Three stakes, Stars of Tomorrow program kick off meet

Now in its 12th year, the Stars of Tomorrow program has become a staple of the fall meet at Churchill Downs.

On Sunday, a new tradition is being unveiled at the Louisville, Ky., track, with the $300,000 Spendthrift Stallion Stakes highlighting a 10-race card that opens the 21-day fall meet.

Every race on Sunday is for 2-year-olds, including the Spendthrift, a seven-furlong race restricted to juveniles sired by stallions who have stood for Spendthrift since 2013. The purse is divided among the owners and breeders of the top finishers.

The action begins at 1 p.m. Eastern, with all races scheduled for 30 minutes apart. The Spendthrift goes at 5 p.m. as race 9.

Two other stakes, the $80,000 Rags to Riches (race 4) and $80,000 Street Sense (race 8), are part of a meet opener that also includes two allowances and five maiden-special events.

As usual, the Churchill fall meet runs through Thanksgiving weekend, with the Grade 1 Clark Handicap anchoring a closing flurry that includes five other graded stakes, a second Stars of Tomorrow card (Nov. 26), and the first futures pools toward the 2017 Kentucky Derby (Nov. 24-27). The most notable change to the stakes schedule: the Grade 2 Mrs. Revere Stakes is now part of the Nov. 25 Clark card, having been moved from a bit earlier in the meet.

Per-day purses are expected to average more than $515,000, up substantially from the $470,598 paid out at the 2015 fall meet. Part of that boost is due to an increase in all-sources wagering at the spring and September meets.

“We hope to continue that momentum into a meet that traditionally offers an excellent racing product,” said Churchill spokesman Darren Rogers.

The Stars of Tomorrow concept originated with the late Bobby Umphrey in Florida and was molded into its current form by former Churchill officials Doug Bredar and Donnie Richardson, both now jockey agents. The programs have served as a launching pad for some of the true greats of the last decade, including Rachel Alexandra, Super Saver, Shackleford, Fort Larned, Tepin, Believe You Can, Creator, Lawyer Ron, and Will Take Charge.

Last fall alone, participants on either of the two Stars programs included 2016 Breeders’ Cup contenders Carina Mia, Dortmund, Gun Runner, I’m a Chatterbox, Lord Nelson, and Tom’s Ready.

With only a few exceptions, first post daily is 1 p.m., a bit later than has been customary at Churchill meets in recent years. Next weekend, live races will be interspersed with the Breeders’ Cup simulcasts from Santa Anita, with the Friday card starting at 2 p.m. and the Saturday card at 2:15. Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 24) carries the usual 11:30 a.m. start. With early nightfall, the Churchill lights will be in use frequently for later races at this meet.

Many familiar faces will be back in action throughout the meet, including Steve Asmussen, Dale Romans, and Mike Maker among trainers, and Corey Lanerie, Robby Albarado, and Julien Leparoux among jockeys.

Besides the Stars of Tomorrow action, the Sunday opener also features trick-or-treat at the track and the 2017 calendar giveaway.

Racing will be conducted five days a week (Mondays and Tuesdays dark) through Nov. 27.