Churchill Downs announced on August 23 that all races in the track’s September meetup (September 15 to October 2) will be run on the ground to allow the new Bermuda hybrid turf to continue. continue to develop. However, grass-court racing is expected to continue for the Fall Encounter, from October 30 to November 27.
Churchill Downs announced the new turf in April after it was seeded last October, but it was unable to sustain planned use and the track had planned to scale back turf races. from three to two grass races a day until July 4 Just four days later, Churchill Downs announced plans to suspend grass racing for at least two weeks.
By the end of June, the track had scrapped plans for any additional spring grass races, citing “more time is needed for the new root system to continue to develop.”
The meetup in September and the upcoming fall will include 26 equity races worth a total of $8.31 million. The September meeting will feature 11 such races, worth $3.36 million, while the fall meeting will feature 15 equity races worth $4.95 million.
The 10th Annual Meeting in September will give riders plenty of opportunities to prepare for the Breeders World Championships on November 4-5 at Keeneland. one mile — Breeders’ Cup Challenge event for Dirt Mile — October 1.
Additionally, the Road to the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks series will begin September 17 with $300,000 Iroquois Stakes (G3) and $300,000 Pocahontas Stakes (G3), respectively. Both races will also award points in the Breeders’ Cup “Dirt Dozen” series to their respective divisions.
Churchill Downs’ 133rd Fall Encounter, following Keeneland’s four-week (October 7-29) meetup in Lexington, is anchored by a $750,000 Clark Stock held by Norton Healthcare (G1). ) present. The 1/8-mile test for kids 3 and up on “Black Friday,” November 25, annually attracts some of the top horses in North America and is the centerpiece of nine stake races scheduled for Thanksgiving weekend.
Two-year-olds aspiring to next year’s Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) and Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) will be featured twice during the Fall Encounter as part of the program. The 18th Annual “Stars of Tomorrow.” $200,000 in Street Sense (G3) and $200,000 in Wealth for the filling highlight the opening date of October 30. The $400,000 Kentucky Jockey bet. Club (G2) and $400,000 in Golden Rod (G2) stock for the filling as part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby and the November 26 Kentucky Oaks series.
An additional feature to this year’s four-week Fall Encounter will be the 24th Crown Claims Championship Series, which will be held at Churchill Downs for the first time on November 12 — a week later Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland. Open to claimants, the Claiming Crown features eight races with beginner’s allowance conditions and a $1.05 million prize pool for some of the most competitive blue-collar horses in the world. country.
The condition book of scheduled races for the September Encounter was released online on August 22 and features 135 races and a record $13,791,000 prize money with a daily average of $985,071 . The women’s special weight class races have a purse of $120,000, while the allowance races range from $127,000 to $141,000.
