Spiral once more highlights Turfway’s meet

Spiral once more highlights Turfway’s meet

Turfway Park kicks off its 46th winter/spring live Thoroughbred race meet
with a nine-race card on New Year’s Day.

As it has been since 1972, the highlight of the winter/spring meet is the
Spiral Stakes, now under title sponsorship of Horseshoe Casino
Cincinnati. Scheduled for March 22 and run at 1 1/8 miles, the Grade 3 Spiral
Stakes is a designated Kentucky Derby prep race, offering a total of 85 points
to three-year-olds hoping to make the 20-horse Derby field.

The Grade 3 Bourbonette Oaks, one mile for three-year-old fillies, is also run March
22 and is a designated points race for the Kentucky Oaks, counterpart to the
legendary Derby.

The see-and-be-seen centerpiece of Spiral Stakes day will once again be the
luxurious VIP Tent, with reserved seating throughout the building and general
admission tickets available as well. Ticketing options will be announced
mid-January.

Five other races complete the stakes schedule for the winter/spring meet:

January 4 Wintergreen Stakes, fillies and mares four years old and up,
one mile

January 18 Forego Stakes, four-year-olds, 6 1/2 furlongs

February 1 96ROCK Stakes, three-year-olds, 6 1/2 furlongs

February 15 Cincinnati Trophy Stakes, three-year-old fillies, 6
1/2 furlongs

March 1 John A. Battaglia Memorial Stakes, three-year-olds, 1 1/16 miles

The 96ROCK Stakes, shortened from a mile to sprint distance, and the Battaglia
Memorial are local prep races for the Spiral Stakes.

Cincinnati radio station WFTK-FM sponsors the 96ROCK Stakes as well as a party
the same day, by now a midwinter tradition. Tickets to the party are free but
available only as giveaways on-air and at Turfway events. Cincinnati rockers
Devils Due are booked for the 96ROCK Stakes party.

With Rick DePew now at the helm of the food and beverage department, Turfway
will once again offer specialty dining events, including an interactive wine
dinner. Billed as Trinchero Napa Valley BYOB, the event invites guests
to “Blend Your Own Bordeaux” following a five-course dinner. The winning blend
will be determined by the winery’s vintner. The date for the dinner is pending.

Turfway’s popular Dollar Friday events continue, with draft beer, hot dogs, and
win, place, and show bets all available for a dollar each during the live race
card. Local cover bands provide live entertainment starting about 9:15 p.m.
(ET).

Introduced in December, Turfway’s new Bet Squad returns on Friday nights
throughout the winter/spring meet. Using games and one-on-one instruction, the
Bet Squad team teaches novice players how to read a racing program, look for
potential winners, and place their bets. Tip sheets and the track’s Guide to
Racing are available free at the Bet Squad booth on the third floor.

Bluegrass also returns to Turfway, with three concerts presented by local public
radio station WOBO-AM. The Darrell Webb Band is scheduled for January 3,
followed by The Special Consensus on February 22, and Marty Raybon and Full
Circle on March 7. The concerts begin at 7 p.m. on Turfway’s fourth
floor. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 the day of the show and are available
online via turfway.com or by calling (859) 992-5775.

The holiday meet ends Tuesday, and the winter/spring meet follows without
interruption. In addition to the live card on Wednesday, Turfway will offer
live racing on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays in January and February and on
Fridays and Saturdays in March. Post time on Fridays is 6:15 p.m. On Saturdays
and Sundays, races begin at 1:10 p.m.

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