Photo:

Casey Laughter / Eclipse Sportswire

Louisville, Ky.

The troubled turf course at Churchill Downs hosted its final
race of the year Saturday and got passing grades during the fall meet for how
it held up.

“It really did,” jockey Tyler Gaffalione said Saturday. “All
the credit goes to the track team and everyone that kept it together for us.”

Click here for Churchill Downs entries and results.

The reviews were diametrically opposite of the criticism the
course attracted in the three years since it was rebuilt for $10 million and repaired
again and again for countless more dollars.

“We’re happy,” said Ben Huffman, Churchill Downs vice
president of racing. “Not surprised, but until you actually do it, you never
know, because we’ve clearly struggled for a few meets. We’re very satisfied.”

No turf races were scheduled Sunday for the last card of the
26-day meet. Of the 36 races that had been written into the condition books, 35
actually had entries taken, and 32 of them were run. Three races on as many
days were moved to the main track because of wet weather.

Even though the number of races run on the grass was nearly
double the 17 from last year, it still was not full speed ahead just yet. As
Huffman said in October, “We’re going to baby it along.” That strategy appeared
to be a success for track superintendent Jamie Richardson and his team.

“This is kind of what we expected before each meet,” Huffman
said. “For whatever reason, it didn’t perform like we’d hoped when we got
going. The work that Jamie and his guys have done, we’re seeing the results
come to fruition now.”

Finding the right combination of soil and seed was one
thing. So was getting cooperative weather. It was mostly dry this fall in Louisville,
Ky., although conditions in November ranged from a parched 80 degrees to a snowy
35.

“That’s probably more technical than I’d be comfortable
talking about,” Huffman said. “Just all the work they did right after the spring
meet and DryJect-ing (aeration) and the sprigging and the dedication to
everything they did all summer, it’s just finally working to our satisfactions.”

The reviews improved significantly from the fits and starts
the new course had since it was christened the week of the 2022 Kentucky Derby.
It was shut down in June that year, and then a spate of horse deaths on both
the turf and dirt led to the last month of the 2023 spring meet being moved to
Ellis Park.

There were 74 grass races during the most recent spring, the
most since the 101 before the course was rebuilt, but it looked worn out by the
end of the meet. There were no turf races during the September meet.

With the cautious approach Churchill Downs management took
this fall, including the scheduling of turf training two days a week, the
grades came back good. But they were not perfect.

“I did have a horse early in the meet that slipped on it,”
trainer Kenny McPeek said. “I think it’s holding together. It’s got better root
systems. Like any turf course it takes time for the root systems to take, and
when it takes, it’s obviously a little better grip. I think before, horses were
slipping and sliding because there weren’t any roots to the grass. … As long
as the jocks are happy with it.”

Gaffalione said riders took a wait-and-see approach this
fall and generally were happy with how the season went.

“We were kind of on the fence about it,” he said. “As soon
as we got out there, it was a night-and-day difference. Horses were getting
over it great. No missteps. We felt safe out there. Good footing, and we’re
really excited about next year.”