Racing Returns to Churchill Downs for 24-Day Fall Meet

Oct 20, 2026

Horse racing in Kentucky shifts from Keeneland to Churchill Downs on Sunday as the home of the Kentucky Derby readies to open its 137th Fall Meet with an 11-race program – all for promising 2-year-old Thoroughbreds.

The popular 24-day stand covers a five-week stretch every Wednesday-Sunday through Nov. 29 with no racing on Friday, Oct. 30 and Saturday, Oct. 31 as Keeneland hosts the 43rd Breeders’ Cup World Championships. The first race at Churchill Downs will be 1 p.m. (all times Eastern) daily except for Thanksgiving Day on Thursday, Nov. 26, which will begin at 11:30 a.m.

The Fall Meet kicks off in style Sunday with the 22nd 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 14th runnings of two 1 1/16 miles, $200,000 stakes – the open-company Street Sense (GIII) and Rags to Riches (Listed) 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.

Horsemen will compete for $26.9 million (all purses include prize money from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund) offered in Vice President of Racing Ben Huffman’s Fall Meet condition book, which features 255 races.

Average daily purses are $1.1 million. Maiden special weight races have a $120,000 purse while allowance races range from $127,000 to $141,000.

Irad Ortiz Jr. led all jockeys with 46 wins during the 2025 Fall Meet while Brad Cox was the top trainer with 21 victories. Godolphin was the champion owner with seven trips to the winner’s circle.

Tickets for the Fall Meet are on sale at https://www.churchilldowns.com/day-at-the-races/. Group packages for 12 or more, private dining room buyouts and luxury suite rentals are available through the Group Sales department at (502) 636-4450 or groupsales@kyderby.com.

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. 25): Sunday’s opener comes six 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 more than 20 “Trick-or-Treat Boo! Stations” scattered throughout the racetrack as Churchill Downs hands out candy starting when admission gates open at noon. There will be more than 20 activities for children to enjoy including a pumpkin patch (first floor Paddock Plaza), a Game Zone featuring cornhole, giant Jenga and more (second floor Paddock Terrace), Halloween arts and crafts station (second floor Paddock Terrace) and Charlie’s Corner soft play and toddler bounce (second floor Paddock Terrace). The first 150 people to check in at the Enter to Win Tent on the first floor Paddock Plaza will receive a free youth Churchill Downs baseball cap. Between 12-2 p.m., kids can enter to compete in stick horse races and win a VIP Experience to meet bugler Steve Buttleman. General admission is $10 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. 25): 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).
Stakes Room Brunch (Sundays, Oct. 25, Nov. 1, Nov. 8, Nov. 15, Nov. 22 and Nov. 29) – On Sundays, Churchill Downs is offering a brunch special in the Stakes Room. The $90 package for adults and $45 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. 28-Friday, Oct. 30): Pool 1 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager with up to 40 betting interests, including the popular “All Others” option, will open Wednesday, Oct. 28 at noon and close Friday, Oct. 30 in advance of the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (GI) at Keeneland. The field for the three-day pool, which features $2 Win and Exacta wagering, will be released Monday, Oct. 26. Other Future Wager dates are set for Nov. 26-29 (Pool 2); Jan. 15-17 (Pool 3); Feb. 12-14 (Pool 4); March 12-14 (Pool 5) and April 1-3 (Pool 6). Pool 2 also will feature the Kentucky Derby Sire Future Wager, while Pools 5 and 6 will include the Longines Kentucky Oaks Future Wager.
Breeders’ Cup Simulcast (Friday, Oct. 30 and Saturday, Oct. 31): Churchill Downs will simulcast the Breeders’ Cup World Championships from Keeneland on Friday, Oct. 30 and Saturday, Oct. 31. A simulcast of the 10-race “Future Stars Friday” card from Keeneland will begin at 11:55 a.m. and the Breeders’ Cup will cover Races 6-10 (2:55-5:35 p.m.). Championship Saturday’s 12-race program at Keeneland will commence at 11:15 a.m. with the Breeders’ Cup on Races 4-12 (1:10-6:16 p.m.) culminating with the $7 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI). Simulcast wagering on the Breeders’ Cup will be available in the simulcast area on the second floor of the Clubhouse.
Senior Days (Wednesdays, Nov. 4 and Nov. 18) – Guests 60 and up can enjoy lunch and a day at the races in Millionaires Row for $50. Senior Day tickets can be purchased by calling (502) 636-4450.
Veterans Day: Military Appreciation Day presented by Coca-Cola (Sunday, Nov. 8): Churchill Downs will recognize and thank the men and women who have answered the call to serve our country. Veterans and active-duty military personnel will receive free general admission and can purchase discounted $45 tickets in Millionaires Row by calling (502) 636-4450 or through GOVX at https://www.govx.com/a/601fe190-3f72-4d46-b698-08de73bbebad/churchill-downs.
28th Claiming Crown Championship Series (Saturday, Nov. 14): The 28th renewal of the Claiming Crown Championship Series returns to Churchill Downs for the fourth time on Saturday, Nov. 14. Open to claiming horses, the Claiming Crown features nine races with starter allowance conditions and a super-charged total of $1.2 million in prize money for some of the most competitive, blue-collar horses in the country.
Holiday Cheer at the Track (Saturday, Nov. 14; Sunday, Nov. 15; Friday, Nov. 27; and Saturday, Nov. 28): Guests can get into the holiday spirit with special second floor Clubhouse Food Court appearances by Santa and Mrs. Claus on Saturday, Nov. 14 (4:15-5:30 p.m.); Sunday, Nov. 15 (2:15-4:30 p.m.); Friday, Nov. 27 (4:15-5:30 p.m.); and Saturday, Nov. 28 (2:15-4:30 p.m.). A professional photographer will be on site and there will be holiday crafts for children and specialty holiday treats. Additionally, Santa and Mrs. Claus will be making special appearances for guests in the Turf Club, Finish Line Suites and Jockey Club Suites on select days.
Thanksgiving Day (Thursday, Nov. 26): 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 the Thanksgiving meal around 1 a.m., and 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. 26-Sunday, Nov. 29): Fans will have their second of six opportunities to place early bets on the 153rd 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. 27): The 152nd running of the $700,000 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 10 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. 28): 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 $13.6 million in wagers.
BETTING MENU FEATURES POPULAR $3 LATE PICK 3 – Churchill Downs’ Fall Meet betting menu features a popular $3 Late Pick 3 with a low 15% takeout. The wager will span the final three races on each card and all other Pick 3s remain at 50-cent base.

Aside from the $3 Late Pick 3, the wagering menu includes the 20-cent Derby City 6 Jackpot on the last six races each day (15% takeout). The Derby City 6 jackpot will be paid only if there is a single winning wager with six winners placed at the required minimum bet value. If there are multiple winning wagers with six winners in the six-race sequence, 90 percent of the net money wagering into the pool will be paid, and the remaining 10 percent will carry to the Derby City 6 jackpot. If there are no tickets will all six winners, 100 percent of the pool will carry to the Derby City 6 jackpot. There will be a mandatory payout on closing day.

The daily betting menu also features multiple 50-cent Pick 5s with a low 15-percent takeout and 50-cent Pick 4s. Win, Place, Show, Exacta, 50-cent Trifecta, 10-cent Superfecta, Daily Double, 50-cent Pick 3 wagers (except for the $3 Late Pick 3) and rolling $1 Super Hi-5s will be offered every race (on all races that qualify under Kentucky statutes for minimum field size).

Also on the daily betting menu is the $1 Jackpot 8 ($406,307 carryover from closing day of the September Meet) and the $2 Odd vs. Even. The Jackpot 8, which requires picking the first eight finishers in a row, will be offered in the final race each day (a minimum field size of 10 entrants is required to offer the wager). The Odd vs. Even wager will be offered on each race if there are a minimum three interests on each side of the wager.

FREE WORKOUT VIDEOS FOR HORSEPLAYERS – Thanks to the support of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund, horseplayers and horsemen can view workouts of select horses at Churchill Downs free-of-charge throughout the year, courtesy of clocker Bruno De Julio. The workouts are available at https://www.kentuckybred.org/workout-videos/.

‘CHURCHILL DOWNS TODAY’ AIRS BEFORE FIRST RACE – Horseplayers can get the latest advice and a preview of the day’s card by watching “Churchill Downs Today” one hour prior to first post. Join Joe Kristufek, Tony Calo, Kaitlin Free, Kevin Kilroy and others as they handicap the program, give ticket-structure advice and insight for horseplayers betting the racing program. Churchill Downs Today will be shown on www.TwinSpires.com.

CHURCHILL DOWNS RACING TELEVISED ON FANDUEL TV – The racing action from Churchill Downs throughout the Fall Meet will be broadcast on FanDuel TV.

WAGER ON CHURCHILL DOWNS RACING VIA TWINSPIRES.COM – Racing fans are encouraged to wager on racing from Churchill Downs via www.TwinSpires.com, the official advance-deposit wagering service for Churchill Downs Incorporated and its family of racetracks. Past performance information can be purchased online at www.Brisnet.com.

ODDS AND ENDS – Travis Stone will describe the racing action throughout the Fall Meet for the 12th straight year. Nick Tammaro is in his first year as the morning line oddsmaker.