaks day, which fell early this year. So, let’s start out the meet by looking at the first race of the meet! It’s got some vulnerable chalk…not to mention, it also raises the question of a condition that doesn’t show up so much at Hawthorne, but shows up enough that you have to stay on your toes whenever you’re handicapping Arlington.

Listen to Chicago Race of the Day right here. And, make sure to subscribe on either Google Play, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or through the RSS feed so you don’t miss an episode!

There’s a $33,569 carryover into the Super High Five in Sunday’s Hawthorne 8th — and since it’s closing day, there’s a mandatory payout! So, it’s an excellent day to play the Super High Five at Hawthorne. Hawthorne knows exactly how to make it appealing to play, too: they carded a twelve-horse turf mile for the Super High Five race!

Get ready to chase that carryover in Episode 204 of Chicago Race of the Day!

Listen to Chicago Race of the Day right here. And, make sure to subscribe on either Google Play, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or through the RSS feed so you don’t miss an episode!

For Episode 203 of Chicago Race of the Day? We looked at maidens last time, so let’s look at some salty older claiming mares this time around. We find as snug a condition book as I’ve ever found…and depending on the track condition, the horses to play around that key make an interesting shift.

Listen to Chicago Race of the Day right here. And, make sure to subscribe on either Google Play, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or through the RSS feed so you don’t miss an episode!