April 13 is Deadline for Late Nominations to Oaks, Woodford Reserve Turf & Derby Week Stakes

May 14, 2011 John Asher

Wednesday, April 13 is the deadline for the first late nominations to Churchill Downs’ 137^th running of the $1 million guaranteed Kentucky Oaks (Grade I) and the 25^th running of the $500,000-added Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (GI).

Late nominations to the Kentucky Oaks and the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic are due to Churchill Downs Racing by midnight (all times Eastern) on Wednesday, April 13 and can be made via telephone at (502) 638-3825 or fax at (502) 638-3915.  Fees for late nominations made by phone or fax must be paid by credit card by the midnight deadline.  Online nominations are not available during the late nomination period for the Kentucky Oaks and Woodford Reserve Turf Classic.

Those late nominations also can be made via standard mail, but they must by postmarked no later than midnight and the nomination fee must accompany the nomination form.  Checks accompanying the late nominations should be payable to Churchill Downs.

The midnight deadline also applies for nominations to 10 more Churchill Downs stakes races scheduled for Kentucky Derby Week.

The 137^th and richest running of the 1 1/8-mile Kentucky Oaks, America’s premier race for 3-year-old fillies, will be run on Friday, May 6.  The purse for the Oaks has been doubled this year to a record $1 million guaranteed, and late nominations can be made with a payment of $1,500.

The early nomination period to the Kentucky Oaks closed Feb. 19 with 117 3-year-old fillies eligible to compete in the race.

The silver anniversary running of the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic, a 1 1/8 mile race for 3-year-olds and up on the Matt Winn Turf Course, is set for Kentucky Derby Day on Saturday, May 7.  The Woodford Reserve Turf Classic is traditionally run immediately prior to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum Brands (GI).  Late nominations to the race must be accompanied by a fee of $1,000.

Early nominations to the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic closed Feb. 19 and 79 older grass stars were made eligible for the 2011 renewal during the early nomination phase.

Nominations to the 10 Kentucky Derby Week stakes events that close at midnight on April 13 can be made online as well as by telephone, fax or standard mail.  Online nominations can be made at the Churchill Downs Web site at www.churchilldowns.com/horsemen/stakes-nom-forms.

That Derby Week schedule of stakes events affected by the deadline, starting with the $200,000-added The Cliff’s Edge Derby Trial (GIII) on the April 30 “Opening Night” program, is listed below.

2011 CHURCHILL DOWNS DERBY WEEK STAKES RACES
Date	Race	Age Division	Distance
Sat., April 30	$200,000-added THE CLIFF’S EDGE DERBY TRIAL (GIII)	3 YO	Mile
KENTUCKY OAKS DAY
Fri., May 6	$100,000 EDGEWOOD PRESENTED BY KENTUCKY NATIONAL INSURANCE	3 YO F	1 1/16 M (T)
	$100,000-added EIGHT BELLES PRESENTED BY ACS, A XEROX           COMPANY (GIII)	3 YO F	7 F
	$300,000-added ALYSHEBA PRESENTED BY BESILU STABLES (GIII)	3 YO & UP	1 1/16 M
	$300,000-added LA TROIENNE (GII)	F & M 3 & UP	1 1/16 M
	$200,000-added AMERICAN TURF PRESENTED BY RAM (GII)	3 YO	1 1/16 M (T)
KENTUCKY DERBY DAY
Sat., May 7	$100,000-added TWIN SPIRES TURF SPRINT PRESENTED BY GE –             APPLIANCES & LIGHTING (GIII)	3 YO & UP	5 F (T)
	$300,000-added CHURCHILL DOWNS PRESENTED BY          NAVISTAR (GII)	4 YO & UP	7 F
	$200,000-added CHURCHILL DISTAFF TURF MILE PRESENTED BY           AMERICAN COMMERCIAL LINES (GII)	F & M 3 & UP	Mile (T)
	$300,000-added HUMANA DISTAFF (GI)	F & M 4 & UP	7 F