Churchill kicks off fall meet with 'Stars of Tomorrow'

Cooler temperatures and the leaves changing colors signify the return of live horse racing to the Louisville, Kentucky, area as Churchill Downs, the historic home of the Kentucky Derby (G1), readies to open its much anticipated 120th fall meet on Sunday.

The popular 21-day stand, which covers a four-week stretch through November 28, kicks off in style Sunday with "Stars of Tomorrow I" highlighting an 11-race opening-day program that includes a 2010 calendar giveaway, the debut of a new Sunday morning public workout program and a special two-year-old handicapping seminar and breakfast.

First post, as is the case for most of the meeting, is 12:40 p.m. (ET).

Sunday's fifth annual "Stars of Tomorrow I" program is entirely devoted to rising two-year-old stars who have aspirations of trail-blazing their way to next year's Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks (G1). In just four years of existence, Stars of Tomorrow has been the launching pad for 15 Grade 1 winners, including millionaires Rachel Alexandra (Medaglia d'Oro), Lawyer Ron, Macho Again (Macho Uno), Pure Clan (Pure Prize), Court Vision (Gulch), Swift Temper (Giant's Causeway) and Any Given Saturday.

A pair of Grade 3, $100,000 stakes events at one mile tops the program, the Iroquois and Pocahontas for fillies. The 28th running of the Iroquois is a springboard to the $150,000 Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) on closing day, which doubles as "Stars of Tomorrow II," and DUBLIN (Afleet Alex), winner of the prestigious Hopeful S. (G1) at Saratoga, tops a 12-horse field.

Trained by four-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer D. Wayne Lukas, Dublin was supplemented at a cost of $5,000 to run in the Iroquois. He finished fifth as the odds-on favorite last time out in the Champagne (G1) at Belmont Park on October 10, and the chestnut colt is the 4-1 favorite in oddsmaker Mike Battaglia's morning line odds. He will be ridden for the first time by Rajiv Maragh, and the colt will break from post position 6 under top weight of 123 pounds.

"He has done very well since the Champagne," Lukas said. "I did not consider the Breeders' Cup (Juvenile [G1]) with him, because I did not want to run him on the artificial (Pro-Ride surface at Santa Anita)."

A $525,000 Keeneland September Sale purchase last year, Dublin debuted during the spring meet, running fourth behind two-time graded stakes winner Backtalk (Smarty Jones). Dublin returned two months later at Saratoga to break his maiden and then captured the seven-furlong Hopeful on September 7.

"He's my best two-year-old and he may be one of the best in the country," Lukas said. "Over the past few years, he ranks right with the best that I have had. I have been high on him since Day One. He has a good pedigree (by Afleet Alex out of a Grade 1-winning Storm Bird mare) and lots of ability."

The other stakes winners in the field are unbeaten COMEDERO (Posse), winner of the restricted Razorback Futurity at Louisiana Downs in his last start; off-the-turf Cradle S. victor GLEAM OF HOPE (City Zip); THREE DAY RUSH (Harlan's Holiday), who triumphed in Monmouth Park's restricted NATC Futurity; and UH OH BANGO (Top Hit), a 10 1/2-length winner of the Prairie Meadows Freshman.

King's Bishop S. (G1) hero Capt. Candyman Can (Candy Ride [Arg]), who will be running in next weekend's Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1), won last year's Iroquois.

Debutante (G3) vixen DECELERATOR (Dehere) bids for a second graded stakes victory at Churchill when she takes on a dozen two-year-old fillies in the 41st running of the Pocahontas, which serves as a stepping stone to the fillies' $150,000 Golden Rod (G2) on the last day of the fall meet.

Trained by Hall of Famer Lukas, who has won the Pocahontas three times, Decelerator is two-for-two at Churchill Downs but exits a seventh-place finish in the two-turn Alcibiades (G1) over Keeneland's Polytrack on October 9. She was unplaced in the Adirondack S. (G2) and Schuylerville S. (G3) at Saratoga before that. Despite her perfect local record and her status as the only graded stakes winner in the Pocahontas, Decelerator is a 10-1 risk on the morning line. Maragh will pick up the mount on the 123-pound top weight.

Louisville-born trainer Dale Romans, who edged past Lukas in the spring meet and now ranks second in all-time wins at Churchill Downs, will bid for his second consecutive Pocahontas victory when he sends out SASSY IMAGE (Broken Vow). Romans saddled Sara Louise (Malibu Moon), who is scheduled to run next in the Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) for her new connections, to defeat Rachel Alexandra in the 2008 Pocahontas. Rachel Alexandra has not lost a race since.

A maiden winner at Churchill Downs in June and runner-up in the Adirondack, Sassy Image comes into the Pocahontas off an eighth-place finish in the Alcibiades. Robby Albarado has the call on Sassy Image, who is the 9-2 morning-line favorite and will carry 117 pounds.

The other stakes winners in the field are ALL ABOUT ANNA (Maria's Mon), who took the Bassinet at River Downs; RUNNING BRIDE (Cherokee Run), an undefeated Indiana-bred who captured the restricted City of Anderson and Miss Indiana S. at Hoosier Park; and two-time Prairie Meadows stakes winner VERTICAL VISION (Pollard's Vision).

Throughout the fall meet, horsemen will have ample opportunities to uncork promising juveniles or seek year-end, graded-stakes glory. All told, 16 stakes races cumulatively worth $2,015,000, which includes a quartet of overnight stakes, will be run during the action-packed session.

The anchor of the lucrative stakes program comes November 27 with the 135th running of the $400,000 Clark H. (G2). The 1 1/8-mile test for three-year-olds and up annually lures some of the top older horses in North America and is one of five major stakes events over Thanksgiving weekend. Stephen Foster champ Macho Again, Meadowlands Cup (G2) winner Etched (Forestry) and Indiana Derby (G2) victor Misremembered (Candy Ride [Arg]) have already been mentioned as early contenders for the tradition-rich race that comes three weeks after the Breeders' Cup World Championships are run in Southern California.

After Sunday's opener, live racing will be conducted on a Wednesday-Sunday schedule with dark days on Mondays and Tuesdays. The lone exception is a special closing week additional day of racing on Tuesday, November 24. Most race days will begin at 12:40 p.m. and feature 10 live races. Twelve-race programs that begin early at 11:30 a.m. will be showcased over the meet's final three days that comprise the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

Churchill Downs has planned a wide array of events, giveaways and promotions to whet the appetite for casual customers and entertainment-seekers, too. The first 5,000 fans in attendance on opening day will receive a free 2010 Churchill Downs Wall Calendar, sponsored by Humana, complete with major event listings and vivid and memorable images from the Kentucky Derby and around the historic racetrack.

Also, there are two opening-day events that begin before 11:30 a.m. admission gates open for eager early risers.

"Daybreak at the Downs" -- patterned after Kentucky Derby week's well-attended "Dawn at the Downs" -- will take place every Sunday from 8-10 a.m. throughout the fall meet. Churchill Downs' racing analyst Jill Byrne will host the free program and describe the on-track action as hundreds of horses prepare for their upcoming races in morning workouts. Complimentary coffee, donuts and milk will also be served.

Those looking to hone or improve their handicapping skills, particularly with juveniles, are invited to attend a special "Stars of Tomorrow" two-year-old Handicapping Seminar on Sunday. The price to attend the insightful 9-11:30 a.m. session is $25 and includes breakfast; a trip to the paddock to better understand a two-year-old's physical and behavioral characteristics; in-depth tips and analysis of that day's program by Byrne, jockey Jon Court, trainer Ian Wilkes and workout clocker John Nichols; a raffle for door prizes; and reserved seats in Skye Terrace.

Other Fall Meet promotional highlights include College Scholarship Day on November 6 that will feature free admission to full-time college students and 10 drawings -- one after each race -- for $1,000 scholarships.

"Ladies Weekend" on November 14-15 will showcase a ladies only handicapping seminar, unique boutique bazaar and warehouse sale and the second annual celebration of "Horses and Hope" to raise awareness for breast cancer.

Certain to be a hit will be a tribute to fan-favorite jockey Calvin Borel, who swept this year's Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby aboard Rachel Alexandra and Mine That Bird (Birdstone), respectively. He'll be honored on the weekend of November 21-22 with a bobblehead giveaway, autograph session, roast and his very own drink special.

Churchill Downs popular "Dress to Impress" Friday Happy Hours, sponsored by Budweiser Select, will return for a three-week run during the fall meet on November 6 in the newly refurbished Paddock Pavilion, conveniently located indoors next to the saddling paddock. The area will have a lounge feel with comfortable amenities and music from DJs Ryan Cox (November 6), LadyKillers (November 13) and K-Dogg (November 20). Essential for happy hours, there'll be $2 drink specials from 3-6 p.m. -- one hour longer than recent years. Also, one male and female in attendance each Friday will be chosen as the day's "most stylish" attendee and will receive $250 gifts certificates to Louisville-area boutiques and fashionable men's stores.

Starting opening day, racing fans can pit their handicapping skills against the best Louisville has to offer every Sunday and Wednesday in the popular twice-weekly "Who's the Champ?" Handicapping Tournament. For a $30 entry fee ($25 for Twin Spires Club members), participants will compete for $4,000 in weekly cash prizes and an invitation to the November 22 final in which the top two finishers will win coveted berths in the Daily Racing Form/National Thoroughbred Association National Handicapping Championship XI slated for January 29-30 in Las Vegas.