Churchill Downs will feature 22 black-type races worth $7.01 million during the upcoming September and Fall Meets, the storied track announced Friday. With a new $10-million turf course currently being installed, racing will be exclusively on the main track until the Spring Meet. The September Meet, to be held Sept. 16-Oct. 3, will have 11 stakes worth a total of $3.26 million, while the Fall Meet will take place Oct. 31-Nov. 28 and will feature another 11 stakes totaling $3.75 million.
The highlight of the second half of the year at Churchill Downs is always the GI Clark H. presented by Norton Healthcare. Worth $750,000 for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles, the Clark is being run for the 147th time this year and will be held on its traditional Friday-after-Thanksgiving date, Nov. 26. Another highlight will be the start of the “Road to the Kentucky Derby” and the “Road to the Kentucky Oaks” series with the $300,000 GIII Iroquois S. and the $300,000 GIII Pocahontas S., both to be held Saturday, Sept. 18. Both races are also Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” Challenge events, which means the winners will receive automatic berths for their respective Breeders' Cup races on Nov. 5 at Del Mar with full entry fees and travel expenses paid.
The Churchill stable area was closed in July due to the work on the turf course. Horsemen can return to Churchill for stabling on Wednesday, Sept. 8. The main track will be open for training Thursday, Sept. 9.
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