Churchill Downs starting gate. (Renee Torbit/Coady Media)
Sunday At 1 P.M. For 26-Day Fall Meet
‘Stars Of Tomorrow I’ And ‘Trick-Or-Treat At The Track’ Top Opening Day
Darren Rogers/Churchill Downs
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Horse racing in Kentucky shifts from Keeneland to Churchill Downs on Sunday as the home of the Kentucky Derby readies to open its 136th Fall Meet with an 11-race program – all for promising 2-year-old Thoroughbreds.
The popular 26-day stand covers a five-week stretch every Wednesday-Sunday through Nov. 30. The first race will be 1 p.m. (all times Eastern) daily except for Thanksgiving Day on Thursday, Nov. 27, which will begin at 11:30 a.m.
The Fall Meet kicks off in style Sunday with the 21st annual “Stars of Tomorrow I” program, which is entirely devoted to hopeful 2-year-olds with aspirations of trail-blazing their way to next year’s Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (Grade I) and Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI).
Sunday’s opening day card is headlined by the 13th runnings of two 1 1/16 miles, $200,000 stakes – the open-company Street Sense (GIII) and Rags to Riches for fillies. Each race is a part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks series which award points to the top five finishers (10-5-3-2-1).
The Street Sense and Rags to Riches kickoff a 16-race Fall Meet stakes schedule cumulatively worth $5 million.
Tickets for the Fall Meet are on sale at https://www.churchilldowns.com/day-at-the-races/, and there are plenty of special events and entertainment to complement the world-class racing:
Family Adventure Day: Trick-or-Treat at the Track (Sunday, Oct. 26): Sunday’s opener comes five days before Halloween and Churchill Downs will present the return of its popular Family Adventure Day: Trick-or-Treat at the Track. Kids 12 and under are encouraged to wear costumes and visit 15 “Trick-or-Treat Boo Stations” scattered throughout the racetrack as Churchill Downs hands out candy between 12:30-4 p.m. There will be more than 15 activities for children to enjoy including a pumpkin patch, face painting (1-4:30 p.m.), stick horse races (register between 12-2 p.m.), arts and crafts stations, bounce houses including a haunted maze, and games such as pumpkin bowling, cornhole, giant Jenga, giant checkers, giant Connect 4 and Tic-Tac-Toe. General admission is $9 and up to two children may attend for free per paying adult. For access to Family Adventure Day activities, guests must check in at the Family Adventure Day tent located near the Paddock Gate.
Stars of Tomorrow I (Sunday, Oct. 26): Every race features 2-year-old Thoroughbreds.Inaugurated in 2005, Churchill Downs’ Stars of Tomorrow programs have helped launch the careers of some of horse racing’s biggest stars led by two Horse of the Year champions Gun Runner (2017) and Rachel Alexandra (2009); four Kentucky Derby winners Super Saver (2010), Mandaloun (2021), Mystik Dan (2024) and Sovereignty (2025); and seven Longines Kentucky Oaks winners Rachel Alexandra (2009), Believe You Can (2012), Monomoy Girl (2018), Secret Oath (2022), Pretty Mischievous (2023), Thorpedo Anna (2024) and Good Cheer (2025).
Thorpedo Anna Retirement (Sunday, Oct. 26): Reigning Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna (16-12-2-0—$5,440,913) will be honored in a special retirement ceremony between races Sunday before beginning her second career as a broodmare at Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm. After a race to be determined, the star filly will walk over with the field and remain in the paddock during the race before stepping into the Woodford Reserve Winner’s Circle for a ceremonial photo. Trainer Kenny McPeek announced Thorpedo Anna’s retirement from racing Oct. 15. The daughter of Fast Anna retires with career-defining victories in the 2024 Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI) and Breeders’ Cup Distaff (GI). The seven-time Grade I winner is owned by Hill ‘n’ Dale Equine Holdings, Judy Hicks, Mark Edwards and Magdalena Racing.
Stakes Room Brunch (Sundays, Oct. 26, Nov. 2, Nov. 9, Nov. 16, Nov. 23 and Nov. 30) – On Sundays, Churchill Downs is offering a brunch special in the Stakes Room. The $87 package for adults and $34 package for children includes a seat in the Stakes Room on the fourth floor of the Clubhouse and all-you-can-eat access to the brunch menu.
Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 1 (Wednesday, Oct. 29-Friday, Oct. 31): Pool 1 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager with up to 40 betting interests, including the popular “All Others” option, will open Wednesday, Oct. 29 at noon and close Friday, Oct. 31 at 6 p.m. in advance of the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (GI) at Del Mar. The field for the three-day pool, which features $2 Win and Exacta wagering, will be released Monday, Oct. 27.
Breeders’ Cup Watch Party (Friday, Oct. 31 and Saturday, Nov. 1): Churchill Downs will simulcast the Breeders’ Cup World Championships from Southern California’s Del Mar on Friday, Oct. 31 and Saturday, Nov. 1. A simulcast of the 10-race “Future Stars Friday” card from Del Mar will begin at 2:35 p.m. and the Breeders’ Cup will cover Races 6-10 (5:45-8:25 p.m.). Championship Saturday’s 12-race program at Del Mar will commence at 1:05 p.m. with the Breeders’ Cup on Races 4-12 (3-8:25 p.m.). The $7 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI) is Race 9 at 6:25 p.m. Live racing on Friday at Churchill Downs features 10 races from 1-6:45 p.m. Saturday’s 11-race live card runs 1-7:20 p.m. Simulcast wagering on the Breeders’ Cup will be available in the simulcast area on the second floor of the Clubhouse, as well as select dining spaces. Guests who attend Churchill Downs on Friday will be able to advance wager on the entire Championship Saturday program from Del Mar. There is no advance wagering on-track Thursday for the Championship Friday program.
Senior Days (Wednesdays, Nov. 5 and Nov. 19) – Guests 60 and up will receive $3 general admission or can enjoy lunch and a day at the races in Millionaires Row for $45. Senior Day tickets can be purchased by calling (502) 636-4450.
Veterans Day: Military Appreciation Day presented by Coca-Cola (Sunday, Nov. 9): Churchill Downs will observe and honor those who sacrificed so that we may continue to enjoy our freedoms and celebrate active and retired military members. Free general admission is offered to active and retired military members who present their I.D. or they can purchase discounted tickets to Millionaires Row or Sky Terrace (subject to availability) for a special $40 lunch by calling (502) 636-4450.
27th Claiming Crown Championship Series (Saturday, Nov. 15): An added feature to this year’s Fall Meet is the 27th renewal of the Claiming Crown Championship Series, which will be staged at Churchill Downs for the third time on Saturday, Nov. 15. Open to claiming horses, the Claiming Crown features eight races with starter allowance conditions and a super-charged total of $1.1 million in prize money for some of the most competitive, blue-collar horses in the country.
Thanksgiving Day (Thursday, Nov. 27): Racing on Thanksgiving Day at Churchill Downs has been a Louisville, Ky. tradition since 1969. Around 7,500 turkey dinners will be served with all the trimmings, making it the largest number anywhere in the region. Levy Restaurants chefs will begin to cook Thursday’s Thanksgiving meal around 1 a.m. The menu consists of preparing approximately 550 10-pound turkeys, 6,000 pounds of spiral ham, 250 gallons of rosemary gravy, 5,000 pounds of mashed potatoes, 150 gallons of cranberry sauce and more than 900 pumpkin pies. Gates open at 10 a.m. The first of 12 races is 11:30 a.m. and the final race goes at 4:43 p.m.
Kentucky Derby Future Wager and Sire Future Wager (Thursday, Nov. 27-Sunday, Nov. 30): Fans will have their second of six opportunities to place early bets on the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (GI) Thursday-Sunday with 40 betting interests listed, including the popular “All Others” option. The four-day pool, which features $2 Win and Exacta wagering, will open Thursday at noon and close Sunday at 6 p.m. Pool 2 will run concurrent with the lone Kentucky Derby Sire Future Wager, where fans can bet horses sired by 39 individual sires and an option for “All Other Sires” that were not listed.
Clark Day (Friday, Nov. 28): The 151st running of the $600,000 Clark presented by Norton Healthcare (GII) is the most lucrative race on Fall Meet stakes schedule. The 1 1/8-mile test for 3-year-olds and up on “Black Friday” annually lures some of the top horses in North America and is the centerpiece of nine stakes races scheduled over Thanksgiving weekend. Also, Clark Day is generally the most attended and one of the most wagered upon days during the Fall Meet.
Stars of Tomorrow II (Saturday, Nov. 29): Every race features 2-year-old Thoroughbreds, including four stakes races. The featured events are two popular Fall Meet fixtures each worth $400,000 and run at the 1 1/16-mile distance: the open Kentucky Jockey Club and Golden Rod for fillies. Each race is a part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks series which award points to the top five finishers (10-5-3-2-1). Last year, the 12-race program handled a Fall Meet-best $12.5 million in wagers.
2025 CHURCHILL DOWNS FALL MEET STAKES SCHEDULE
| Date | Running | Grade | Purse | Race | Conditions | Distance | Surface |
| Sunday, Oct. 26 | 13th | III | $200,000 | Street Sense | 2yo | 1 1/16 M | Dirt |
| Sunday, Oct. 26 | 13th | Listed | $200,000 | Rags to Riches | 2yo f | 1 1/16 M | Dirt |
| Saturday, Nov. 1 | 17th | Listed | $300,000 | Bet On Sunshine | 3&up | 6 F | Dirt |
| Saturday, Nov. 8 | 46th | III | $300,000 | River City | 3&up | 1 1/8 M | Turf |
| Saturday, Nov. 8 | 20th | Listed | $300,000 | Dream Supreme | 3&up, f&m | 6 F | Dirt |
| Saturday, Nov. 15 | 40th | III | $300,000 | Chilukki presented by Resolute Racing | 3&up, f&m | 1 M | Dirt |
| Saturday, Nov. 22 | 20th | III | $300,000 | Commonwealth Turf | 3yo | 1 1/16 M | Turf |
| Thursday, Nov. 27 | 110th | III | $400,000 | Falls City | 3&up, f&m | 1 1/8 M | Dirt |
| Thursday, Nov. 27 | 50th | Listed | $300,000 | Cardinal presented by Resolute Racing | 3&up, f&m | 1 1/8 M | Turf |
| Friday, Nov. 28 | 151st | II | $600,000 | Clark presented by Norton Healthcare | 3&up | 1 1/8 M | Dirt |
| Friday, Nov. 28 | 34th | II | $300,000 | Mrs. Revere | 3yo f | 1 1/16 M | Turf |
| Saturday, Nov. 29 | 99th | II | $400,000 | Kentucky Jockey Club | 2yo | 1 1/16 M | Dirt |
| Saturday, Nov. 29 | 82nd | II | $400,000 | Golden Rod | 2yo f | 1 1/16 M | Dirt |
| Saturday, Nov. 29 | 5th | $225,000 | Ed Brown | 2yo | 6 ½ F | Dirt | |
| Saturday, Nov. 29 | 5th | $225,000 | Fern Creek | 2yo f | 6 ½ F | Dirt | |
| Sunday, Nov. 30 | 2nd | $250,000 | Cherokee Mile | 3&up | 1 M | Dirt |
2025 CLAIMING CROWN CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES AT CHURCHILL DOWNS
| Date | Purse | Race | Conditions | ClaimingLevel | Distance | Surface |
| Saturday, Nov. 15 | $200,000 | Claiming Crown Jewel | 3&up | $35,000 | 1 1/8 M | Dirt |
| Saturday, Nov. 15 | $175,000 | Claiming Crown Emerald | 3&up | $25,000 | 1 1/16 M | Turf |
| Saturday, Nov. 15 | $150,000 | Claiming Crown Canterbury Tom Metzen Memorial | 3&up | $25,000 | 5 ½ F | Turf |
| Saturday, Nov. 15 | $150,000 | Claiming Crown Tiara | 3&up, f&m | $25,000 | 1 1/16 M | Turf |
| Saturday, Nov. 15 | $125,000 | Claiming Crown Rapid Transit | 3&up | $16,000 | 7 F | Dirt |
| Saturday, Nov. 15 | $100,000 | Claiming Crown Glass Slipper | 3&up, f&m | $12,500 | 1 M | Dirt |
| Saturday, Nov. 15 | $100,000 | Claiming Crown Iron Horse Kent Sterling Memorial | 3&up | $8,000 | 1 1/16 M | Dirt |
| Saturday, Nov. 15 | $100,000 | Claiming Crown Ready’s Rocket Express | 3&up | $8,000 | 6 F | Dirt |
Purse offerings for the Fall Meet include money from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund.
