Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint Becomes Track's First Breeders' Cup Challenge Race

Proforma winning the 2018 Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint | Reed Palmer

The $700,000 Grade III Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint S. has been selected for the 2019 Breeders' Cup Challenge Series, providing Kentucky Downs its first “Win and You're In” race as a launching pad to the World Championships, the track announced Monday.

As part of the Challenge Series, the Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint winner will get an automatic berth and waiver of the $30,000 in entry fees to the $1 million GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint Nov. 2 at Santa Anita.

“We've aggressively pursued getting a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series stakes the past couple of years, and this is a very big deal for us,” said Ted Nicholson, Kentucky Downs's senior vice president and general manager. “Having the Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint as a 'Win and You're In' for the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint provides great incentive for horsemen to run here in addition to the huge purse we are offering. We look forward to working with the Breeders' Cup to recruit European horses and to make this an exceptional event for all participants, coming on a day when the eyes of the racing world will be on Kentucky Downs.”

This year's Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint will be run Saturday, Sept. 7 as part of a five-stakes card at the Franklin oval.

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