September Meet Starts at Churchill

For the first time in its 139 years, Churchill Downs will hold three race meetings during the year, when the 12-day Homecoming Meet kicks off on Friday, September 6, 2013 and runs to Sunday, September 29, 2013. The September meet was added to the Churchill calendar this year at the request of the Kentucky horseracing and breeding community as a way to help strengthen the state’s racing circuit after a few years during which Turfway Park in northern Kentucky has struggled financially.

Churchill and Kentucky Downs team up 

The September meet at Churchill will be held in conjunction with the five days of live racing being offered at Kentucky Downs in Franklin, Kentucky. As Kentucky Downs is strictly a turf-racing facility, there will be no turf racing held at Churchill during the September meet. There will, however, be special promotions between the two tracks on days when live racing is being held in both places. Live racing at Churchill will take place every Friday, Saturday and Sunday throughout the month.

Road to the Derby and Oaks begins this weekend

Four stakes races will be held on the evening of September 7, 2013 during a special ‘Downs After Dark’ racing card. Two of those stakes will be for two year olds racing 1 1/16 miles, for $150,000, including the Grade III Iroquois, which will kick-off the “Road to the Kentucky Derby” series, while the Grade II Pocahontas launches the “Road to the Kentucky Oaks.” Also, both races are Breeders’ Cup “Win & You’re In” Challenge events. Additionally, top milers will compete in the Grade III Ack Ack Handicap, and fillies and mares will contest the Locust Grove over 1 1/16 miles.