Churchill kicks off spring meet with new paddock taking centerstage

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Churchill Downs opens its 43-day spring meet Saturday night, with a first post of 6 p.m., and the featured $200,000 Roxelana Stakes, for fillies and mares sprinting, will highlight the card. Taking the bulk of headlines Saturday night, however, will be the post position draws for both the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks, which will be held for the 150th consecutive year over the track next weekend.

The draws will be held between races in the new $200 million paddock, beginning at about 7 p.m., weather permitting. The weather should permit, with a solid forecast for the coming week.

The 150th editions of the Derby and Oaks are, of course, the highlights of this meet that runs through June 30. The $5 million Derby – which got a purse hike from $3 million last year – and $1.5 million Oaks top 50 stakes cumulatively worth $25.6 million on the spring schedule. Last year, the spring schedule had 50 stakes worth $20.5 million.

Beginning with the Roxelana, 22 of the 50 stakes will be contested through Derby Day. Along with the Derby and Oaks, Grade 1 events in this span are the La Troienne May 3, and the Churchill Downs, Derby City Distaff, and Turf Classic on May 4. All are worth $1 million.

Other highlights of the meet include the Grade 1, $1 million Stephen Foster and five supporting stakes on June 29; six stakes on a Foster preview card June 1; and night racing programs on May 18 and June 15.

The racing surfaces are likely to be under scrutiny through the meet. Churchill’s turf course that debuted in spring of 2022 had limited usage at the track’s September and November meets. In preparation for this spring, the course has been aerated to allow the root system to grow deeper, and was covered with growth blankets to give it a head start.

Last year, a spate of equine deaths during the spring meet – several in the lead-up to the Derby – resulted in the final weeks of the meet moved to Ellis Park. Several assessments did not reveal deficiencies in the surfaces, and a review of the fatalities led by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority did not uncover any “obvious or specific” commonalities.

Brad Cox, who will saddle Dazzling Blue in the Roxelana, is expected to have multiple entrants in the Derby and Oaks. The trainer, who led last year’s spring and September meets in wins, says he has “no issues” with the surfaces.

“The surface is really good,” Cox said. “I thought the surface was fine last year. … I think I ran 20-some horses Derby week last year, and had no issues.”

Stakes winner Dazzling Blue has also had no issues at Churchill, winning both her starts here by open lengths. The filly turned in three graded stakes placings against solid competition last summer and fall, and is making her first start since October.

Cox said he would have preferred a softer spot to bring Dazzling Blue back from a layoff, but preferred the six furlongs of the Roxelana, and noted that the filly won an allowance off a five-month layoff here last year.

“They had [a conditioned allowance spot] at Keeneland, I think it was seven-eighths over the Beard Course,” Cox said. “I’m not certain that’s really what she wants to do. I think she’s more a [six-furlong] filly. I’m happy with the way she’s been training. She’s ready to run.”

Dazzling Blue and fellow multiple graded stakes-placed Last Leaf are the favorites in the field, and should get their preferred pace to run into. Happy Am I, who has won three straight, and Speedy Traveler, who is unbeaten in three starts, are drawn well to flash their early foot from posts 1 and 3, respectively.

Opening-night runners will be the first fields saddled in the new paddock. There are changes everywhere. The saddling stalls, as they were in a temporary paddock in use for last year’s Derby, are now beneath the twin spires, rather than facing them. The paddock is also now recessed, allowing for tiers of standing room around the horsepath.

The best views will be offered by two new premium seating clubs adjacent to the saddling stalls, with smoky glass allowing patrons to look in without horses being distracted by the activity in the room. That was one of several moves to make the changes horse-friendly, with Churchill spokesman Darren Rogers saying there were “a lot of discussions with horsemen” on the designs. The area in front of the saddling stalls has been widened, and the formerly three-walled stalls now have an open design, allowing horses to circle both in front and behind the stalls.

“It’s really nice,” Cox said. “Looks like it’s set up for a lot of people to have an opportunity to see the horses. Really excited about getting to use it.”

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