Arapahoe Park Offers Racing Options

Also known as the home of ‘Mile High Racing’ Denver’s Arapahoe Park is right now in the midst of its 39-day summer racing meet. Live racing is held every Friday, Saturday and Sunday with the first post at 1:00 pm. There are often up to 12 races held on a day’s race card, and Arapahoe is unique among American horse racing tracks a it hosts not only thoroughbred racing, but also, Quarter Horse, Painter Horse and Arabian breed racing as well.

Get Happy Mister claims first Stakes win

The feature race for the thoroughbreds at Arapahoe comes on closing day, August 18^th, with the $100,000 Gold Rush Futurity Stakes for two-year-olds going six furlongs over the Arapahoe dirt track. Last year’s Gold Rush winner, Colorado-bred Get Happy Mister dominated the field to win by 9 ½ lengths. This year in his three-year-old campaign, Get Happy Mister scored a major victory in the $100,000 Northern Spur Stakes at Oaklawn in Arkansas in April. Get Happy Mister currently sports a record of five wins from seven starts.

Closing weekend loaded with big races

For the Quarter horses, the biggest events also come on closing day weekend with the $75,000 Mile High Derby for three-year-olds on August 17, and the $150,000 Grade III Mile High Futurity for two-year-olds, August 18. Both races are run at 400 yards. The Arabians will also get one last chance to run on closing weekend, with the $25,000 Grade III Soaring Eagle Ranch Distaff for fillies and mares three-years-old and up going 1 1/8 miles, and the $25,000 Grade III Crow Valley Ranch Classic for three-year-olds at 1 ¼ miles.