Racing Returns to Churchill Downs Sunday at 1 p.m. for 21-Day Fall Meet

Oct 28, 2017 Churchill Downs Communications,Darren Rogers

Cooler temperatures and the leaves changing colors signify the return of live horse racing to the Louisville area as Churchill Downs, the historic home of the Kentucky Derby, readies to open its 128^thFall Meet Sunday, Oct. 29through Sunday, Nov. 26, kicks off in style Sunday with the 13^th annual “Stars of Tomorrow I” program, which is entirely devoted to hopeful 2-year-old stars that have aspirations of trail-blazing their way to next year’s Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve and Longines Kentucky Oaks.

Sunday’s 11-race opening day card is headlined by the fifth running of a pair of one-mile, $80,000-added overnight stakes – the open-company Street Sense and Rags to Riches for fillies, along with the $200,000Spendthrift Juvenile Stallion Stakes and inaugural $200,000 Spendthrift Juvenile Filly Stallion Stakes, which are a pair lucrative seven-furlong sprint exclusively for 2-year-old offspring sired by any active or non-active Spendthrift stallion, including all Spendthrift-owned stallions standing regionally in North America.

Those races serve as local steppingstones to the pair of Grade II, $200,000, 1 1/16-mile counterparts on the 2-5 p.m. Adults may wear costumes but masks on adults are prohibited for safety reasons.

Tickets are $8 in advance and can be purchased at www.churchilldowns.com/tickets

Parking Changes for the Fall Meet

The majority of onsite guests must park in the Gate www.ChurchillDowns.com/Parking in advance of attending Churchill Downs’ Fall Meet to view recommended routes and a complete list of guest-appropriate temporary parking lots. Signs, electronic message boards and personnel will be in place to alert guests about the temporary closures and direct them parking in Gate Nov. 24with the 143^rd running of the $500,000 Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare (GI). The 1 1/8-mile test for 3-year-olds and up annually lures some of the top older horses in North America and is one of seven stakes events cumulatively worth $1.48 million to be contested over Thanksgiving weekend. Also on that day are the $200,000 Mrs. Revere (GII), a prominent 1 1/16-mile turf race for 3-year-old fillies and $80,000-added Dream Supreme Overnight Stakes.

Wednesday-Sundayschedule with dark days on Mondays and Tuesdays. Most race days feature 10 live races, but there will be 11 Saturday, Nov. 18, and 12-race cards over the final four days, 1 p.m. (all times Eastern) on most racing days with admission gates open on Friday, Nov. 3 (2 p.m.) and at 12:30 p.m.both days.

There will be an early 10 a.m.) on Thanksgiving Day – a Louisville tradition at Churchill Downs since 1969 where more than 7,000 turkey dinners are served with all the trimmings, making it the largest number anywhere in the region.

Watch and Wager on on Friday, Nov. 3 and beginning at 2 p.m. and 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.

General admission to Churchill Downs is $3 ($10 on Thanksgiving Day; $5 Nov. 24-26). Reserved box seats are $10 ($25 for Thanksgiving); indoor dining options are $38 ($47 Nov. 24-26; $70 on Thanksgiving Day). Children 12 and under are admitted free when accompanied by an adult. Free seating is available over a first-come, first-serve basis in Sections 115-117. Parking is free in the Gate Sunday Brunch

Throughout the Fall Meet, Churchill Downs is offering a special “Stakes and Eggs” brunch special in the newly-renovated Stakes Room every Sunday. The $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. Gates on Sundays open 1 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at ChurchillDowns.com/Tickets, in person at the Gate 10 box office or by calling (502) 636-4400.

Travis Stone will describe the racing action with Joe Kristufek serving as a paddock analyst.

For more information, call (502) 636-4400 or visit www.churchilldowns.com.

2017 CHURCHILL DOWNS FALL MEET STAKES SCHEDULE