Churchill Downs turf gets passing grades for fall meet
Louisville, Ky.
The troubled turf course at Churchill Downs hosted its final race of the year Saturday and got passing grades during the fall meet for how it held up.
“It really did,” jockey Tyler Gaffalione said Saturday. “All the credit goes to the track team and everyone that kept it together for us.”
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The reviews were diametrically opposite of the criticism the course attracted in the three years since it was rebuilt for $10 million and repaired again and again for countless more dollars.
“We’re happy,” said Ben Huffman, Churchill Downs vice president of racing. “Not surprised, but until you actually do it, you never know, because we’ve clearly struggled for a few meets. We’re very satisfied.”
No turf races were scheduled Sunday for the last card of the 26-day meet. Of the 36 races that had been written into the condition books, 35 actually had entries taken, and 32 of them were run. Three races on as many days were moved to the main track because of wet weather.
| CD turf | Spring | Sept. | Fall | Total | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 101 | 0 | 0 | 101 | Turf course was rebuilt after spring |
| 2022 | 59 | 0 | 8 | 69 | 2 Aug. turf races Arlington Million day |
| 2023 | 48 | 23 | 17 | 88 | |
| 2024 | 74 | 0 | 32 | 106 |
Even though the number of races run on the grass was nearly double the 17 from last year, it still was not full speed ahead just yet. As Huffman said in October, “We’re going to baby it along.” That strategy appeared to be a success for track superintendent Jamie Richardson and his team.
“This is kind of what we expected before each meet,” Huffman said. “For whatever reason, it didn’t perform like we’d hoped when we got going. The work that Jamie and his guys have done, we’re seeing the results come to fruition now.”
Finding the right combination of soil and seed was one thing. So was getting cooperative weather. It was mostly dry this fall in Louisville, Ky., although conditions in November ranged from a parched 80 degrees to a snowy 35.
“That’s probably more technical than I’d be comfortable talking about,” Huffman said. “Just all the work they did right after the spring meet and DryJect-ing (aeration) and the sprigging and the dedication to everything they did all summer, it’s just finally working to our satisfactions.”
The reviews improved significantly from the fits and starts the new course had since it was christened the week of the 2022 Kentucky Derby. It was shut down in June that year, and then a spate of horse deaths on both the turf and dirt led to the last month of the 2023 spring meet being moved to Ellis Park.
There were 74 grass races during the most recent spring, the most since the 101 before the course was rebuilt, but it looked worn out by the end of the meet. There were no turf races during the September meet.
With the cautious approach Churchill Downs management took this fall, including the scheduling of turf training two days a week, the grades came back good. But they were not perfect.
“I did have a horse early in the meet that slipped on it,” trainer Kenny McPeek said. “I think it’s holding together. It’s got better root systems. Like any turf course it takes time for the root systems to take, and when it takes, it’s obviously a little better grip. I think before, horses were slipping and sliding because there weren’t any roots to the grass. ... As long as the jocks are happy with it.”
Gaffalione said riders took a wait-and-see approach this fall and generally were happy with how the season went.
“We were kind of on the fence about it,” he said. “As soon as we got out there, it was a night-and-day difference. Horses were getting over it great. No missteps. We felt safe out there. Good footing, and we’re really excited about next year.”