Churchill offers purse incentives to boost field size; receiving barns
improved
Churchill Downs has reconfigured its purse distribution for stakes events and
overnight races during Kentucky Derby Week and the track’s April 25-July 5
spring meet to encourage participation by as many horses as possible during the
meet’s races.
In addition, horsemen whose stables are located at training centers or other
tracks that bring their horses to Churchill Downs to compete will find
significant capital improvements and refurbishments in the track’s two receiving
barns, along with the availability of concierge services during their day at the
historic track.
Every horse that participates in a stakes race during the Churchill Downs
spring meet — with the exception of the $2 million-guaranteed Kentucky Derby
(G1) and $500,000-added Kentucky Oaks (G1) — will share in the purse of the
race. In all other stakes races, 1 percent of the purse will be paid to the
owners of horses that finish sixth through last. After those payments, 62
percent of the remaining purse will be paid to the winner. Another 20 percent
goes to the runner-up, 10 percent to third, 5 percent to fourth and 3 percent to
fifth.
Both the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks pay shares of their purses only
back to the fifth-place finisher.
Horses participating in non-stakes races during the racing programs on
Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks will receive $1,000 for finishes of
sixth-through-last if the race is run with at least 10 starters.
In all non-stakes races on days other than Derby and Oaks Days, one-half of a
percent of the purse will be paid to the sixth-through-last place finishers.
Outside of those distributions, 60 percent of the purses will go to the winning
owner with 20 percent paid to the runner-up. Third-place finishers will earn 10
percent, while fourth and fifth-place runners will collect 5 and 3 percent,
respectively.
The opening day of the 2009 Spring Meet will also be an unveiling, of sorts,
for improved facilities in Barns 2 and 4A, the receiving barns for horses that
ship-in to compete in Churchill Downs races.
The interior of all stalls in those barns have been painted and new mats
placed on the stall floors. Aging televisions have been replaced with new sets
in those shedrows so that horsemen and their help can watch races throughout
their day at Churchill Downs.
The track will also operate a concierge office in Barn 4A to offer services
that will make their day’s stay at Churchill Downs more convenient and
enjoyable. The concierge office contains a pair of flat-screen televisions for
the viewing of races and easy access to racing information, along with a fax
machine, copier and telephones.
Veteran horseman T.V. Smith, who retired last year from a distinguished
training career, will be on hand in the concierge office each racing day to
provide services and aid visiting horsemen.