Images from WinStar Kentucky Cup Day, September 24, 2011.
A well-matched stakes undercard featuring a pair of grade III events and two other races worth $100,000 apiece supports the WinStar Kentucky Cup in its return to Turfway Park Sept. 24 after a one-year absence.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
A field of eight was drawn for the $200,000 WinStar Kentucky Cup (gr. II), which was revived this year after a one-year hiatus.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
With little time to spare and graded status for three races on the line, all five Kentucky Cup stakes will return to the calendar at Turfway Park in September. This year's Cup Day will be sponsored by WinStar Farm.
Thursday, August 04, 2011
A committee has approved use of $100,000 from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund for several Kentucky Cup races, but it remains to be seen whether the stakes series--at least part of it--will be run.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Efforts to restore the Kentucky Cup Day of Champions at Turfway Park in September are ongoing, but the return of the stakes program could hinge on sponsorships.
Wednesday, June 08, 2011
Evan Hammonds comments on the absent Kentucky Cup program, reflects on the Woodbine Turf races from the weekend and more. Presented by Taylor Made Stallions.
Why support an industry that cannot sustain itself? Because wherever this debate occurs, it's important to see that the racetrack is only part of the equation.
Turfway Park has asked the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission to approve a request to cut four Wednesday cards and all but one stakes race from its 2010 fall meet.
Wednesday, July 07, 2010
Consecutive days of heavy rain led Kentucky Downs, which offers only turf racing, to cancel its six-race program Sept. 26.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
A reduction in stakes purses for its upcoming meet will allow Turfway Park to maintain overnight purses and racing days, but track officials are thinking ahead to 2010, when that probably won't be the case.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009Turfway Park has released a fall meet stakes schedule that includes dropping of two stakes from the Kentucky Cup Day card on Sept. 26 and reduced purse for the Kentucky Cup Classic (gr. II). Two other stakes have also been dropped from the fall schedule.
Monday, August 10, 2009
The future of Ellis Park beyond this year is questionable, but it appears the Kentucky racetrack's current meet has a good chance of being expanded.
Monday, July 27, 2009
The foray from Canada to Kentucky's Turfway Park proved even more profitable for owner Bear Stables, trainer Reade Baker, and jockey Eurico Rosa Da Silva as Bear Now cruised to a four-length victory in the $100,000 Kentucky Cup Distaff (gr. III) Sept. 27. The win came barely an hour after the connections teamed up to take the Kentucky Cup Sprint (gr. III) with Fatal Bullet. The two runners' connections leave Turfway with a pair of impressive prospects for the Breeders' Cup World Championships October 24-25 at Oak Tree at Santa Anita.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Lori and George Hall's West Side Bernie made it two-for-two in his career with a victory in the $100,000 Kentucky Cup Juvenile (gr. III) at Turfway Park Sept. 27 and stamped his ticket to the Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita Park.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Bear Stables' Fatal Bullet left no questions unanswered Sept. 27 with an authoritative track-record victory in the $100,000 Kentucky Cup Sprint (gr. III) for 3-year-olds at Turfway Park and appears headed to the Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I) at Santa Anita Park.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Six horses, including Philip Iselin Handicap (gr. II) winner Honest Man, are considered probable for the 1 1/8-mile Kentucky Cup Classic (gr. II) at Turfway Park Sept. 27.
Monday, September 22, 2008
TVG will air exclusive live, on-site coverage of various Breeders' Cup World Championships prep races, including the $500,000 Massachusetts Handicap Sept. 20. The race at Suffolk Downs is a Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" event.
Friday, September 19, 2008Stonerside Stable homebred Texas Fever held on gamely for a facile neck victory in the $100,000 Kentucky Cup Juvenile (gr. I) at Turfway Park Sept. 29.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Carl Nafzger, trainer of Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) winner Street Sense, discussed his reasoning for racing against grade I winner Hard Spun in the Sept. 29 Kentucky Cup Classic (gr. II) at Turfway Park during a National Thoroughbred Racing Association media teleconference Sept. 25.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
James Tafel's Street Sense, winner of this year's Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) and Saratoga's Travers Stakes(gr. I), continued to crank up for his final prep race before the Oct. 27 Breeders' Cup Classic powered by Dodge (gr. I) when he worked a sharp five furlongs Sept. 19 at Churchill Downs.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007The 7-year-old gelding Perfect Drift, a winner of nearly $4.6 million, takes on Woodward (gr. I) winner Premium Tap and five others Saturday in the $350,000 Kentucky Cup Classic (gr. II) at Turfway Park. The race headlines a five-race stakes card worth $825,000 that's loaded with full fields.
Thursday, September 28, 2006When the dust settles following Saturday's major stakes, we could be saluting the geriatric set if 8-year-old The Tin Man and 7-year-olds Perfect Drift and Meteor Storm come away with victories in their respective races.
Tuesday, September 26, 2006In an effort to accommodate horses shipping into Kentuckyk for the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships at Churchill Downs on Nov. 4, Turfway Park has scheduled the Kentucky Cup "Day of Champions" on the last weekend of the 22-day meet that runs from Sept. 6 through Oct. 5.
Thursday, June 29, 2006Turfway Park president and CEO Bob Elliston spoke to members of the national turf media about Saturday's Kentucky Cup Day Festival.
Tuesday, September 13, 2005Ken and Sarah Ramsey's Roses in May, whose five victories in six races last year included Turfway Park's Kentucky Cup Classic (gr. II), and Lothenbach Stables' Mayo On the Side, upset winner over Azeri in the Humana Distaff (gr. I) at Churchill Downs, have been honored by members of Kentucky Thoroughbred Media as the Kentucky-based "Horses of the Year" for 2004.
Tuesday, September 13, 2005The first three from last year's Kentucky Cup Turf Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Kentucky Downs are back for this year's running, and track officials hope that things go more smoothly in the 1 1/2-mile Sept. 25 race than they did in 2003.
Thursday, September 23, 2004Ken and Sarah Ramsey's Roses in May, winner of last month's Whitney Handicap (gr. I) at Saratoga, was installed the 1-2 favorite for Saturday's Kentucky Cup Classic (gr. II) at Turfway Park. The 118-pound starting highweight will break from post five and face just five rivals in the 1 1/8-mile race that carries a purse of $350,000.
Friday, September 17, 2004So contentious is Saturday's Turfway Breeders' Cup Stakes (gr. III) that the morning line has five of the seven entrants at odds of between 5-2 and 5-1. The 1 1/16 miles Turfway Breeders' Cup is one of five stakes on the Kentucky Cup card at the northern Kentucky track.
Thursday, September 16, 2004Ken and Sarah Ramsey's Roses in May, winner of last month's Whitney Handicap (gr. I) at Saratoga, was installed the 1-2 favorite for Saturday's Kentucky Cup Classic (gr. II) at Turfway Park. The 118-pound starting highweight will break from post five and face just five rivals in the 1 1/8-mile race that carries a purse of $350,000.
Thursday, September 16, 2004Alumni Hall will take a pass at Saturday's Kentucky Cup Classic (gr. II) and will instead go in an allowance race according to trainer Neil Howard in a press release from Turfway Park. The 5-year-old son of A.P. Indy out of the Alydar mare Private Status worked five furlongs in 1:00 3/5 Wednesday morning at Belmont Park.
Wednesday, September 15, 2004Pie N Burger is being aimed for his first graded stakes victory in more than a year in Saturday's Kentucky Cup Classic (gr. II) at Turfway Park. The 6-year-old gelding by Twining won't find the going easy in the 1 1/8-mile race.
Tuesday, September 14, 2004Perfect Drift, winner of last year's Kentucky Cup Classic (gr. II), will not be back to defend his title this Saturday at Turfway Park according to trainer Murray Johnson. Johnson made the announcement Monday morning after Perfect Drift finished a five-furlong work in 1:03 3/5 at Trackside in Louisville.
Monday, September 13, 2004The fields for the Sept. 18 Kentucky Cup at Turfway Park are beginning to take shape and full fields are expected.
Monday, September 13, 2004Turfway Park's $150,000 Bourbonette Stakes on Saturday has a pair of class contenders among its six entrants: Class Above and Fond. The mile race for 3-year-old fillies will be run on the Lane's End Stakes undercard.
Thursday, March 18, 2004Officials at Turfway Park are attributing an increase in attendance and overall all-source handle to a combination of factors, including favorable weather, larger race fields, success of the Kentucky Cup day program, and special marketing and events for Friday night cards.
Monday, October 06, 2003George Strawbridge's Rochester will seek to defend his Kentucky Cup Turf Handicap (gr. IIIT) title Saturday at Kentucky Downs. The 7-year-old Green Dancer gelding will take on six rivals in the 1 1/2-miles turf event, the $300,000 centerpiece of the Kentucky Cup Turf program.
Friday, September 19, 2003Awesome Humor, the Alabama Stakes (gr. I) runner-up, and millionaire Smok'n Frolic share top billing for Saturday's Turfway Breeders' Cup (gr. III) on the Kentucky Cup card at Turfway Park. The 1 1/16-miles race for fillies and mares 3-year-olds and up as a $175,000 purse and will go off at 6:05 p.m. EST.
Thursday, September 11, 2003Lloyd Madison Farm's Champali, winner of three straight stakes at Turfway Park earlier this year, returns as the morning-line favorite for Saturday's Kentucky Cup Sprint (gr. III). He'll face 11 rivals in the six-furlong race for 3-year-olds. The last of five stakes on the card, the Sprint has a post time of 6:33 p.m. EST.
Thursday, September 11, 2003Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith's Pomeroy was made the 9-5 morning line choice for the Kentucky Cup Juvenile (gr. III) and Padua Stable's Class Above was given the same listing for the Kentucky Juvenile Fillies by Turfway Park oddsmaker Mike Battaglia for Saturday's 10th running of the Kentucky Cup at the northern Kentucky track.
Thursday, September 11, 2003Stonerside Stable's Congaree has been assigned 124 pounds for Turfway Park's Kentucky Cup Classic (gr. II) to be run Saturday. The nine-time stakes winner and earner of more than $2.7 million has been asked to spot four pounds to his nearest rival, Stephen Foster Handicap (gr. I) winner Perfect Drift.
Monday, September 08, 2003Robert and Beverly Lewis' Orientate, champion sprinter of 2002, and Take Charge Lady, a multiple grade I-winning 3-year-old filly owned by Jerry and Feye Bach's Select Stable, have been chosen as the Kentucky-based "Horses of the Year" for 2002 by members of Kentucky Thoroughbred Media .
Monday, September 08, 2003Bob Baffert said Wednesday that Edgar Prado will ride Hollywood Gold Cup winner Congaree in the $350,000 Kentucky Cup Classic on Sept. 13 as a prep for the Breeders' Cup Classic-Powered by Dodge.
Wednesday, August 27, 2003Trainer Shug McGaughey watched Saturday's Kentucky Cup "day of champions" on TVG from his Belmont Park office in New York. But his absence from Turfway Park did nothing to diminish his enthusiasm on the day after his charges, Pure Prize and Trip, accounted for the grade II, $400,000 Kentucky Cup Classic and the grade III, $200,000 Turfway Breeders' Cup Stakes.
Monday, September 16, 2002Claiborne Farm's Trip has been made the 2-1 morning line favorite for the Turfway Breeders' Cup (gr. III), to be run during the Kentucky Cup card at the northern Kentucky track Sept. 14.
Thursday, September 12, 2002Dollar Bill, winless in stakes competition this year, but with several strong graded placings, was installed the 3-1 morning line favorite for Saturday's Kentucky Cup Classic (gr. II) to be run at Turfway Park in northern Kentucky.
Thursday, September 12, 2002The fields for some of Turfway's four stakes races Saturday beyond the Kentucky Cup Classic (gr. II) are shaping up nicely.
Wednesday, September 11, 2002Dollar Bill breezed Sept. 8, and Abreeze is scheduled to work Sept.10, in preparation for the Sept. 14 Kentucky Cup Classic (gr. II) at Turfway Park.
Monday, September 09, 2002Morton Fink's Guided Tour drew post 3 for his start Saturday in the $400,000 Kentucky Cup Classic (gr. II) and was installed the 7-5 morning-line favorite. Only five other horses will face the 118-pound highweight in the marquee race on the Kentucky Cup card at Turfway Park.
Thursday, September 20, 2001Carolyn Chapman and Theresa McArthur's Caller One broke slowly under jockey Kent Desormeaux, but recovered quickly enough to lead at every call en route to a 4 1/2-length win in the $150,000 Kentucky Cup Sprint (gr. II) Saturday at Turfway Park.
Saturday, September 16, 2000