Arapahoe Park finally opens downsized 2025 meet Friday

Postponed more than three months because of infrastructure problems, the 2025 Arapahoe Park racing season limps into opening day Friday with 23 horses in five races and $40,800 in overnight purses.

Mark Hibdon and Stetson Rushton, who were responsible for 52 of the meet’s 167 winners last year, are among the nine trainers who have entries Friday. David Cardoso, who won 50 races in 2024, leads the eight jockeys riding on opening day.

Click here for Arapahoe Park entries and results.

The horses range in experience from 2-year-old gelding Chocolate Wasted, who is unraced, to 7-year-old gelding Prince Otto, who is 2-for-44. Four-year-old filly Sarah’s Court, who is 8-for-31, is the top earner on the card with $157,856.

The 30-day meet for Thoroughbreds and quarter horses finally got the approval of the Colorado Racing Commission on Aug. 29. It will be run Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays until Nov. 16 without the blessing of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority. That means the meet will not be available for legal wagering outside Colorado.

Bad electrical wiring, which was one reason for the delay, was repaired in the track’s stable area this summer. That ended the need for a portable generator used in the 2024 meet, which also was pushed back to the fall. The restroom in the test barn also had to be brought into compliance with laws protecting access for disabled users.

According to Paulick Report, Arapahoe executive director Shannon Rushton told the racing commission that the decision of whether to pursue HISA accreditation will be “year to year” and that it could happen in time for the 2026 meet, which is penciled in for its normal dates next summer.