Churchill Downs releases stakes schedule for fall meet

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Churchill Downs has released its stakes schedule for the 2013 fall meet with the only major changes being a lack of 2-year-old stakes on the front end of a five-week meet that begins Oct. 27.

The Pocahontas and Iroquois, traditionally the meet openers, instead were moved by Churchill officials when they borrowed from Peter to pay Paul in filling the new September meet that is currently ongoing. Opening day of the fall meet still will be the first of two Stars of Tomorrow cards exclusively for 2-year-olds, with a pair of overnight stakes serving as feature events. The second Stars of Tomorrow, set for closing day, Nov. 30, will be highlighted as usual by the Kentucky Jockey Club and Golden Rod Stakes, both Grade 2 events.

Otherwise, the song remains the same, with the 139th Clark Handicap serving as the biggest race of the meet. The Grade 1, $500,000 Clark is set for Nov. 29.

One Downs After Dark program will be run during the meet, with a pair of turf stakes for 3-year-olds, the Mrs. Revere and Commonwealth, anchoring that card on Saturday, Nov. 16.

In all, nine stakes worth more than $1.6 million are on the fall schedule.

This is the first five-week fall meet in several years. Some fall meets run just four weeks, depending on how the calendar falls.