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Racing Results
Racing up dates…………….by Loretta Brasher
Quarter horse racing 2008,
opened as usual at "Historic" Rillito Park in Tucson, Arizona.
This year only 4 weekends were offerred.Opening Day was February 2 and the stands were full.A full card of Quarter horse and Thoroughbred racing was presented each of the 8 days of racing.Each Day also their was a great race of somekind to attract not only the betters but the horses to fill the races as well.
The Rillito Derby trials were run on Feb 3 and attracted 3 trials of quarter horses.
This being Super Bowl Sunday ..to attract the spectators out to Rillito the first ever "Real Sprint Super Bowl Dash" going 100 yards was run. $1,000 was added to the pot ($500 by AQRA and $500 by PCHA) and each of the eight horses put up $250.00 to run.
It held the crowd to the end of the day just to participate in this great little sprint.
February 10, the Bank of America Challenge Supplemental Race was run..19 horses nominated, 8 of them were picked to race for the $10,000 ($5,000 from AQHA and $5,000 from PCHA) plus $300 from each of the eight horses "purse". Thhis races attracted horses from New Mexico, California and Texas, along with the Arizona Challenge horses.Thanks to Bank of America, AQHA and now John Deere for sponsoring such a powerful race for Rillito.
Rillito ark Shoot out #1 " The Quarter Mile" was run February 17, It was a race going 440 yards , each horse put up $500..Winner take all with second place receing back his entry fees..
this is always a greatly anticiapated race here at Rillito.
On February 23, the Tom Clark Memorial was run...400 yards, $200 to enter and the Clark Family donated $1,000. to the purse.
Late that day the Rillito Park Shootout #2 was run..."
The Zoom, Zoom, Zoom," going 100 yards $1,000 to enter....again Winner take all..
For the first time in the history of the track...
a race"la Gran Spectacular" was proposed...
$25,000 for each horse and winner take all....8 horses were signed up to run
but when the money was placed ...only two remained...
A palomino filly with flaxen mane and tail, just as petite and prissy as could be
and a grand looking stallion, dancing to the music and seemed to be spitting fire,
approached the gates, as the sun was going down,
the 300 yard was covered in track record time.
The horses broke together and raced as if they were one
until just before the wire the filly pulled away.
The filly had won the $50,000 pot and bragging rights until next year.
Just as the horses were very different so were their owners.
The filly was owned by a 3 year old girl and her parents were a young couple from New Mexico.
The owners of the stallion were seasoned owners from California.
The race was clean, they both ran straight, and fast.
Even tho it was a long day of racing...the crowd was overwhelming.
No one left and even patrons were still coming in to to see this race...
There was a sea of people crowded up to the rails as far as the eye could see.
Over 9000 people were on hand to participate in racing at Rillito this day.
According to the records at Rillito this year did a record handle each day and had a record crowd.
Averging over 7500 people per day.
The meet was closed out on February 24 with the Rillito shootout $3....
" The Hasta La Vista"again an eight horse field each put up $2,500.00 to run...Winner take all...
Again over 9000 people came thru the gates to watch and wager on QH and TB racing
this last day of the 2008 meet.
Racing continues for 2009 but is uncertain after that.
If any one is interested in helping to preserve racing at the Historic Rillito Park....
here is a website with more information.
historicrillitoracetrack.com...or email historic_rillito@earthlink.net
We now have a website so that you may check results, conditions and overnights
for the County Fairs...www.racewithtrs.com...
check it out....
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