In 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."Since its first running in 1994, the Kentucky Cup day of champions has played an important part in the road to the World Championships," said Turfway president Robert Elliston. "With the Breeders' Cup at Churchill Downs, we decided to move the Kentucky Cup to the end of our meet so that horsemen from across the country could ship one time, taking in the Kentucky Cup and then the great racing at Keeneland's fall meeting."
For 2006, the fall stakes are scheduled as follows.
Sept. 9:
Turfway Park Fall Championship (gr. III), 3yo & up, 1 mile, $100,000
Sept. 16: Marfa Stakes, 3yo & up, 6.5 furlongs, $75,000 (includes $15,000 KTDF)
Sept. 23: Weekend Delight Stakes, 3yo & up, fillies and mares, 6 furlongs, $75,000 (includes $15,000 KTDF)
Sept. 30: Kentucky CupClassic (gr. II), 3yo & up, 1-1/8 miles, $350,000 (includes $150,000 KTDF)
Juvenile (gr. III), 2yo, 1-1/16 miles, $100,000
Juvenile Fillies, 2yo fillies, 1 mile, $100,000
Sprint (gr. III), 3yo, 6 furlongs, $100,000Turfway Breeders' Cup (gr. III), 3yo & up, fillies and mares, 1-1/16 miles, $175,000 (includes $75,000 Breeders' Cup Fund)In addition, racing secretary Rick Leigh announced that the Turfway Park racing office has instituted a new schedule for entries. Beginning with the Fall Meet, Turfway will take entries on Friday for the following Wednesday; on Saturday for Thursday; on Sunday for Friday; on Wednesday for Saturday; and on Thursday for Sunday. The change results from a decision by all Kentucky tracks to allow additional time for entries; each track will set its own schedule.
