John Gallagher/Coady Media
Focus Shifts To Turfway Park And Beyond
Darren Rogers/Churchill Downs
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – With just two days remaining in Churchill Downs’ Fall Meet, attention is turning to winter plans as the historic track closes for live racing until spring. Many trainers and jockeys will remain in Kentucky to race at Turfway Park, while others are heading to circuits across the country for the season.
Turfway Park’s Holiday Meet begins Wednesday with a first post of 5:55 p.m., and several leading training outfits are keeping strings of horses in Kentucky based at either Turfway or Churchill Downs’ Trackside Louisville facility, which remains open for winter training. Among the prominent trainers staying local are Steve Asmussen, Brad Cox, Cherie DeVaux, Greg Foley, Mike Maker, Michael McCarthy, Joe Sharp and Brendan Walsh. Additionally, new stables joining the Kentucky winter scene include Michelle Lovell and Brittany Vanden Berg.
Churchill Downs’ top jockeys are also making their seasonal moves. Based on top win leaders at Churchill this year, here is a look at where some riders are heading:
- Tyler Gaffalione – Gulfstream Park
- Luis Saez – Gulfstream Park
- Jose Ortiz – Fair Grounds
- Brian Hernandez Jr. – Fair Grounds
- Florent Geroux – Fair Grounds
- Luan Machado – Turfway Park
- Rafael Bejarano – Oaklawn Park
- Cristian Torres – Oaklawn Park
- Edgar Morales – Fair Grounds
- Jaime Torres – Fair Grounds
- Axel Concepcion – Fair Grounds
- Francisco Arrieta – Oaklawn Park
- Gerardo Corrales – Turfway Park
- Corey Lanerie – Turfway Park
Following Sunday’s closing day program, live racing beneath the historic Twin Spires resumes on Saturday, April 26 with the 151st running of the $5 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (Grade I) staged on Saturday, May 3.
DOWN THE STRETCH … … ….. …………
Saturday’s Stars of Tomorrow II program began at 1 p.m. featuring the $400,000 Kentucky Jockey Club (GII) and $400,000 Golden Rod (GII). There was a $217,937 carryover in the 20-cent Derby City 6 Jackpot beginning in Race 7. There will be a mandatory payout in all wagers on Sunday. …
Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 2 and the Kentucky Derby Sire Future Wager closes at 6 p.m. on Sunday. Through wagering on Friday, #40 All Other Colts and Geldings Foaled in 2022 was the 8-5 favorite with $28,447 out of $96,189 in the pool. In the Sire Future Wager, #40 All Other Sires was the 7-2 favorite with $1,759 bet out of $10,351 in the pool. …
For more information about the Fall Meet, visit www.churchilldowns.com.
