Churchill Downs raises overnight purses through end of meet

Churchill Downs officials have announced a 6.3-percent raise in overnight purses for the final 10 days of the fall meet. The purse hike actually is a result of a 10-percent raise in association purses but a 20 percent decrease in Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund bonuses. The raise will translate into an average of about $3,000 more per race.

“There’s been a recent shift in the way purse money is being earned and the funds are being reallocated accordingly,” Churchill’s president, Kevin Flanery, said in a media release.

Total overnight purses, which do not count the Breeders’ Cup or stakes races, are projected to be about $6.4 million, up from the original $6.2 million.