Washington Park Handicap

The Washington Park Handicap is a race for Thoroughbred horses. The race is open to horses age three and up who are willing to race the one and three-sixteenths mile distance. The race is held each year at Arlington Park, the successor of Washington Park Race Track. The race has a purse of $300,000 and is a Grade III event.

With a victory by Armed in the 1947 Washington Park Handicap, Calumet Farm became the first stable to surpass $1 million in annual earnings. Calumet led all owners for 1947 with total earnings of $1,402,436.

Swaps ended his racing career with a victory in the Washington Park Handicap in 1956. That year he was Horse of the Year.

On August 1968 Dr. Fager set the then-world record for a mile in this race. The time for his 10-length victory was 1:32 1/5. The previous record was 1:32 3/5, set by three-year-old Buckpasser on June 25, 1966 at Arlington Park. The filly Busher won it against males in 1945.

On November 28th, 2007, this Grade II stakes race was downgraded to a Grade III by the American Graded Stakes Committee.

Past winners

Winners of the Washington Park Handicap in the past seven years are:

* 2007 - Lewis Michael (E.T. Baird)
* 2006 - Suave
* 2005 - Perfect Drift
* 2004 - Eye of the Tiger
* 2003 - Pefect Drift
* 2002 - Tenpins
* 2001 - Guided Tour