Churchill Downs Update: Fall Meet Wraps Up Sunday as Focus Shifts to Turfway Park and Beyond

Nov 30, 2024

With just two days remaining in Churchill Downs’ Fall Meet, attention is turning to winter plans as the historic track closes for live racing until spring. Many trainers and jockeys will remain in Kentucky to race at Turfway Park, while others are heading to circuits across the country for the season.

Turfway Park’s Holiday Meet begins Wednesday with a first post of 5:55 p.m., and several leading training outfits are keeping strings of horses in Kentucky based at either Turfway or Churchill Downs’ Trackside Louisville facility, which remains open for winter training. Among the prominent trainers staying local are Steve Asmussen, Brad Cox, Cherie DeVaux, Greg Foley, Mike Maker, Michael McCarthy, Joe Sharp and Brendan Walsh. Additionally, new stables joining the Kentucky winter scene include Michelle Lovell and Brittany Vanden Berg.

Churchill Downs’ top jockeys are also making their seasonal moves. Based on top win leaders at Churchill this year, here is a look at where some riders are heading:

Tyler Gaffalione – Gulfstream Park
Luis Saez – Gulfstream Park
Jose Ortiz – Fair Grounds
Brian Hernandez Jr. – Fair Grounds
Florent Geroux – Fair Grounds
Luan Machado – Turfway Park
Rafael Bejarano – Oaklawn Park
Cristian Torres – Oaklawn Park
Edgar Morales – Fair Grounds
Jaime Torres – Fair Grounds
Axel Concepcion – Fair Grounds
Francisco Arrieta – Oaklawn Park
Gerardo Corrales – Turfway Park
Corey Lanerie – Turfway Park
Following Sunday’s closing day program, live racing beneath the historic Twin Spires resumes on Saturday, April 26 with the 151st running of the $5 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (Grade I) staged on Saturday, May 3.

DOWN THE STRETCH – Saturday’s Stars of Tomorrow II program began at 1 p.m. featuring the $400,000 Kentucky Jockey Club (GII) and $400,000 Golden Rod (GII). There was a $217,937 carryover in the 20-cent Derby City 6 Jackpot beginning in Race 7. There will be a mandatory payout in all wagers on Sunday. … Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 2 and the Kentucky Derby Sire Future Wager closes at 6 p.m. on Sunday. Through wagering on Friday, #40 All Other Colts and Geldings Foaled in 2022 was the 8-5 favorite with $28,447 out of $96,189 in the pool. In the Sire Future Wager, #40 All Other Sires was the 7-2 favorite with $1,759 bet out of $10,351 in the pool. … For more information about the Fall Meet, visit www.churchilldowns.com.