40 Things To Know About Churchill Downs' Fall Meet

Oct 26, 2017 Darren Rogers,Churchill Downs Communications

As Churchill Downs nears the start of its popular Fall Meet, here are 40 things you should know about the 21 days of racing that begin Sunday at 1 p.m. (all times Eastern):

1. The 128^th Fall Meet will feature 21 days of racing over a four-week stretch through Nov. 26. After Sunday’s opening day program, racing will be conducted on a Wednesday-Sunday schedule with dark days on Mondays and Tuesdays. Most programs will feature 10 races with admission gates opening at 11:30 a.m. and the first race at 1 p.m. Eleven-race programs are scheduled for opening day, Nov. 11 and Nov. 18, and there will be 12-race cards over the final four days of the meet (Nov. 23-26). There are special first race post times on three dates: Friday, Nov. 3 (2 p.m.); Saturday, Nov. 4 (2:15 p.m.) and the Thanksgiving Day card on Thursday, Nov. 23 (11:30 a.m.).

2. Purchasing reserved seats or general admission tickets to Churchill Downs has never been easier. All reserved ticket packages can be purchased online at www.ChurchillDowns.com/Tickets, in person at the Gate 10 box office (open most race days at 10:30 a.m.) or by calling (502) 636-4400. General admission is $3 ($1 for seniors age 60 and up) most days and $5 on Nov. 3-4 and Nov. 23-25. Children 12 and under are admitted free when accompanied by an adult. Parking is free in the Longfield Avenue lot (Gate 10). Valet parking is $10.

3. The majority of onsite guests must park in the Gate 10 Longfield Avenue lot during the Fall Meet because of construction. Guests are advised to visit www.ChurchillDowns.com/Parking in advance of attending Churchill Downs’ Fall Meet to view recommended alternative routes and a complete list of guest-appropriate temporary parking lots. Initial work on the significant Parking Lot construction project is under way. The improvements and reshaping of the parking lots, which covers a 50-acre area within the track’s geographic footprint, aim to advance the overall traffic and parking flow for guests who visit the historic racetrack throughout the year, including the high-volume crowds of Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup weeks. Additional aspects of the development include a promenade for guests to safely enter and exit the racetrack from and to the parking and loading/drop-off areas, and much-needed landscaping to an area at the facility mostly devoid of trees and plantings. Signs, electronic message boards and personnel will be in place to alert guests about the temporary closures and direct them parking in Gate 10 off Longfield Ave.

4. Overnight purses for the Fall Meet have skyrocketed 30 percent over the last five years. The average purse for an overnight race in 2012 – the year before the debut of Churchill Downs’ September Meet – was $32,672. The average purse per overnight race in this year’s condition book is $42,379. The prize money for maiden special weights is $60,000 compared to $50,000 five years ago. Allowance purses will range from $62,000 to $72,000 compared to $52,000 to $58,000 in 2012. All other overnight races have benefited from purse increases, as well.

5. The most lucrative race of the meet is the Grade I, $500,000 Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare. The 143^rd running of the 1 1/8-mile test for 3-year-olds and up will be run on “Black Friday,” Nov. 24. It annually lures some of the top older horses in North America and is one of seven stakes events to be contested over Thanksgiving weekend. Total prize money offered throughout the meet’s 221 scheduled races is a hefty $11.25 million, which averages to more than $535,000 per day.

6. All told, 15 stakes races cumulatively worth $2.52 million will be run during the fall stand. The stakes schedule follows:

Day	Date	No.	Grade	Purse	Stakes Race	Conditions	Distance
Sunday	Oct. 29	2nd		$200,000	Spendthrift Juvenile Stallion	2yo ®	7 F
Sunday	Oct. 29	1st		$200,000	Spendthrift Juvenile Filly Stallion	2yo F ®	7 F
Sunday	Oct. 29	5th		*$80,000	Street Sense (overnight stakes)	2yo	1 M
Sunday	Oct. 29	5th		*$80,000	Rags to Riches (overnight stakes)	2yo F	1 M
Saturday	Nov. 4	32nd	II	$200,000	Chilukki	F&M	1 M
Saturday	Nov. 11	14th	III	$100,000	Commonwealth Turf	3yo	1 1/16 M (T)
Saturday	Nov. 18	44th	III	$100,000	Cardinal Handicap	F&M	1 1/8 M (T)
Saturday	Nov. 18	10th		*$80,000	Bet On Sunshine (overnight stakes)	3&up	6 F
Thursday	Nov. 23	102nd	II	$200,000	Falls City Handicap	F&M	1 1/8 M
Thursday	Nov. 23	40th	III	$100,000	River City Handicap	3&up	1 1/8 M (T)
Friday	Nov. 24	143rd	I	$500,000	Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare	3&up	1 1/8 M
Friday	Nov. 24	27th	II	$200,000	Mrs. Revere	3yo F	1 1/16 M (T)
Friday	Nov. 24	13th		*$80,000	Dream Supreme (overnight stakes)	F&M	6 F
Saturday	Nov. 25	91st	II	$200,000	Kentucky Jockey Club	2yo	1 1/16 M
Saturday	Nov. 25	74th	II	$200,000	Golden Rod	2yo F	1 1/16 M

* Added-money events.

7. Bettors are certain to be challenged by the competitive Fall Meet racing that typically pits the fastest and battle-tested horses against the recently freshened year-end bloomers. With a compact 21-day schedule and not as many competing race meets at year’s end, the Fall Meet traditionally offers large fields. Last fall, the average field size was 9.0 horses per race compared to the 8.1 and 8.9 averages during this year’s Spring and September meets, respectively.

8. There’ll be plenty of opportunities for horsemen to uncork promising 2-year-olds. Churchill Downs’ director of racing and racing secretary Ben Huffman has written 48 maiden, allowance or stakes races for juveniles in the condition book that range in distance from six furlongs on the main track to 1 1/8 miles on turf. Every race on the opening day and the Nov. 25 “Stars of Tomorrow” programs – staged for the 18^th consecutive year – is exclusively for 2-year-olds that have aspirations of trail-blazing their way to next year’s Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks.

9. “Stars of Tomorrow” has produced more than 50 Grade I winners over the last 17 years. Inaugurated in 2005, Churchill Downs’ “Stars of Tomorrow” programs have helped launched the careers of numerous graded stakes winners, including more than 50 future Grade I winners led by 2010 Kentucky Derby champ Super Saver; 2011 Preakness and 2012 Met Mile and Clark Handicap winner Shackleford; 2009 Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra; 2012 Breeders’ Cup Classic and 2013 Stephen Foster Handicap hero Fort Larned; 2012 Kentucky Oaks winner Believe You Can; 2013 champion 3-year-old Will Take Charge; 2016 Belmont Stakes winner Creator; and four-time Grade I winner Gun Runner, who will vie for favoritism in this year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic.

10. Two dozen horses that were showcased in last year’s “Stars of Tomorrow” programs went onto future stakes success. The most successful alumni from the 2016 events were led by future Grade I winners Dream Dancing and Sailor’s Valentine; graded stakes winners Arklow, Benner Island, Chief Know It All, Cowboy Culture, Ever So Clever, Farrell, Guest Suite, Lovely Bernadette, McCracken, Proctor’s Ledge, Purely a Dream, Vertical Oak and Wild Shot; and stakes winners Balandeen, China Grove, Cool Arrow, Daddys Lil Darling, Giant Payday, Perfect Wife, Sister Nation, Someday Soon and Uncontested.

11. Guests can “Trick or Treat at the Track” during Sunday’s opening day card at Churchill Downs as part of Family Adventure Day presented by Kroger. Guests are encouraged to bring family and friends to the lone Family Adventure Day at the Fall Meet and wear Halloween costumes for a day of safe trick-or-treating as Churchill Downs and community partners pass out more than one ton of candy at 17 booths set up throughout the first floor of the racetrack between 2-5 p.m. Parents may wear costumes but masks on adults are prohibited for safety reasons. Family Adventure Day offers the usual family fun and games, including a carousel, petting zoo, bounce houses, bubble station, video game truck, face painting, soft play area, miniature pony rides, inflatable football toss, soccer fever inflatable game and more. Gates open at 11:30 a.m. and admission to the Family Adventure Day events is $8 in advance online or $10 at the gate.

12. Cooler temperatures and the leaves changing colors signify the return of Fall Meet racing at Churchill Downs. According to the National Weather Service, Sunday’s forecast for Louisville calls for partly sunny skies with a high near 49.

13. Churchill Downs will simulcast the Breeders’ Cup World Championships from Southern California’s Del Mar on Friday, Nov. 3 and Saturday, Nov. 4. Churchill Downs will run 10 races those days beginning at 2 p.m. and 2:15 p.m., respectively. A simulcast of the 10-race Championship Friday card from Del Mar will begin at 2:25 p.m. and the Breeders’ Cup will cover Races 6-9 (5:25-7:35 p.m.). Championship Saturday’s 12-race program at Del Mar will commence at 1:10 p.m., cover Races 4-12 (Breeders’ Cup starts at 3 p.m.) and culminate with the Grade I, $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at 8:35 p.m. In addition to the simulcasts interspersed between live races, Churchill Downs will present a stakes race on Saturday, Nov. 4: the 32^nd edition of the Grade II, $200,000 Chilukki for fillies and mares at one mile. When live racing concludes on Friday at 7:10 p.m. and Saturday at 8:15 p.m., simulcast wagering on the Breeders’ Cup will continue in the ITW area on the second floor of the Clubhouse, as well as reserved dining spaces and the Horsemen’s Services Center. Customers who attend Churchill Downs on Friday will be able to advance wager on the entire Championship Saturday program from Del Mar. There is no advance wagering on-track Thursday for the Championship Friday program.

14. The Breeders’ Cup will return to Churchill Downs for a ninth time – and first since 2011 – in 2018. The 35^th Breeders’ Cup World Championships will be held on Friday, Nov. 2 and Saturday, Nov. 3, 2018 and televised live by NBC Sports Group. The 2018 Breeders’ Cup World Championships will be the ninth time that the event will be hosted at Churchill Downs which, at that time, will be tied with Santa Anita Park in California for the most ever held at one venue. In years past, largely in part to the incredible support of the Louisville community and Kentucky residents, Churchill Downs has hosted the largest Breeders’ Cup’s crowds, including a record-breaking two-day attendance figure of 114,353 in 2010, which also set a two-day on-track handle record of $22,515,318 and a total two-day handle record of $173,857,697. In 2018 these numbers have the potential to reach all-time highs as interest in the Breeders’ Cup continues to grow.

15. The first 5,000 fans in attendance on Saturday, Nov. 4 for a simulcast of the Breeders’ Cup receive a free 2018 Churchill Downs Wall Calendar, presented by Humana. The colorful calendar features major event listings and vivid and memorable images from the Kentucky Derby and around the historic racetrack. Admission gates will open at 12:30 p.m. and first race is 2:15 p.m.

16. Fans interested in purchasing available inventory for Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks 144 must register by Sunday, Nov. 5 at 11:59 p.m. ET. The demand for Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks tickets is truly exceptional. Each year, the number of requests for reserved seating vastly exceeds our available inventory. Those who register online at www.KentuckyDerby.com/Tickets simply by providing an e-mail address under “Sign Up Now” icon will be notified via e-mail about a select online sale to the general public in mid-November (limit six tickets per household). Churchill Downs officials feel the online approach is the best way to give all sports fans and entertainment seekers around the world a fair shot to purchase these highly coveted reserved seats to its two premier racing events.

17. Reserved seating for Thanksgiving Day is going fast. Thanksgiving Day at Churchill Downs has been a Louisville tradition since 1969. More than 7,000 turkey dinners with all the trimmings – the largest number anywhere in the region – will be served on Thursday, Nov. 23, and fans will enjoy 12 races beginning early at 11:30 a.m. Two stakes races will be run that day: the 102^nd running of the Grade II, $200,000 Falls City Handicap for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles, and the 40^th running of the Grade III, $100,000 River City Handicap for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles on turf. Dining packages start at $70 ($27 for children age 2-12) which includes admission, a racing program, reserved seat and a scrumptious Thanksgiving feast. Menu items (served from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m.) are highlighted by Herb Roasted Turkey, Sorghum Glazed Ham, Cornbread Stuffing, Sweet Potatoes, Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes, Green Bean Casserole, Roasted Fall Harvest Vegetables, Butternut Squash and Corn Salad, Fall Pear Salad, and seasonal desserts and pies.

18. The delicious “Stakes and Eggs” brunch special returns every Sunday during the Fall Meet in the Stakes Room. The special $45 package for adults and $22 package for children includes a seat in the Stakes Room on the fourth floor of the Clubhouse and all-you-can-eat access to the brunch menu that includes an omelet station, scrambled eggs, biscuits and country gravy, French toast, hot brown, carved country ham, crispy bacon, sausage patties, hash brown potatoes with peppers and onions, fresh fruit, garden vegetables, breakfast breads and a chef’s dessert display.

19. A Veteran’s Day tradition continues. Military Appreciation Day at Churchill Downs will take place on Saturday, Nov. 11, and all United States veterans and active military will receive free general admission with proof of identification. Additionally, men and women who served American in the military can spend a day at the races with family and friends in the track’s Skye Terrace for just $29 per person – a nearly 25-percent discount – by calling (502) 636-4450. The package includes admission, a race day program, Chef’s Table buffet and soft beverages.

20. Churchill Downs will host two “Seniors Days” during the Fall Meet on Thursday, Nov. 2 and Wednesday, Nov. 15. On both days, Churchill Downs is offering a special $24 package for seniors age 60 and up on Millionaires Row 4 that includes admission, a racing program, a reserved seat and lunch. Call (502) 636-4400 for reservations and more information or visit ChurchillDowns.com/Tickets.

21. Churchill Downs’ popular “Who’s the Champ?” Handicapping Contest will return on Sundays, Nov. 12 and Nov. 19. Interested participants can enter for $35 ($30 for TSC Elite members) for a chance to win the $1,000 cash voucher first prize by placing mythical $2 win and place bets on Races 3-8. Second place receives a $500 voucher and third place is worth a $200 voucher. Registration will take place those days between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on the Clubhouse second floor at the top of the Gate 17 escalators.

22. A 50/50 charitable gaming raffle will take place throughout the Fall Meet to raise money for charitable organizations that benefit from the Churchill Downs Incorporated Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. Guests may purchase $5 raffle tickets online at www.DerbyGives.com. Proceeds will help support the critical work of nonprofits in the horse racing and breeding industry, make a difference in important public health programs and provide meaningful opportunities in art and education. The drawing will take place on Friday, Nov. 24 before the running of the Clark Handicap.

23. Dale Romans looks to surpass Bill Mott as Churchill Downs’ all-time leading trainer. Romans, a 51-year-old native of South Louisville, is just one win away from joining Hall of Famer Bill Mott as the all-time leading trainer in races won at Churchill Downs – a record that 64-year-old Mott has held for 31 years. Mott has 701 wins at Churchill Downs, while Romans begins the meet with 700 wins after landing just one victory with a pair of seconds and a trio of thirds from 24 starters during the 11-day September Meet (Mott went 0-for-6). Mott scored his first Churchill Downs win on May 17, 1977 with Miss Mill Creek, and surpassed Henry Forrest’s 271-win total when Boldly Dared won on June 8, 1986. One year later, Romans, who’d go onto to win 14 Churchill Downs training titles, saddled his first Churchill Downs winner with Final Destroyer, who won a $5,000 claiming race with a purse of $6,650 on Nov. 12, 1987.

24. Other Churchill Downs-based horsemen are approaching significant career milestones. Jockey Corey Lanerie (887 Churchill Downs wins) needs 27 victories at the Fall Meet to surpass Larry Melancon (914) for fifth all-time in races won by a jockey at Churchill Downs. He’d also pass Don Brumfield (925) for fourth all-time with 38 wins. Brian Hernandez Jr. (489) needs 11 victories to become only the 14^th jockey to ride 500 winners at Churchill Downs. Jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. (181) is 19 wins from his 200^th Churchill Downs winner. Shaun Bridgmohan needs one stakes victory to become only the fifth jockey to win 50 stakes races at Churchill Downs. Trainer Greg Foley needs two victories to become only the eighth trainer to win 400 races at Churchill Downs. The next victory by trainer Mark Casse will be his 250^th at Churchill Downs. Trainer Ian Wilkes needs six victories to become the 35^th trainer to win 200 races at Churchill Downs.

25. Jockey Corey Lanerie, trainer Mike Maker and owners Ken and Sarah Ramsey will defend their Fall Meet titles. Lanerie, who rode 31 winners at the 2016 Fall Meet, is seeking to land his 15^th riding title at the last 17 meets at Churchill Downs. The native of Lafayette, La. landed his 14^th local title with a record 19 wins over last month’s 11-day September Meet. Maker, who won 16 races a year ago for his sixth local title, is celebrating the 10^th anniversary of his record-setting 2008 Fall Meet when he won an unprecedented 31 races over 26 days. His primary owners, the Ramseys, secured their 29^th title for top owners at Churchill Downs during the September Meet when their red-and-white silks were carried into the G.H. MUMM’s Winner’s Circle five times. Last fall, the Nicholasville, Ky. couple won six Fall Meet races. Overall, they’ve won 474 races at Churchill Downs, which is more than twice as much as their nearest competitor, the famed Overbrook Farm’s 206.

26. Corey Lanerie and Mike Maker top all jockeys and trainers, respectively in races won at Churchill Downs in the last calendar year. The winningest jockeys since the 2016 Fall Meet have been Lanerie (113 wins), Brian Hernandez Jr. (81), Julien Leparoux (58), Florent Geroux (45), Robby Albarado (32), Chris Landeros (32), Ricardo Santana Jr. (32), James Graham (30), Miguel Mena (28), Joe Rocco Jr. (26), Shaun Bridgmohan (21), Declan Cannon (19), Jon Court (18), Channing Hill (15), Calvin Borel (14) and Gabriel Saez (13). The winningest trainers during that period have been Maker (35), Steve Asmussen (33), Brad Cox (33), Ian Wilkes (33), Tom Amoss (23), Dale Romans (22), Kenny McPeek (21), Brendan Walsh (20), Mark Casse (17), Chris Hartman (17), Rusty Arnold II (15), Eddie Kenneally (15), J.R. Caldwell (13), Bret Calhoun (12), Mike Tomlinson (11), Bernie Flint (10), Ron Moquett (10) and Chris Richard (10).

27. Six locally-based jockeys and eight trainers with several horses stabled at Churchill Downs are ranked in the Top 25 nationally in prize money-won this year. Jockey Julien Leparoux ranks seventh nationally as his mounts have accrued more than $12.0 million this year. Other jockeys in the Top 25 are No. 11 Florent Geroux ($9.8 million), No. 15 Brian Hernandez Jr. ($7.2 million), No. 16 Ricardo Santana Jr. ($7.2 million), No. 17 Corey Lanerie ($7.1 million) and No. 24 Robby Albarado ($6.1 million). New York-based rider Jose Ortiz leads the nation with $23.4 million. Steve Asmussen is the top Churchill Downs-based trainer in money-won as he ranks fourth with $14.0 million. Other horsemen ranked in the Top 25 are No. 5 Mark Casse ($13.8 million), No. 6 Mike Maker ($9.1 million), No. 7 Bill Mott ($8.2 million), No. 9 Brad Cox ($7.1 million), No. 22 Robertino Diodoro ($4.3 million), No. 24 Joe Sharp ($4.1 million) and No. 25 Ian Wilkes ($3.9 million). New York-based Chad Brown is the nation’s top trainer with $21.2 million.

28. The Churchill Downs Racing Club will be back in action during the Fall Meet, and there’s a new opportunity to join with an unraced 2-year-old colt trained by Dale Romans. Rare Form is a juvenile sired by The Factor out the Empire Maker dam Bayou Tortuga, who was purchased by Spendthrift Farm at last year’s Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The gray or roan colt – a half-brother to 2016 UAE Oaks (GIII) winner and UAE Derby (GII) runner-up Polar River – could debut as early as Sunday’s opener. Spendthrift Farm, owned by B. Wayne Hughes, has made the promising colt available to Churchill Downs Racing Club members. The Churchill Downs Racing Club, which was inaugurated in the spring of 2016, again will give up to 200 people a low-cost pathway to introduce and experience the excitement of Thoroughbred racehorse ownership for one-time membership dues of $500. All proceeds above the expenses of Rare Form will be donated by the Churchill Downs Racing Club to the Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. The Churchill Downs Racing Club is a 501(c)(7) not-for-profit social club organized for pleasure, recreational and other non-profitable purposes. Members should not join with any profit motive or expectation of profit. Gary Palmisano will represent the club’s interest and serve as a liaison for the club’s members. Benefits will include regular e-mail updates on the horse, visits to the track in the early mornings – and breakfast on select days – to watch the horse train, trips to the paddock, watching the race in a group setting and hopefully experiencing the thrill of visiting the G.H. MUMM Winners’ Circle. Each member will receive free general admission for two to Churchill Downs in 2017-18, and invitations to exclusive Churchill Downs Racing Club events at the track. The $500 annual membership dues are used to purchase a Thoroughbred and pay for its training fees and expenses, which will be disclosed regularly to the members. Interested parties are invited to register online at ChurchillDowns.com/RacingClub. Questions may be emailed to [email protected].

29. Past Churchill Downs Racing Club members have enjoyed success. The Churchill Downs Racing Club debuted in 2016 with two groups of 200 members for the filly Dial Me (12-1-0-3—$52,818) and the colt Warrior’s Club (17-3-3-3—$294,299), both trained by Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas. Both horses won, and Warrior’s Club became a stakes winner. The successes led the group to purchase two additional 2-year-old fillies this spring: Party Club (5-0-1-1—$18,867) and Card Club (4-0-0-2—$7,684). Another group was established this spring for an unraced daughter of Gio Ponti named Gia Victoria, who is nearing her debut for Kentucky Oaks-winning trainer Dallas Stewart.

30. The Churchill Downs betting menu will be the same as it has been in recent meets and includes the 20-cent minimum “Single 6 Jackpot,” which is offered on the last six races each day with a low 15-percent takeout. The Single 6 Jackpot will be paid out only if there is a single winning wager with six winners placed at the required minimum bet value. If there are multiple winning wagers with six winners in the six-race sequence, 90 percent of the net money wagering into the pool will be paid out, and the remaining 10 percent will carry to the Single 6 Jackpot. If there are no tickets will all six winners, 100 percent of the pool will carry to the Single 6 Jackpot. There will be a mandatory payout on closing day. Bettors also can tackle the traditional $2 Win, Place, Show, Exacta ($1 boxes and wheels) wagers, plus $1 Doubles (rolling) and $1 Super Hi-5 (final race); 50-cent Trifectas (all races with five or more betting interests), Pick 3s (rolling), Pick 4s (Races 1-4, 4-7 and final four races most days) and Pick 5 (Races 2-6 and final five races daily); and 10-cent Superfecta (all races with six or more betting interests).

31. The first pools of the 2018 Kentucky Derby Future Wager will be offered Nov. 23-26. The traditional pool with 23 individual wagering interests and an “all others” option will return, and so will the Kentucky Derby Sire Future Wager, which debuted in 2015 and requires bettors to wager on the winning sire for next year’s Kentucky Derby winner. The other Future Wager dates will be Feb. 9-11 (Pool 2), March 9-11 (Pool 3) and April 6-8 (Pool 4). The lone Kentucky Oaks Future Wager will coincide with Pool 3 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager on March 9-11.

32. Churchill Downs Today will air most race days at noon to provide bettors with race-by-race handicapping insight for each racing program. Hosted by Churchill Downs’ paddock analyst Joe Kristufek, the 30-minute program will air on track television monitors throughout the facility and online at www.TwinSpires.com and other internet wagering platforms. The regular roster of guest handicappers will include Ed DeRosa (TwinSpires.com and Brisnet.com), Kristina McManigell (former jockey and host of HRRN’s Jock Talk) and James Scully (TwinSpires.com and Brisnet.com). Kristufek also will preview each race with 15 minutes to post, but he’ll be absent Nov. 1-5 with handicapping duties at Del Mar’s Breeders’ Cup. Instead, Brian W. Spencer, the paddock analyst for Arlington Park and Fair Grounds, will substitute on those dates. Additionally, Travis Stone will describe the racing action throughout the Fall Meet as he’s done at Churchill Downs since 2015. Veteran odds maker Mike Battaglia has morning line odds duty for the 43^rd consecutive year.

33. Guests are encouraged to download the Churchill Downs App to enhance their on-site experience. The app, which may be downloaded at the Apple App Store and Google Play for androids, allows guests to view race entries and expert picks and bet from their phone; find parking and get to their seat; skip concession lines or order service to their box seats in select locations; scan, manage and buy tickets; and receive the latest Kentucky Derby news and updates.

34. In addition to www.ChurchillDowns.com, customers can stay up-to-date with the latest Churchill Downs information on social media. The track’s official Facebook page is Facebook.com/ChurchillDowns, its Twitter handle is @ChurchillDowns, and more fun can be found on Instagram at Instagram.com/ChurchillDowns. The official Facebook page for the Kentucky Derby is Facebook.com/KentuckyDerby, and its Twitter handle is @KentuckyDerby. Also, the Kentucky Derby is on Instagram and Snapchat, and has its own YouTube channel at YouTube.com/KentuckyDerby, which includes captivating video features about the Road to Kentucky Derby 144. For information tailored for members of the media, the Twitter handle for the Churchill Downs communications department is @DerbyMedia.

35. On-site guests may receive assistance or report any issues or incidents directly to the Churchill Downs team via text message. Guests are encouraged utilize their phones and text “CHURCHILL” <space> ISSUE and LOCATION to 69050 for any assistance during their visit to Churchill Downs.

36. Fall Meet guests will notice significant progress on construction for the track’s new Starting Gate Suites at the top of the stretch. The $37 million capital project will deliver more than 1,800 new seats for the 2018 Kentucky Derby through the addition of new luxury suites, interior dining tables and third-floor Grandstand seats. The capital project encompasses 77,250 square feet of new space on the north end of the racetrack. The structure, which will feature three floors of individual suites along with dining and event space, is being built adjacent to the Jockey Club Suites, which opened in 2003. The new luxury suites will feature indoor lounge seating with a bar and a private tiered balcony that overlooks the start of the Kentucky Derby at the top of the homestretch and host 1,140 ticketed guests. Up to new 36 individual suites will be able to accommodate groups of various sizes. Each of the three levels in the new Starting Gate Suites will feature event space with 24 eight-top tables for interior dining for a total of 576 seats. The project also will include the construction of 110 new third-floor Grandstand seats. The project will be complete prior to the 2018 Kentucky Derby.

37. The 11^th annual Benefit for the Backside Day at the Races benefitting the Backside Learning Center at Churchill Downs will be held Friday, Nov. 17. Formerly known as “Ladies Day at the Races,” the event, sponsored by CaloSpa Rejuvenation Center, will take place at noon in Millionaires Row 6 and includes lunch, one-of-a-kind auction items and raffles. Tickets are $100 per person. Proceeds will benefit the Backside Learning Center, which provides educational and social services to Churchill Downs’ equine workers and their families. For more information, please visit BacksideLearningCenter.org.

38. Churchill Downs will welcome outstanding Metro Louisville area high school students who are members of the 2017 Churchill Downs Governor’s Scholars initiative with a reception at the track on Friday, Nov. 17. The students will be joined by their parents, family members and officials of their respective schools to celebrate their participation in the track’s Governor’s Scholars Program, an initiative launched in 2001 that funds the participation in the overall Kentucky Governor’s Scholars Program by students from Jefferson County and portions of surrounding counties who have overcome personal adversity and challenges to become high achievers in their personal lives and academic pursuits. One student is chosen from each of Jefferson County’s legislative districts, some of which extend into surrounding counties, to benefit from the Churchill Downs Governor’s Scholars Program.

39. “Inside Churchill Downs” airs Fridays at 6 p.m. on ESPN 680/105.7. The weekly one-hour horse racing radio show is co-hosted by Churchill Downs Racetrack’s John Asher, Darren Rogers and Kevin Kerstein, and delivers a wide-ranging list of interesting guests, from jockeys, trainers, owners to well-informed handicappers and other industry insiders. Those outside the Louisville radio market can listen live online at http://www.espnlouisville.com/ or via podcast on the station’s website or https://soundcloud.com/.

40. Several Churchill Downs horsemen will celebrate birthdays during the Fall Meet. They include trainer Michelle Lovell (54 on Oct. 29); owner Ken Ramsey (82 on Nov. 3); trainer Tim Glyshaw (49 on Nov. 3); jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. (32 on Nov. 3); jockey C.J. McMahon (23 on Nov. 5); jockey Miguel Mena (31 on Nov. 6); Hall of Fame jockey Calvin Borel (51 on Nov. 7); former trainer Don Winfree (70 on Nov. 11); trainer Jimmy Baker (60 on Nov. 11); jockey Corey Lanerie (43 on Nov. 13); former jockey Mike McDowell (69 on Nov. 16); trainer Tom Amoss (56 on Nov. 17); Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen (52 on Nov. 18); jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. (25 on Nov. 19); and jockey Jon Court (57 on Nov. 23).

Churchill Downs, the world’s most legendary racetrack, has conducted Thoroughbred racing and presented America’s greatest race, the Kentucky Derby, continuously since 1875. Located in Louisville, the flagship racetrack of Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ: CHDN) offers year-round simulcast wagering at the historic track. Churchill Downs will conduct the 144^th running of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve on May 5, 2018. The track will conduct one more live racing meet in 2017: the Fall Meet from Oct. 29-Nov. 26. An eight-time host to the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, Churchill Downs will again be the site of that event on Nov. 2-3, 2018. Information is available at www.ChurchillDowns.com.