Racing returns to
Churchill Downs in earnest Friday night as the historic Louisville racetrack
opens its second annual September Meet for an action-packed 12-date run every
Friday, Saturday and Sunday through September 28.
The September Meet was inaugurated by Churchill Downs a year ago to provide
Kentucky horsemen with an opportunity to compete for ample prize money and to
deliver an entertaining product to horse racing fans and entertainment seekers.
A vibrant atmosphere is likely for Friday night’s 10-race opener that
begins at 6 p.m. (EDT). The season begins under the lights with “Downs After
Dark: College Rivalry Night.” Louisville is known to many as one of America’s
best college sports cities and Churchill Downs will salute its local college
teams and simultaneously raise funds for The V Foundation for Cancer Research by
donating $1 for every fan in attendance.
Fans are encouraged to show their school pride by wearing their team colors
and participating in competitive games and contests, including Tailgating
Olympics, trick shot cornhole, bouncy horse races, a football toss contest and a
dunk tank. Popular DJ 2nd Nature will entertain guests on the Plaza Stage
starting at 8 p.m. with his artful blend of sights and high-energy sounds, while
local college cheer and dance teams perform at locations throughout the track.
Attendees also will be able to compete for a chance to win a VIP experience to
the Jimmy V Men’s Basketball Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York on
December 9, which features match-ups between Louisville and Indiana, and
Illinois and Villanova.
Horsemen will compete for more than $4 million in prize money in 121
scheduled races for a daily average of $335,800. The meet’s eight-race stakes
schedule cumulatively worth $925,000 kicks off Saturday with a stakes quartet,
including two important 1 1/16-mile fixtures for juveniles that could produce
starters in next spring’s $2 million Kentucky Derby and $1 million Kentucky
Oaks. The $100,000 Iroquois kicks off the 35-race “Road to the Kentucky Derby”
series, while the $200,000 Pocahontas starts the 31-race “Road to the Kentucky
Oaks.” Also, both races are Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” Challenge events,
which means the winners will receive automatic berths in the starting gate for
their respective Breeders’ Cup races with pre-entry and entry fees paid plus
$10,000 travel stipends (if nominated).
Saturday’s stakes foursome is completed by the $100,000 Ack Ack Handicap at
one mile and $100,000 Locust Grove over 1 1/16 miles for fillies and mares.
The $100,000 Open Mind, a six-furlong race for fillies and mares, will be the
featured event on September 13, while the $100,000 for three-year-old fillies at
seven furlongs is scheduled for September 20. The second running of the $125,000
Homecoming Classic — a 1 1/8-mile race designed to be a prep for the 1 1/4-mile
Breeders’ Cup Classic and November’s $500,000 Clark Handicap — will share the
stage on September 27 with the $100,000 Jefferson Cup, a one-mile race for
three-year-olds on the turf.
First post on Saturdays and Sundays will be 12:45 p.m. (gates open at 11:30
a.m.) and the first race on Fridays varies. Racing will start at 6 p.m. for
“Downs After Dark” events on September and 19 (gates open at 4 p.m.), and 2:45
p.m. on September 12 and 26 (gates open at 1:30 p.m.). Ten races are scheduled
each day with a special 11-race program on September 19.
General admission is just $3 most days ($1 for seniors age 60 and up) and $10
for premier “Downs After Dark” events. Reserved box seats are $10 ($20 for
“Downs After Dark”); a seat in the Matt Winn Dining Room is $15; and indoor
dining options are $34.50 ($60 for “Downs After Dark”). Special “Downs After
Dark” offerings include the new 21+ Terrace Lounge for $25 and 21+ Terrace
Lounge VIP cabanas for $99. Children 12 and under are admitted free when
accompanied by an adult (“Downs After Dark” policy: no one under the age of 18
will be admitted to the track unless they are accompanied by a parent or
responsible adult). Free seating is available over a first-come, first-serve
basis in Sections 113-118. Parking is free in the Longfield Avenue lot (Gates 10
& 12) and $3 in all other lots. Valet parking is $5.
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