Churchill Downs Closing Day Update: Irad Ortiz Jr. Clinches First Spring Meet Title; Trainer, Owner Championships to be Decided on Closing Day

Jun 28, 2026

Irad Ortiz Jr. clinched his first Churchill Downs Spring Meet riding title entering Sunday’s closing program, while the trainer and owner championships remained undecided heading into the final day of the 44-day stand.

The title is Ortiz’s second overall Churchill Downs riding championship after he captured the 2025 Fall Meet crown. Represented by agent Steve Rushing, Ortiz opened the Spring Meet with a runner-up finish aboard Renegade in Kentucky Derby 152 and quickly established himself atop the standings. Among his signature victories during the meet were Rhetorical in the Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic (GI), On Time Girl in the Eight Belles (GII) and Immersive in the Fasig-Tipton Fleur de Lis (GII).

Ortiz entered Sunday’s 11-race closing program with 63 victories, matching the total posted by his brother, Jose Ortiz, in last year’s Spring Meet title-winning campaign. Jose Ortiz is ranked second in this year’s standings with 49 wins, followed by Tyler Gaffalione with 36 and Luis Saez with 35.

The trainer’s title remained up for grabs between Joe Sharp, who entered Sunday with 27 wins, and Brad Cox, who had 25 victories. Sharp was represented by runners in Races 1, 3, 4 and 6, while Cox had entrants in Races 5, 6, 9, 10 and 11.

The owner championship also remained undecided. David Jacobson clinched at least a share of the title with runners entered in Races 1 and 2. Juddmonte could earn a share of the championship if Jacobson is shut out Sunday and Juddmonte wins both Races 9 and 10.

Churchill Downs’ Spring Meet concludes Sunday with an 11-race program beginning at 12:45 p.m. ET. Live racing resumes beneath the Twin Spires for the start of the September Meet on

MAGNITUDE EARNS CAREER-BEST 110 BRISNET SPEED RATING IN STEPHEN FOSTER – Fresh off his victory in Saturday’s $2 million Stephen Foster (GI), Winchell Thoroughbreds’ Magnitude will ship to Saratoga in the coming days as trainer Steve Asmussen maps out a campaign similar to his former superstar Gun Runner in 2017.

“I cannot tell you how proud I am of (assistant trainer) Scott (Blasi) and the entire team,” Asmussen said. “They traveled to Dubai, made the trip back into training super smooth here at Churchill and what a great race that was put on.”

Asmussen said Magnitude will follow the same path as Gun Runner, who won the Whitney (GI) en route to Horse of the Year honors in 2017.

“For him to beat Forever Young in the Dubai World Cup (GI) – that’s what I love about racing – he’s got to do it again,” Asmussen said. “Your past performances aren’t going to beat anybody. He beats Forever Young, a horse with 15 starts and $31 million in earnings in races around the world. Then he comes back and beats Sovereignty, who beat him by 15 lengths in the Travers (GI), and Baeza, who beat him in the Pennsylvania Derby (GI). We’re a better horse now than we’ve ever been. We have a lot of year left, but what a great benchmark this is.”

Magnitude earned a career-best 110 Brisnet Speed Rating for his Stephen Foster victory.

The Stephen Foster was a Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” race for the $7 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI) on Oct. 31 at Keeneland, earning Magnitude an automatic berth while also covering all pre-entry and entry fees. His connections also are eligible for a travel award of up to $10,000.

FOSTER HANDLE WAS RECORD $23.3 MILLION – Total handle for Saturday’s 12-race Stephen Foster Day at Churchill Downs was $22.3 million, a record for the event and an unprecedented track total outside of the Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks or a Breeders’ Cup.

Betting on the card was up 13% compared to last year’s $20.7 million, the previous event standard. The track’s previous records outside of the Derby, Oaks or Breeders’ Cup was this year’s Thurby, which handled $22.5 million, and closing day of last year’s Spring Meet, which handled $21.3 million with a $1.4 million jackpot carryover force-out.

DERBY CITY 6 JACKPOT FEATURES MANDATORY PAYOUT THAT COULD REACH SEVEN FIGURES – Bettors have a massive $197,923 carryover in the Derby City 6 to chase Sunday at Churchill Downs for the 11-race closing day program.

There is a mandatory payout in Sunday’s 20-cent Derby City 6, which covers Races 6-11 starting at approximately 3:18 p.m. (all times Eastern) because it’s closing day of the 44-day Spring Meet. Churchill Downs’ gates will open at 11:30 a.m. The first of 11 races is 12:45 p.m. and the finale is scheduled for 5:59 p.m.

All monies on Sunday will be distributed to ticket holders with the most winners in the six-race series.

Takeout on the Derby City 6 is just 15% – one of the lowest multi-race wager takeout rates in American racing – and only costs 20 cents per combination.

Sunday’s closing day sequence features 57 entered horses for an average of 9.6 entries per race:

Race 6 (3:19 p.m.): OC 100000n3x, 3yo and up f&m, 5 ½ F (T) (nine entries)
Race 7 (3:53 p.m.): $225,000 Debutante Stakes (Listed), 2yo f, 6 F (nine entries)
Race 8 (4:25 p.m.): $225,000 Bashford Manor (Listed), 2yo, 6 F (nine entries)
Race 9 (4:56 p.m.): $250,000 Maxfield (GIII), 3yo, 7 F (eight entries)
Race 10 (5:28 p.m.): $300,000 Hanshin presented by JRA (GIII), 4yo and up, 1 M (10 entries)
Race 11 (5:59 p.m.): Mdn 120k, 3yo and up f&m, 6 ½ F (14 entries, 12 can run)
Past performances are available at www.Brisnet.com. Fans can wager on the Derby City 6 on track at Churchill Downs; www.TwinSpires.com, the track’s official online wagering platform; other online wagering outlets; and select satellite betting centers throughout North America.

Along with the Derby City 6 Jackpot, Sunday will have mandatory payouts in all Pick 5s and the Super Hi-5 in Race 11.

FOUR STAKES, FORCE-OUTS HIGHLIGHT SUNDAY’S CLOSING DAY CARD – Four stakes races led by the $300,000 Hanshin presented by JRA (Grade III) highlight closing day of the 2026 Spring Meet. It shares the spotlight with the $250,000 Maxfield (GIII), $225,000 Bashford Manor (Listed) and $225,000 Debutante (Listed).

Tour Player, Moonlight and Dragoon Guard – the top three finishers in the $200,000 Knicks Go on the May 2 Kentucky Derby undercard – return to face $2 million Riyadh Dirt Sprint (GII) winner Imagination in a high-caliber field of 10 milers in the Hanshin.

Grade I Del Mar Futurity winner and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (GI) third Brant cuts back to seven furlongs for his comeback in the $250,000 Maxfield (GIII) after finishing a disappointing sixth as the 4-5 favorite in March’s $250,000 San Felipe (GII) at Santa Anita. The field also includes Gotham (GIII) runner up, Pat Day Mile (GII) fifth and top Ohio-bred Crown the Buckeye.

Babies will also be in the spotlight with a pair of juvenile stakes to be run for the 125th time and a six-furlong maiden special weight for fillies. A trio of dominant debut-winning colts – Hey Tuff Guy, Captain Luke and Southern California invader He Is No Lie – head the $225,000 Bashford Manor (Listed). In the $225,000 Debutante (Listed), trainer Steve Asmussen will attempt to win the fillies race for a sixth time with Epic Reign, who won at first asking by 4 ¼ lengths.

The card also has a third-level allowance race for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 miles that features a pair of Kentucky Derby 151 alum: Chunk of Gold, the West Virginia Derby (GIII) winner and Clark (GII) third who makes his 4-year-old debut, and Publisher, who recently finished fifth in the $400,000 Steve Sexton Mile (GIII) at Lone Star Park after finishing fourth behind White Abarrio, Sovereignty and Journalism in the $1.25 million Oaklawn Handicap (GII).

Sunday’s closing day card will feature mandatory payouts in the 20-cent Derby City 6 Jackpot ($126,361 carryover for Wednesday), all Pick 5s and all Super Hi 5s.

19-TIME CHURCHILL DOWNS LEADING RIDER LANERIE TO RIDE IN FINAL RACE SUNDAY – The final ride of jockey Corey Lanerie’s 35-year riding career will come Sunday aboard Coal Battle in $300,000 Hanshin Stakes presented by JRA (Grade III). The Hanshin goes as Race 10 of 11 with a post time of 5:28 p.m. (all times Eastern). Lanerie will be feted in the winner’s circle after the race.

Two weeks ago, Lanerie, 51, announced he would retire at the conclusion of the Spring Meet. He will leave the sport with more than 5,100 victories. His more than 35,000 mounts earned in excess of $172 million in prize money. At Churchill Downs, Lanerie won 19 riding titles between 2012-19, including 71 wins during the 38-day Spring Meet in 2012, which was a record average of 1.87 wins per day during a Spring Meet of 30 or more days. His 1,245 Churchill Downs wins is second only to legendary Hall of Famer Pat Day’s 2,482 local victories.

The first of his 5,152 victories – which ranks 34th all-time in horse racing history – was aboard High Hopes Banquet on April 19, 1991 at Evangeline Downs. The first Churchill Downs win for the Lafayette, La. occurred Nov. 21, 2000 with Embraceable. His first full season at Churchill Downs was the 2003 Fall Meet, and he has ridden locally every year since 2005.

Lanerie, who rode in the Kentucky Derby on six occasions including a runner-up effort on Lookin At Lee in 2017, won 54 stakes races at Churchill Downs and seven Grade I races around the country:

Ashland (Kee): Hooh Why (2009), Weep No More (2016) and Sailor’s Valentine (2017)
Breeders’ Futurity (Kee): Brody’s Cause (2015)
Derby City Distaff (CD): Bell’s the One (2020)
La Troienne (CD): Molly Morgan (2015)
Woody Stephens (Sar): Hog Creek Hustle (2019)
SEPTEMBER, FALL MEET TICKETS ON SALE – Sunday may be closing day of the 44-day Spring Meet but it’s never too early to make plans for racing events at Churchill Downs later this year. Tickets for the September and Fall racing meets are on sale at https://www.churchilldowns.com/tickets. The 14-date September Meet is scheduled for Sept. 10-27 and the 24-day Fall Meet, which includes the popular Thanksgiving holiday weekend, will cover Oct. 25-Nov. 29. 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.