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Churchill Downs To Welcome Back Fans When Fall Meet Starts On Oct. 25

The Kentucky horse racing circuit shifts from Keeneland in Lexington to Churchill Downs in Louisville on Sunday as the historic home of the Kentucky Derby readies to open its 131^st Fall Meet with an 11-race program – all for promising 2-year-old Thoroughbreds – at 1 p.m. (all times Eastern).

The popular 24-day stand covers a five-week stretch every Wednesday-Sunday through Nov. 29, with the exception of Friday, Nov. 6 and Saturday, Nov. 7 when the Breeders' Cup World Championships return to Keeneland.

The Fall Meet kicks off in style Sunday with the 16^th annual “Stars of Tomorrow I” program, which is entirely devoted to hopeful 2-year-old stars that have aspirations of trail-blazing their way to next year's Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (GI) and Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI).

Sunday's 11-race opening day card is headlined by the eighth runnings of two 1 1/16 miles, $98,000-added overnight stakes – the open-company Street Sense and Rags to Riches for fillies. Those races serve as local steppingstones to the two Grade II, $200,000, 1 1/16-mile counterparts on the Saturday, Nov. 28 “Stars of Tomorrow II” program – the open Kentucky Jockey Club and Golden Rod for fillies that are part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks series which award points to the Top 4 finishers (10-4-2-1).

Churchill Downs Welcomes Back Guests

Sunday's Fall Meet opener will mark the first time this year that spectators can return to Churchill Downs for live racing. Churchill Downs will continue to follow the COVID-19 health and safety protocols for Venues and Events as mandated by the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Last year's average daily attendance during the Fall Meet was 4,200 guests, and less spectators are expected this year. Reserved outdoor box seats as well as select indoor premium areas will be open with proper social distancing at limited capacity per the state's requirements for venues and event spaces.

To facilitate a safe and enjoyable experience, there will be no general admission at the Fall Meet but first floor reserved box seats will be sold at general admission pricing for $5 ($7 on Nov. 27-28). Third floor box seats are $12. Dining options are $39 ($72 on Thanksgiving Day and $49 on Nov. 27-28). Tickets may be purchased online at https://www.churchilldowns.com/tickets/. Children 12 and under are admitted free when accompanied by an adult. Parking is available free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis.

Temperature checks, medical questionnaires, physical distancing and mandatory face coverings will be required upon entrance and movement within Churchill Downs. An inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present.

More information on Churchill Downs' COVID-19 health and safety guidelines can be found online at https://www.churchilldowns.com/tickets/admissions-services/updates.

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‘Here’s To Longshots!’ Mott-Trained Derby Entrant South Bend ‘Tries Hard Every Time’

With his Kentucky Derby gear still being constructed, South Bend took to the track with his usual Bill Mott saddle towel as he galloped during the special 7:30 a.m. training session for Oaks and Derby horses at Churchill Downs.

A late entrant to the Derby fray, South Bend heads into Saturday's test off a fourth-place finish in the Travers Stakes (GI) at Saratoga on Aug. 8. Though he is winless in eight starts this year, the bay colt has flashed potential, most notably running second in the Ohio Derby (GIII) June 27 while still in the barn of his prior trainer Stanley Hough.

“He's a very consistent horse, if you look at all his races and he tries hard every time,” said Kenny McCarthy, Mott's assistant. “His Travers race was certainly not a bad race. He obviously needs to move forward off of that race but he seems to like this track here. We've seen over the years that some horses look like a cinch coming in but they couldn't get it done.”

Campaigned by Sagamore Farm through his first 11 starts, including a victory in the Street Sense last fall at Churchill Downs, South Bend was acquired prior to the Travers by a partnership group that includes Gary Barber, Adam Wachtel, Peter Deutsch and Leonard Schleifer of Pantofel Stable.

“He was previously with Stanley so he's trained over this track (Churchill Downs) many times,” McCarthy added. “This horse, it was a bit of a last-minute decision to go into the race but having said that, I think initially when the horse was purchased, that might have been in the back of their minds to try and get themselves a Derby horse. Obviously with the defection of Art Collector, they figured let's take a shot. Here's to longshots!”

South Bend is listed at 50-1 on the Kentucky Derby morning line, and will break from post position eight.

Thanks to the National Turfwriters and Broadcasters Association (NTWAB), which has assembled a group of pool reporters providing independent reporting to members unable to be on the Churchill Downs grounds this year due to COVID-19 restrictions.

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South Bend Joins Derby Cast Just Before Post Position Draw

Trainer Bill Mott will have a chance to win back-to-back Kentucky Derbies after all. Shortly before Tuesday's post position draw at Churchill Downs, the Daily Racing Form's Marty McGee announced on Twitter that South Bend would be the 18th horse in the starting gate this Saturday, Sept. 5. Tyler Gaffalione will have the mount.

The 3-year-old son of Algorithms won the listed Street Sense Stakes at Churchill Downs last fall when campaigned by Sagamore Farm and Stanley Hough, and earned several stakes placings on the turf before returning to the main track for the June 27 Ohio Derby (G3), in which South Bend finished second.

After that start, the colt was purchased privately by Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable, Peter Deutsch and Pantofel Stable, and transferred to Mott's barn to be prepared for the Grade 1 Travers.

Mott saddled South Bend to a fourth-place finish in the Travers, improving his record to 3-2-2 for earnings of $390,114.

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Connections Of Private Purchase South Bend ‘Seriously Thinking’ Travers

Having recently been purchased and moved to the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, stakes-winning sophomore South Bend is being pointed to the Grade 1, $1 million Runhappy Travers August 8 at Saratoga as the debut for his new connections.

Campaigned by Sagamore Farm through his first 11 starts, including a victory in the Street Sense last fall at Churchill Downs and Grade 3 placings on both turf and dirt, South Bend was acquired by a partnership group that includes Gary Barber, Adam Wachtel, Peter Deutsch and Leonard Schleifer of Pantofel Stable.

“I think that's one of the reasons they bought him,” Mott said. “He looks good on both surfaces.”

Mott said the focus for now is on dirt, namely the 1 ¼-mile Mid-Summer Derby, the centerpiece of the Saratoga meet being contested for the 151st time but first as a point qualifier for the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby September 5.

“We're leaning toward the Travers. The partnership group wants to have a good look at that,” Mott said. “We're seriously thinking of the Travers right now. He'll work probably the first part of the week.”

South Bend has already had one breeze for Mott, a half-mile move in 49.12 seconds on July 27 over the Oklahoma training track, fifth-fastest of 31 horses at the distance. Third in the Grade 3 Palm Beach in February at Gulfstream Park in his second try on turf, the bay Algorithms colt exits a rallying runner-up finish in the Grade 3, 1 1/8-mile Ohio Derby on June 27 at Thistledown in his return to dirt, posting a career-high 94 Beyer Speed Figure.

“We breezed him the one time. We like the horse, he's doing well,” Mott said. “He's a nice horse to train. He moves well and he worked well for us. I'm happy with him.”

On Saturday, Mott will send out multiple Grade 1 winner Channel Maker for Barber, Wachtel, Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and R. A. Hill Stable in the Grade 2, $250,000 Bowling Green. The gelded 6-year-old son of grass champion English Channel drew post 5 of seven in the 1 3/8-mile event for 4-year-olds and up on the inner turf course.

With Mott since the spring of 2017, Channel Maker owns a 5-5-3 career record with nearly $2.2 million in purse earnings from 33 starts. He earned his first graded victory in a dead-heat triumph with Glorious Empire in the 2018 Bowling Green, winning the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic that fall and the Grade 1 Man o' War the following spring, each at Belmont Park.

Channel Maker has gone winless since the Man o' War, a stretch of nine races, all but one in Grade 1 or Grade 2 company. Three of those losses have come by a length or less, the most recent coming last out when he finished fourth in the Grade 1 Manhattan on July 4 at Belmont.

“Sometimes he's been a little overmatched, but when he finds the right group he's competitive,” Mott said. “He seems to be doing well. He's run over this course OK. He's competitive when he fires his best shot and gets the right trip. We're happy with him and we're optimistic.”

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