Churchill Downs to Host 26 Stakes Totaling $8.31 Million During September and Fall Meets

Aug 23, 2022 Churchill Downs Communications

A total of 26 stakes races cumulatively worth $8.31 million will be offered at Churchill Downs during its upcoming September and Fall meets.

The 14-date September Meet (Sept. 15-Oct. 2) will showcase 11 stakes races that total $3.36 million, and the 19-date Fall Meet (Oct. 30-Nov. 27) will have 15 stakes events cumulatively worth $4.95 million (pending Kentucky Horse Racing Commission approval).

The 10^th annual September Meet, which runs for three weeks, will offer horsemen plenty of opportunities to prep for the Nov. 4-5 Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Keeneland, led by the $400,000 Lukas Classic (Grade II) for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles and the $300,000 Ack Ack (GIII) for 3-year-olds and up at one mile – a Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” race for the Dirt Mile – on Saturday, Oct. 1.

Additionally, the Road to the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks series will kick-off Saturday, Sept. 17 with the $300,000 Iroquois (GIII) and $300,000 Pocahontas (GIII), respectively. Both races also will award points on the Breeders’ Cup “Dirt Dozen” series for their respective divisions.

Churchill Downs 133^rd Fall Meet, which follows Keeneland’s four-week Oct. 7-29 stand in Lexington, is anchored by the $750,000 Clark presented by Norton Healthcare (GI). The 1 1/8-mile test for 3-year-olds and up on “Black Friday,” Nov. 25 annually lures some of the top horses in North America and is the centerpiece of nine stakes races scheduled over Thanksgiving weekend.

Two-year-olds with aspirations of making next year’s Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve and Longines Kentucky Oaks will be prominently featured twice during the Fall Meet as part of the 18^th annual “Stars of Tomorrow” program. The $200,000 Street Sense (GIII) and $200,000 Rags to Riches for fillies highlight opening day on Sunday, Oct. 30. The $400,000 Kentucky Jockey Club (GII) and $400,000 Golden Rod (GII) for fillies are part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks series on Saturday, Nov. 26.

An added feature to this year’s four-week Fall Meet will be the 24^th renewal of the Claiming Crown Championship Series, which will be staged at Churchill Downs for the first time on Saturday, Nov. 12 – one week after the Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland. Open to claiming horses, the Claiming Crown features eight races with starter allowance conditions and a total of $1.05 million in prize money for some of the most competitive, blue-collar horses in the country.

Racing at Churchill Downs during the September Meet will be run exclusively on dirt to allow the new Bermuda-hybrid turf course to continue to mature to its ultimate potential. Turf racing is projected to return for the Fall Meet.

The condition book of scheduled races for the September Meet was released online Monday and features 135 races and a record $13,791,000 in prize money for a daily average of $985,071. Maiden special weight races have a $120,000 purse while allowance races range from $127,000 to $141,000.

All purses, including claiming races, include prize money from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund.

2022 CHURCHILL DOWNS SEPTEMBER MEET STAKES SCHEDULE

Date	Running	Grade	Purse	Race	Conditions	Distance	Surface
Saturday, Sept. 17	38th	III	$400,000	Locust Grove	3&up, f&m	1 1/16 M	Dirt
Saturday, Sept. 17	41st	III	$300,000	Iroquois	2yo	1 1/16 M	Dirt
Saturday, Sept. 17	54th	III	$300,000	Pocahontas	2yo f	1 1/16 M	Dirt
Saturday, Sept. 17	13th	Listed	$300,000	Open Mind	3&up, f&m	6 F	Dirt
Saturday, Sept. 17	2nd		$275,000	Louisville Thoroughbred Society	3&up	6 F	Dirt
Saturday, Sept. 24	47th	III	$275,000	Dogwood	3yo f	7 F	Dirt
Saturday, Sept. 24	2nd		$275,000	Bourbon Trail	3yo	1 3/16 M	Dirt
Saturday, Sept. 24	2nd		$275,000	Harrods Creek	3yo	7 F	Dirt
Saturday, Sept. 24	2nd		$160,000	Seneca Overnight Stakes	3yo f	1 1/16 M	Dirt
Saturday, Oct. 1	9th	II	$500,000	Lukas Classic	3&up	1 1/8 M	Dirt
Saturday, Oct. 1	30th	III	$300,000	Ack Ack	3&up	1 M	Dirt

2022 CHURCHILL DOWNS FALL MEET STAKES SCHEDULE

Date	Running	Grade	Purse	Race	Conditions	Distance	Surface
Sunday, Oct. 30	10th	III	$200,000	Street Sense	2yo	1 1/16 M	Dirt
Sunday, Oct. 30	10th		$200,000	Rags to Riches	2yo f	1 1/16 M	Dirt
Sunday, Nov. 13	43rd	III	$300,000	River City	3&up	1 1/8 M	Turf
Sunday, Nov. 13	14th	Listed	$160,000	Bet On Sunshine	3&up	6 F	Dirt
Sunday, Nov. 13	17th	Listed	$160,000	Dream Supreme	3&up, f&m	6 F	Dirt
Saturday, Nov. 19	37th	III	$300,000	Chilukki	3&up, f&m	1 M	Dirt
Thursday, Nov. 24	107th	III	$500,000	Falls City	3&up, f&m	1 1/8 M	Dirt
Thursday, Nov. 24	47th	III	$300,000	Cardinal	3&up, f&m	1 1/8 M	Turf
Friday, Nov. 25	148th	I	$750,000	Clark presented by Norton Healthcare	3&up	1 1/8 M	Dirt
Friday, Nov. 25	31st	II	$300,000	Mrs. Revere	3yo f	1 1/16 M	Turf
Saturday, Nov. 26	96th	II	$400,000	Kentucky Jockey Club	2yo	1 1/16 M	Dirt
Saturday, Nov. 26	79th	II	$400,000	Golden Rod	2yo f	1 1/16 M	Dirt
Saturday, Nov. 26	2nd		$200,000	Ed Brown	2yo	6 ½ F	Dirt
Saturday, Nov. 26	2nd		$200,000	Fern Creek	2yo f	6 ½ F	Dirt
Sunday, Nov. 27	17th	III	$300,000	Commonwealth Turf	3yo	1 1/16 M	Turf

2022 CLAIMING CROWN CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES AT CHURCHILL DOWNS

Date	Purse	Race	Conditions	Claiming Level	Distance	Surface
Saturday, Nov. 12	$175,000	Claiming Crown Jewel	3&up	$35,000	1 1/8 M	Dirt
Saturday, Nov. 12	$150,000	Claiming Crown Emerald	3&up	$25,000	1 1/16 M	Turf
Saturday, Nov. 12	$150,000	Claiming Crown Tiara	3&up, f&m	$25,000	1 1/16 M	Turf
Saturday, Nov. 12	$150,000	Claiming Crown Tom Metzen Memorial Canterbury	3&up	$25,000	5 ½ F	Turf
Saturday, Nov. 12	$125,000	Claiming Crown Rapid Transit	3&up	$16,000	7 F	Dirt
Saturday, Nov. 12	$100,000	Claiming Crown Glass Slipper	3&up, f&m	$12,500	1 M	Dirt
Saturday, Nov. 12	$100,000	Claiming Crown Kent Sterling Memorial Iron Horse	3&up	$8,000	1 1/16 M	Dirt
Saturday, Nov. 12	$100,000	Claiming Crown Ready’s Rocket Express	3&up	$8,000	6 F	Dirt