Turfway Park
Encyclopedia
Turfway Park is an American
horse racing
track located just outside the city limits to the north of Florence, Kentucky
, about 10 miles south of the Ohio River at Cincinnati. The track conducts live Thoroughbred horse racing
during three meets each year—Fall, Holiday, and Winter/Spring—and offers year-round simulcast
wagering from tracks across the continent.
In 2009, the Horseplayers Association of North America introduced a rating system for 65 Thoroughbred
racetracks in North America
. Of the top Ten, Turfway was ranked #10.
, which hosted Thoroughbred racing from 1883 until it was torn down in 1939. The original Latonia was home to the important Latonia Derby
, which rivaled the Kentucky Derby
in prestige for many years and shared many of the same horses. The Florence track's name was changed to Turfway Park when Jerry Carroll and his partners purchased the facility in 1986.
In 1999, Carroll sold the track in equal parts to lottery equipment manufacturer GTECH, gaming conglomerate Harrah's Entertainment
, and the non-profit Keeneland
Association, which operates the Lexington, Kentucky
race track and Thoroughbred auction facility. In 2005, GTECH sold its interests to the other partners, leaving Keeneland and Harrah's with 50-50 interests.
Turfway is home to the Lane's End Stakes, established by then-general manager John Battaglia in 1972 as the Spiral Stakes. Battaglia envisioned a race from which 3-year-olds would "spiral up" to the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland and then to the Kentucky Derby. The race was sponsored from 1982 through 1998 by Jim Beam
Distillers, and for one year, 1999, by GalleryFurniture.com. Lane's End Farm
, one of the world's leading Thoroughbred breeding and sales operations, has sponsored the race since 2002. The race attained Grade II
status in 1988.
Turfway Park also is home to the Kentucky Cup Day of Champions, patterned after (and a prep for) the Breeders' Cup
World Championships. The card includes five stakes, four of them graded, including the Grade II Kentucky Cup Classic, and traditionally is run four weeks before the Breeders' Cup. In 2010, Turfway Park eliminated the Kentucky Cup Day of Champions.
In 2008, the Turfway Park Fall Championship (G3) was named a Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" race, with its winner guaranteed a spot in the Breeders' Cup Marathon.
Turfway combined with Churchill Downs
and other investors to purchase Dueling Grounds Race Course near Franklin, Kentucky
; Turfway retains a small share in the track, since renamed Kentucky Downs
.
In 2005, Turfway Park became the first track in North America to install Polytrack
, an all-weather product, as a racing surface. The visible component combines silica sand, wax, and various fibers; the hidden drainage component allows water to drain quickly through the surface, eliminating the freeze-and-thaw cycles that plagued the track during its winter meets. With the installation, Turfway's track condition is always officially listed as "fast," no matter the weather.
Turfway Park was the fictional setting of the 2005
adventure
/comedy
movie
, Racing Stripes
. No filming was done at Turfway Park; the track was mentioned in name only.
Mike Battaglia
is the current announcer at Turfway Park.
The grandstand is a five-story, fully enclosed facility. The property contains stabling for about 1,000 horses.
Winter/Spring Meet
Fall Meet
Holiday Meet
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
track located just outside the city limits to the north of Florence, Kentucky
Florence, Kentucky
Florence is a city in Boone County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 29,951 at the 2010 census.-History:The Florence area was originally known as Crossroads, because of the convergence of several roads from Burlington and Union at Ridge Road...
, about 10 miles south of the Ohio River at Cincinnati. The track conducts live Thoroughbred horse racing
Thoroughbred horse race
Thoroughbred horse racing is a worldwide sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport: Flat racing and National Hunt racing...
during three meets each year—Fall, Holiday, and Winter/Spring—and offers year-round simulcast
Simulcast
Simulcast, shorthand for "simultaneous broadcast", refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at the same time. For example, Absolute Radio is simulcast on both AM and on satellite radio, and the BBC's Prom concerts are often...
wagering from tracks across the continent.
In 2009, the Horseplayers Association of North America introduced a rating system for 65 Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
racetracks in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. Of the top Ten, Turfway was ranked #10.
History and information
Turfway Park opened in Florence, Kentucky, in 1959 as Latonia Race Course. The track is located about 10 miles south of the original Latonia in Covington, KentuckyCovington, Kentucky
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 43,370 people, 18,257 households, and 10,132 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,301.3 people per square mile . There were 20,448 housing units at an average density of 1,556.5 per square mile...
, which hosted Thoroughbred racing from 1883 until it was torn down in 1939. The original Latonia was home to the important Latonia Derby
Latonia Derby
The Latonia Derby was an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually from 1883 through 1937 at Latonia Race Track in Latonia, Kentucky. Open to three-year-old horses, for its first 52 years the Latonia Derby was contested at a mile and a half; in 1935, the race was shortened to a mile and a...
, which rivaled the Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
in prestige for many years and shared many of the same horses. The Florence track's name was changed to Turfway Park when Jerry Carroll and his partners purchased the facility in 1986.
In 1999, Carroll sold the track in equal parts to lottery equipment manufacturer GTECH, gaming conglomerate Harrah's Entertainment
Harrah's Entertainment
Caesars Entertainment Corporation is a private gaming corporation that owns and operates over 50 casinos, hotels, and seven golf courses under several brands. The company, based in Paradise, Nevada, is the largest gaming company in the world, with yearly revenues $8.9 billion...
, and the non-profit Keeneland
Keeneland
Keeneland is a Thoroughbred horse racing facility and sales complex in Lexington, Kentucky, USA. Operated by the Keeneland Association, Inc., it is also known for its reference library on the sport, which contains more than 10,000 volumes, an extensive videocassette collection, and a substantial...
Association, which operates the Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
race track and Thoroughbred auction facility. In 2005, GTECH sold its interests to the other partners, leaving Keeneland and Harrah's with 50-50 interests.
Turfway is home to the Lane's End Stakes, established by then-general manager John Battaglia in 1972 as the Spiral Stakes. Battaglia envisioned a race from which 3-year-olds would "spiral up" to the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland and then to the Kentucky Derby. The race was sponsored from 1982 through 1998 by Jim Beam
Jim Beam
Jim Beam is a brand of bourbon whiskey produced in Clermont, Kentucky. It is currently one of the best selling brands of bourbon in the world. Since 1795 , seven generations of the Beam family have been involved in whiskey production for the company that produces the brand, which was given the name...
Distillers, and for one year, 1999, by GalleryFurniture.com. Lane's End Farm
Lane's End Farm
Lane's End Farm is a thoroughbred race horse breeding farm in Versailles, Kentucky established in 1979. The original land was part of Bosque Bonita Farm which means beautiful woods and was originally owned by Abraham Buford, a Confederate Army General. The land was later bought by leading...
, one of the world's leading Thoroughbred breeding and sales operations, has sponsored the race since 2002. The race attained Grade II
Graded stakes race
A graded stakes race is a term applied since 1973 by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay...
status in 1988.
Turfway Park also is home to the Kentucky Cup Day of Champions, patterned after (and a prep for) the Breeders' Cup
Breeders' Cup
The Breeders' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Thoroughbred horse races, most but not all Grade I, operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was a single-day event; starting in 2007, it expanded to two days. The location...
World Championships. The card includes five stakes, four of them graded, including the Grade II Kentucky Cup Classic, and traditionally is run four weeks before the Breeders' Cup. In 2010, Turfway Park eliminated the Kentucky Cup Day of Champions.
In 2008, the Turfway Park Fall Championship (G3) was named a Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" race, with its winner guaranteed a spot in the Breeders' Cup Marathon.
Turfway combined with Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs, located in Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, is a Thoroughbred racetrack most famous for hosting the Kentucky Derby annually. It officially opened in 1875, and held the first Kentucky Derby and the first Kentucky Oaks in the same year. Churchill Downs...
and other investors to purchase Dueling Grounds Race Course near Franklin, Kentucky
Franklin, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 7,996 people, 3,251 households, and 2,174 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,074.7 people per square mile . There were 3,609 housing units at an average density of 485.1 per square mile...
; Turfway retains a small share in the track, since renamed Kentucky Downs
Kentucky Downs
Kentucky Downs is a Thoroughbred horse racing track located on the border between Kentucky and Tennessee, near the city of Franklin and just off Interstate 65...
.
In 2005, Turfway Park became the first track in North America to install Polytrack
Polytrack
A synthetic racetrack surface is any kind of surface substance that replaces grass, dirt or sand as the racing surface on a horse racing track. Synthetic surfaces may be desirable over traditional surfaces for several reasons, most prominently the reduction of injuries and possible deaths to horses...
, an all-weather product, as a racing surface. The visible component combines silica sand, wax, and various fibers; the hidden drainage component allows water to drain quickly through the surface, eliminating the freeze-and-thaw cycles that plagued the track during its winter meets. With the installation, Turfway's track condition is always officially listed as "fast," no matter the weather.
Turfway Park was the fictional setting of the 2005
2005 in film
- Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2005...
adventure
Adventure
An adventure is defined as an exciting or unusual experience; it may also be a bold, usually risky undertaking, with an uncertain outcome. The term is often used to refer to activities with some potential for physical danger, such as skydiving, mountain climbing and or participating in extreme sports...
/comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
movie
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, Racing Stripes
Racing Stripes
Racing Stripes is a 2005 comedy film directed by Frederik Du Chau, the director of Quest for Camelot. Although set in Kentucky, the movie was filmed in Pietermaritzburg and Nottingham Road, South Africa.-Plot:...
. No filming was done at Turfway Park; the track was mentioned in name only.
Mike Battaglia
Mike Battaglia
Mike Battaglia is an American horse racing analyst, race caller and television broadcaster. He is most closely associated with Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby....
is the current announcer at Turfway Park.
Physical attributes
The track is a one mile Polytrack oval with quarter-mile and 6½ furlong chutes. The stretch covers 970 feet. Turfway Park has no turf course.The grandstand is a five-story, fully enclosed facility. The property contains stabling for about 1,000 horses.
Racing
Turfway Park annually offers the following stakes races:Winter/Spring Meet
- Turfway Prevue Stakes
- Wishing Well Stakes
- Cincinnati Trophy Stakes
- Forego Stakes
- WEBN Frog Stakes
- Likely Exchange Stakes
- Dust Commander Stakes
- Valdale Stakes
- Wintergreen Stakes
- Tejano Run StakesTejano Run StakesThe Tejano Run Stakes is an American ungraded Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Turfway Park in Florence, Kentucky. Open to horses age four and older, it is contested on Polytrack synthetic dirt over a distance of one and one eighth miles ....
- Bourbonette OaksBourbonette OaksThe Bourbonette Oaks Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Turfway Park at Florence, Kentucky. Open to three-year-old fillies, the Grade III event is contested on dirt over a distance of one mile ....
(GIII) - Queen Stakes
- Rushaway StakesRushaway StakesThe Rushaway Stakes is a race for thoroughbred horses held in late March at Turfway Park. The race is open to three-year-olds willing to race one mile on the dirt. An ungraded stakes event, it offers a purse of $100,000....
- Hansel Stakes
- Lane's End StakesLane's End StakesThe Spiral Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held in late March at Turfway Park in Florence, Kentucky in the Cincinnati area. The race is open to three-year-olds willing to race one and one-eighth miles on the main track, which is now a synethic surface at Turfway...
(GII) - Fairway Fun Stakes
- John Battaglia Memorial StakesJohn Battaglia Memorial StakesThe John Battaglia Memorial Stakes is a race for thoroughbred horses held in early March at Turfway Park. The race is open to three-year-olds willing to race one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt...
Fall Meet
- Turfway Park Fall Championship Stakes (GIII)
- Marfa Stakes
- Weekend Delight Stakes
- Kentucky Cup Juvenile Fillies StakesKentucky Cup Juvenile Fillies StakesThe Kentucky Cup Juvenile Fillies Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Turfway Park in Florence, Kentucky. A Listed race run near the end of September, it is open to two-year-old fillies and is contested on Polytrack synthetic dirt at a distance of one mile .The counterpart...
(Listed) - Kentucky Cup Juvenile StakesKentucky Cup Juvenile StakesThe Kentucky Cup Juvenile Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in late September as part of Kentucky Cup Day at Turfway Park in the Cincinnati, Ohio suburb of Florence, Kentucky....
- Kentucky Cup Sprint StakesKentucky Cup Sprint StakesThe Kentucky Cup Sprint Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually since 1994 at Turfway Park in Florence, Kentucky. Contested over a distance of six furlongs on Polytrack synthetic dirt, the Grade III event is open to three-year-old horses....
(GIII) - Kentucky Cup Classic HandicapKentucky Cup Classic HandicapThe Kentucky Cup Classic Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in late September as part of Kentucky Cup Day at Turfway Park in the Cincinnati, Ohio suburb of Florence, Kentucky...
(GII) - Kentucky Cup Distaff StakesKentucky Cup Distaff StakesThe Kentucky Cup Distaff Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Turfway Park in Florence, Kentucky. The Grade III event is run near the end of the fall meet and is open to fillies and mares aged three and older...
(GIII)
Holiday Meet
- Holiday Inaugural Stakes
- My Charmer Stakes
- Prairie Bayou Stakes
- Gowell Stakes
- Holiday Cheer Stakes
External links
- http://www.turfway.com Turfway Park official site
- http://turfway.com/stakes.asp Lane's End Stakes
- http://turfway.com/kycup.asp Kentucky Cup Day of Champions