Turfway Park features synthetic showdown & 3 new Dec. stakes
Winter racing nights at Turfway Park return Dec. 3 with the month highlighted by the second annual synthetic championships Dec. 13 and three new stakes.
Like last year, the synthetic championships will have the Holiday Cheer, Holiday Inaugural, My Charmer and Prairie Bayou worth $250,000 each.
Click here for Turfway Park entries and results.
The December schedule includes three new stakes worth $125,000 each, The Boone County will be run Dec. 6, the Florence Stakes on Dec. 20 and the Last Hurrah on Dec. 27.
The month also has maiden special-weight purses of $100,000 each and allowances worth up to $106,000.
The jockey colony again features a deep cast of returning riders like Gavin Ashton, Carlos Barbosa, Adam Beschizza, Abel Cedillo, Vincent Cheminaud, Fernando De La Cruz, Sophie Doyle, Corey Lanerie, Luan Machado, John McKee, Irving Moncada, Perry Ouzts, Joe Ramos, Walter Rodriguez, Evin Roman and Gabriel Saez. New arrivals this season include Victor Carrasco, Mario Gutierrez, Julien Leparoux, Dylan Machado and Danny Sheehy.
Six-time Turfway Park leading rider Gerardo Corrales, who has been sidelined with an arm injury since late May, is expected to be back in the saddle by the time the season begins, according to agent Cliff Collier.
The backstretch at Turfway Park is at capacity with trainers Steve Asmussen, Whit Beckman, Rodolphe Brisset, Mark Casse, Brad Cox, Kelsey Danner, Cherie DeVaux, Brian Lynch, Mike Maker, Michael McCarthy, Larry Rivelli, Joe Sharp, Mike Stidham, Will Walden, Brendan Walsh and Wesley Ward, all of whom rank among the top 100 in earnings across North America this year.
They will be joined by local mainstays such as Chip Brownfield, Chris Davis, Tommy Drury, Richard Estvanko, Eric Foster, Tim Girten, Eoin Harty, Ethan West and Karyn Wittek.
Live racing in December will be nightly on a Wednesday-Saturday schedule with the winter-spring meet to follow starting Jan. 1.
| Date | Race | Purse | Division | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec. 6 | Boone County Stakes | $125,000 | 3-year-olds & up | 1 1/4 miles |
| Dec. 13 | Prairie Bayou | $250,000 | 3-year-olds & up | 1 mile |
| Dec. 13 | Holiday Cheer | $250,000 | 3-year-olds & up | 6 furlongs |
| Dec. 13 | Holiday Inaugural | $250,000 | 3 & up, fillies & mares | 6 furlongs |
| Dec. 13 | My Charmer | $250,000 | 3 & up, fillies & mares | 1 mile |
| Dec. 20 | Florence Stakes | $125,000 | 3 & up, fillies & mares | 1 1/4 miles |
| Dec. 27 | Last Hurrah | $125,000 | 3-year-olds | 1 1/8 miles |