The event was inaugurated in 1929 as the
Classic Stakes over a distance of miles on the dirt. At one time the Arlington Classic was one of the most important races in the United States, drawing the best 3-year-olds in the country.
Triple Crown winner
Gallant Fox attracted a crowd of 60,000 in 1930 and he continued his six race winning streak in the event. In 1932 when Gusto, a grandson of the great
Man o' War won, it was then the richest race for 3-year-olds in America with a purse of $88,100. A noteworthy upset in the Arlington Classic occurred in 1946 when
Assault, who had just won the
United States Triple Crown, finished last. The Arlington Classic was run at the now defunct Washington Park Racetrack from 1943 through 1945. It was known as the
Grand Prix Stakes in 1971, 1972 and 1973 and in 1977 it was made open to horses three-year-olds and up as was labelled as the Arlington Classic Invitational Handicap. There was no race held in 1974, 1975, 1976, 1988, 1998 and 1999. The Arlington Classic became part of Arlington Park's "Mid-America Triple" which included the
American Derby in July and the
Secretariat Stakes in August. The Triple was last won by
Honor Glide in 1997. The event held a Grade I classification between 1981 and 1989. In 2007, this Grade III stakes race was downgraded to an ungraded stakes by the
American Graded Stakes Committee, but it has been returned to its Grade III status. The Arlington Classic was raced on dirt from 1929–1973, 1977–1987, 1989–1993.
Distance Since its inception, the Arlington Classic has been contested over a variety of distances: • 1929–1951 – miles (dirt) • 1952–1972 – 1 mile (dirt) • 1973 – miles (dirt) • 1977–1979 – miles (dirt) • 1980–1993 – miles (dirt) • 1994–2001 – miles (turf) • 2001 onwards – miles (turf) ==Records==