Arlington International on the right course

I was questioned about my Sunday column describing ArlingtonInternational Racecourse's opening June 28. The bettors atSportsman's Park wanted to know if the track really will be as goodas I wrote. I told them even better. Arlington International will have it all, and if it doesn't, comeand see me and I'll give you $1 bill and a Broken Down Horseplayerbutton.

You must be honest about it. No, Arlington won't guarantee anywinners.

The racing strip will be second to none. Everytime I hearthere'll be a new strip somewhere, it's usually only a new cushion.Arlington's strip will be new from top to bottom. There won't be aharness surface beneath the cushion. I saw Arlington's whole neweverything Friday.

New York's track superintendant Joe King and The Meadowland'sBob Miles were consultants to Arlington's Les Brown. King does agreat job for Belmont, Saratoga and Aqueduct. Miles has TheMeadowlands' strip in great shape. Five years ago, leading horsemenscreamed that The Meadowlands strip was good for nothing. Now theyrun their best horses there.

I doubt there will be any great bias at Arlington with variouspaths. Anything I hate is a numbers game. I don't want to bebetting No. 12 because of a certain bias nor No. 1 because the railis like cement. I want to select the fastest horses and then letthem prove it. I don't want a strip where any horse can win or lose.I want the fastest horse to win.

I'm sure Arlington will have a perfect drainage system. Ofall the tracks I've seen, I believe the New York tracks dry fasterthan any other. Why should Arlington have the best strip in theUnited States? It's simple arithmetic. Dick Duchossois, owner ofArlington, put his money where his mouth is and told his staff that'swhat he wanted.

Arlington is doing away with the inner and outer turf courses.It'll be one course with sweeping turns and width so the horses don'tget squeezed. I suggested to Arlington's president (I forgot whichone) several years ago that one turf course would permit truer races.He laughed it off.

I assume they'll move the inside rail out a bit so the coursedoesn't get cut up too much, but if you ever go racing elsewhere andthey have an inner and outer turf course or even put that inside railfar removed from the inside, you'll see horses stacked up on thestretch turn and sometimes through the stretch.

A field of 12 is too many for a narrow course or one with asharp stretch turn. They don't have inner and outer turf courses inEurope where they have the greatest turf horses and races. TheEuropeans would laugh off such an idea. I believe the jockeys here,Earlie Fires, Pat Day and others, will enjoy riding over a wider turfcourse.

I know I would if somebody would tie me to the saddle.

Arlington will be complete. Take my word for it. EduardoFortino, backstretch and television feature manager, told me thetrees placed around the paddock cost $4,000 each. I guess they wantto shade the horses.

I hate to write about restaurants and food. It makes me hungry.The Million Room, open to the public on weekdays, offers a panoramicview of Arlington's paddock. The International Room is also open tothe public on weekdays for groups.

Mr. D's in the grandstand is another restaurant. There's also aMarquee On The Green and the Million Room that will take the place ofthe Classic Club.

I didn't want to mention the Turf Club. That's the real privatedeal. This club is by invitation only. There will be a limitednumber of members, perhaps 50, with a cost of $4,000 for the season.That eliminated me.