Longtime Arlington Park track superintendent Javier Barajas is leaving to
accept a position with the Dubai Racing Club, Arlington Park President Roy
Arnold announced on Monday.
“I cannot express how much an honor it was to work at Arlington Park for a
man like (Arlington Chairman Emeritus) Mr. Richard Duchossois, who is completely
dedicated to horse racing and whose love for Arlington Park is unmatched,”
Barajas said. “I also enjoyed working with Mr. Bill Thayer, who hired me to work
on the track crew in June of 1976. He’s been like a second father to me.
“I have a lot of respect for the Illinois horsemen, and I will miss working
with them on a daily basis,” he concluded.
Since joining Arlington Park in 1976, Barajas has worked in a number of
capacities on the track and turf crew, becoming track superintendent in 1996.
“Javier’s care in the maintenance of Arlington Park’s turf course is a
pivotal reason it has long been hailed as one of the world’s best, and we will
miss him,” Arnold said. “He also played a prime role in the successful
installation of our Polytrack synthetic surface in 2007.
“Based on the reputation he earned during his many years as track
superintendent at Arlington, we know Javier will rise to the challenges
presented by his new role with the Dubai Racing Club, and we wish him well.”
Arlington Park has launched a search for a successor to Barajas, who will
return to Arlington for several weeks in April to help prepare both the
synthetic main track as well as the turf course for the upcoming season in the
weeks leading up to the May 1 opener.