Churchill Downs will be curtailing usage of its newly installed $10-million turf course for the remainder of the meet by capping grass races to a maximum of two per day and moving 19 races listed in condition books two and three to the main dirt track.
The news arrived Sunday in the form of a note on the overnight for the June 10 races. On Monday, Churchill's senior director of communications, Darren Rogers, explained the reasoning to TDN via email.
“We've decided it's best to limit turf racing to two races per day for the remainder of the Spring Meet (starting June 11) to allow the new turf course to continue to mature and become more robust,” Rogers wrote. “We've had good, open dialogue with the riders. The grass has been cut short to promote the continued root growth. We've had the flexibility to adjust the temporary rail positions to four different lanes. We have complete confidence it'll be more robust for additional turf racing later this year with just a little more time.”
Trainers contacted by TDN weren't exactly overjoyed to learn that grass racing would be limited. But they weren't panicking, either, and seemed to accept the short-term hassle as a tradeoff for healthier turf opportunities in the future.
“I applaud them for doing that,” said trainer Ian Wilkes, who has won two Churchill turf races from 16 starters at the current meet. “If anything, the turf hasn't quite settled in as good with this hot weather coming. I think it's great. It's fine. It's going to be a tremendous turf course, but it's just very new right now.”
Asked if he thought the reduction in grass racing was more of a course-preservation effort or a safety concern for horses and jockeys, Wilkes said, “I think it's a combination of both. Some horses are struggling over it. But you've got to take care of the course. It's smart what they're doing.”
Trainer Wesley Ward, who is stabled at Keeneland Race Course, has a 2-for-12 record with Churchill grass horses this season. He said he was “kind of bummed out” to learn of the decision.
“The majority of my barn are grass horses. And with the purses that they've giving away, you certainly want to take advantage of those big pots that they've got. And when those opportunities are limited, it's never a good thing,” Ward said.
Asked what specific problem he believes Churchill is trying to address by limiting grass racing, Ward replied, “That I can't help you with. Each and every horse that I've brought over to work and run, they all come out of the races the same way they went in. I, personally, have not had any issues. My horses have been 100% sound with that grass course. Others may not feel the same.”
Ward continued: “I'm not trying to build up [Churchill], because I utilize their grass course in the mornings, which they're very kind to let me do that. But all my horses have been perfect and I would have no problems going over this week to breeze or run on it.”
Trainer George “Rusty” Arnold II, whose 5-for-19 turf record at the current Churchill meet includes a Grade III stakes score, also indicated his horses have had “no issues” with the safety of the course.
“I've been very fortunate, won a couple of nice races on it this year,” Arnold said. “No injuries, no problems whatsoever. [The reduction] really won't bother us a lot.”
Terry Meyocks, the president and chief executive officer of the Jockeys' Guild, confirmed to TDN that Churchill had consulted with the riding colony before making the decision to cut back on turf racing, adding that he believed the jockeys had not brought up any specific safety concerns.
“It's just that it's a new turf course and needs time. [The jockeys] thought that was the best thing to do for everybody,” Meyocks said.
Churchill management had been careful not to overuse the new course from the outset of the meet that began Apr. 30. Even GI Kentucky Derby Day itself, with a 14-race card, featured only four grass races.
During the most recent racing week, Churchill carded two turf races Thursday, then three per day Friday through Sunday, all over “firm” conditions.
Wilkes said there will soon be plenty of grass options available at other tracks.
“Getting into the summer, Indiana's got grass. You've got Colonial coming up next month. Ellis is coming. There are plenty of options, plus Saratoga's coming. It's not the end of the world. You might have to wait on one horse for a few weeks, but that's not a bad thing,” Wilkes said.
Ward was similarly philosophical.
“Well, we've only got a couple of weeks until the meet's over anyway, right? If they're scrapping some of those races, I'll be utilizing the grass course at Belmont–that's where I kind of funnel in and out of,” Ward said.
Arnold said, “We run at Indiana and we have other different places we could go to. Probably going to miss a race or two. I haven't totally gone through the book to see, but when you reduce probably in the neighborhood of some [19] turf races, I'd say it's going to affect everybody equally.
“We ran last fall with no turf course,” Arnold noted, alluding to the complete closure of grass racing at last year's Churchill fall meet because of the installation of the new course.
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