Kentucky Downs kicks off high-flying meet

Get tied on, jock. A Sunday-to-Sunday spree of rapid-fire action at Kentucky Downs is sure to sustain horseplayers looking to avoid Saratoga/Del Mar decompression as the turf-only track in south-central Kentucky gets going with a six-day boutique meet featuring massive purses.

The dates are Sept. 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, and 12.

Many of the top jockeys on the continent will travel to Kentucky Downs in the coming week, including most of the top 10 at the Saratoga meet, which ends Monday. Luis Saez, Joel Rosario, and the riding Ortiz brothers, Irad and Jose, will be joined by longtime regulars such as Brian Hernandez Jr., the all-time leading jockey in track history with 51 wins, as well as Florent Geroux, Julien Leparoux, and Adam Beschizza, all of whom rode primarily at Ellis Park in western Kentucky this summer.

“It’s getting tougher,” said Hernandez. “Now you’re getting guys like the Ortiz brothers. Those guys from New York used to not come, so we’d pick up horses for the New York trainers. Now you’re getting guys following their horses down there because the money is so good.”

:: Get DRF's free 2021 Kentucky Downs Player's Guide

They’ll all be in pursuit of the colossal purses that have made the Kentucky Downs meet one of the most targeted in American racing. Fueled by the on-site historical horse racing machines that generate year-round revenues, the size of Kentucky Downs purses are perhaps best illustrated by maiden-specials being worth up to $135,000, and first- and second-level allowances going for $145,800 and $156,600. (Except for claiming races and starter-allowances, purses include sizable bonuses available only to horses registered to the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund.)

In all, purses are projected to total more than $15.2 million, with about $10 million going to a busy stakes schedule of 16 races. Last year, purse payouts totaled more than $12.3 million. A total of 64 races are scheduled for this year, with blended takeout among the lowest in American racing, including pick fives and pick fours at 14 percent.

Three of the stakes are worth up to $1 million – the Grade 3 Mint Million on Monday, followed by the Grade 2 Calumet Turf Cup and Grade 3 Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint on Saturday. Both the Turf Cup and Turf Sprint are Win and You’re In events toward the Nov. 5-6 Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar.

Trainers such as Chad Brown and Todd Pletcher will be sending runners from New York to a stabling facility that accommodates about 250 horses, while mainstays such as Mike Maker and Wesley Ward surely will saddle the most starters once again. They lead the all-time trainer standings with 63 and 39 wins, respectively.

Ontrack fans will return to new digs after being excluded last year because of the pandemic, with a modernized and enclosed facility having been constructed on the finish line. Their viewing experience will be unlike any other, given the unique layout of the undulating and irregularly shaped 1 5/16-mile course and a country-fair atmosphere.

Total handle during the 2020 meet (six days, 62 races) was a record $59.8 million. It remains to be seen whether that number can be matched this year; as of Friday morning, a stalemate regarding simulcast fees with the New York Racing Association was ongoing.

Wagering is available through DRF Bets.

This is the third Kentucky Downs meet since Ron Winchell and Marc Falcone bought the track in March 2019. The track came into existence in 1990 as Dueling Grounds.