Churchill Downs takes all races off turf for meet's final 3 days

Churchill Downs will move all remaining turf races, including two stakes, off the grass for the final three days of its fall meeting, which ends Sunday.

A post on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Friday announced the decision but gave no reason for the move.

But Darren Rogers, a spokesman for the Louisville, Ky., track, said last week that officials were limiting use of the turf course "because we’re dissatisfied with the course’s current status."

Churchill Downs unveiled a new, $10 million turf course in spring 2022. It began moving races off the turf six weeks later amid numerous complaints from horsemen and jockeys about the course’s loose footing and other problems.

The change will affect the sixth race, an allowance contest for 3-year-olds and up, and the Grade 2 Mrs. Revere, race 10 on Friday's program. Saturday races 1, 3 and 6, two maiden special weight contests and an allowance race, will be switched to the dirt. On Sunday, the change will affect race 4, an allowance race, and race 11, the listed Commonwealth Turf Stakes for 3-year-olds. 

The move means that the two stakes races will be demoted by at least one grade during the annual review by the American Graded Stakes Committee, which reserves the right to demote the affected races even more.

The Commonwealth Turf Stakes already was demoted from a Grade 3 to a listed stakes after being moved off the turf last year because of concerns about the condition of the course.