Live gate a breath of fresh air at Churchill
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Racegoers who’ve been denied access to Churchill Downs through the entire pandemic experience can finally get their fix of live racing.
Unlike at the 2020 spring and September meets, fans will be granted admission at Churchill throughout a 24-day fall meet that begins Sunday, provided they adhere to health and safety protocols as set forth by the state of Kentucky. They’ll be witness to what is sure to be an action-packed five weeks of racing, starting with an 11-race Stars of Tomorrow card restricted to 2-year-olds.
While partly making up for cards lost in late April and early May because of the pandemic, Churchill is running five-day weeks, Wednesdays through Sundays, except for when the two-day Breeders’ Cup is run Nov. 6-7 at Keeneland. There will even be racing here on the days before and after the Breeders’ Cup.
A Churchill release said average attendance here last fall was 4,200, but given the circumstances of the pandemic, far fewer can be expected on a regular basis during this meet, save perhaps on traditionally popular dates such as Thanksgiving and the Friday that follows. There are no general admission purchases, with advanced-seating sales being conducted through the track website and Ticketmaster.
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The first of eight graded stakes at the meet is the Grade 2 Mrs. Revere on Nov. 14. Sunday will be the first of two Stars of Tomorrow cards at a meet that runs through Nov. 29, with the second going Nov. 28. The annual fall highlight, the Grade 1 Clark, is set for Nov. 27.
Purses will rank among the highest in North America for this time of year, with a per-day average of nearly $634,000 being projected from a total payout of $15.2 million, a number that includes bonuses from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund. Field size is expected to be comparable to last fall, when the average was 8.9 starters per race.
The betting menu is the same as recent meets, including a wide variety of multi-race wagers that includes a 20-cent jackpot wager, the Single 6, which is held on the last six races daily.
Steve Asmussen, the all-time leading trainer in track history, would have to be considered the favorite for a record-extending 25th meet title, although Brad Cox and Mike Maker also figure in contention. Tyler Gaffalione, who has been the leading jockey at the last three meets on this circuit – Kentucky Downs, Churchill September, and Keeneland fall – holds the hottest hand among a deep riding colony.
First post daily is 1 p.m. Eastern, with the exception of Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26 (11:30 a.m.). Live television coverage is available through Fox networks FS1 and FS2.