Churchill’s Turf Course ‘Getting Better By The Day,’ On Track For Aug. 13 Arlington Million Card

Churchill Downs' new $10 million turf course, problematic earlier this year during the track's spring meet, has improved and is on track to be used on the Aug. 13 Arlington Million card, officials told the Daily Racing Form this week.

“The course is getting better by the day – way better,” Churchill racing secretary Ben Huffman told DRF. “It's greener, more lush, more filled out, more mature. All the rain we're having is certainly welcome. Plus we still have more than two weeks until race day. Knock on wood, but, yes, everyone is comfortable with where we are.”

Churchill Downs began work on what company officials said was a $10-million investment in the new course last July, a project that included widening the surface and removing a crown that made the outer portion of the course unusable. The crown is designed to help drainage, but a new subsurface drainage system eliminated the need for it.

Racing on turf at Churchill Downs was initially paused June 11, one day after Gingrich, a 3-year-old Mr. Speaker colt, suffered a catastrophic injury to a foreleg while racing on the lead inside the eighth pole of a $50,000 claiming race on turf.

Churchill officials opted to suspend racing over the turf for four stakes events on Stephen Foster weekend beginning July 2; instead one race was canceled and the other three were moved to the main track.

Training is scheduled for the recovering turf course later this week.

Churchill has accepted nominations for four turf stakes on the Aug. 13 card: the $1 million, Grade 1 Arlington Million (35 nominees); the $500,000, Grade 1 Beverly D. Stakes (29 nominations); the $300,000, Grade 2 Secretariat Stakes (25 nominations); and the $200,000, Grade 2 Pucker Up Stakes (32 nominations).

The Arlington Million card, featuring stakes races that were previously run at Arlington Park, is being held at Churchill Downs after parent company Churchill Downs, Inc. shuttered Arlington Park last fall.