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Record $5.477 Million In Stakes Purses On Offer At Turfway Park
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- Record $5.477 Million In Stakes Purses On Offer At Turfway Park
Turfway Park Racing & Gaming will offer 28 stakes worth a record $5.477 million across its 2026 Holiday Meet and 2027 Winter/Spring Meet, led by the $777,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks (Grade 3), the $1 million Synthetic Championships and a new stop on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.
The 18-day Holiday Meet runs Wednesday, Dec. 2 through Wednesday, Dec. 30, with racing expanding to five days a week on a Wednesday-Sunday schedule. The Winter/Spring Meet opens Friday, Jan. 1, with regular racing Wednesday-Saturday through March 27.
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First post is 5:55 p.m. (all times Eastern) for most days and Jeff Ruby Steaks Day on Saturday, March 20, will begin at 12:45 p.m. There will be no racing Dec. 24-25, Dec. 27 or Dec. 31.
The Holiday Meet will feature eight stakes worth $1.5 million, led by the third annual Synthetic Championships on Saturday, Dec. 12. The program includes four stakes worth $250,000 each: the Holiday Cheer and Holiday Inaugural at six furlongs, and the My Charmer and Prairie Bayou (Listed) at one mile.
New to the Holiday Meet stakes schedule is the $125,000 Her Last Hurrah for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles on Saturday, Dec. 26. The inaugural running joins the $125,000 Last Hurrah for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles on the same program.
The Holiday Meet stakes schedule also includes the $125,000 Boone County at 1 ¼ miles on Saturday, Dec. 5 and the $125,000 Florence for fillies and mares at the same distance on Saturday, Dec. 19.
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Three Kentucky Derby preps and two Kentucky Oaks preps during the Winter/Spring Meet will give horses competing in Northern Kentucky a path to Churchill Downs for the $5 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve on Saturday, May 1 and the $1.5 million Longines Kentucky Oaks on Friday, April 30.
The meet's 20 stakes worth $3.977 million include a new addition to the Road to the Kentucky Derby: the $125,000 Leonatus on Saturday, Jan. 16. The one-mile race is part of the Prep Season and will award qualifying points to the top five finishers on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale, giving Turfway Park three Derby qualifying races.
The $175,000 John Battaglia Memorial (Listed), scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 20 at 1 1/16 miles, will offer Derby qualifying points on a 20-10-6-4-2 scale. One night earlier, the $175,000 Cincinnati Trophy at one mile will award Kentucky Oaks points on the same scale.
The 56th running of the $777,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) will anchor the six-stakes program on Saturday, March 20. The 1 1/8-mile race is part of the Championship Series on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and will award qualifying points to the top five finishers on a 100-50-25-15-10 scale.
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Also scheduled for Jeff Ruby Day are the $300,000 TwinSpires Kentucky Cup Classic (G3) at 1 1/8 miles; the $300,000 Bourbonette Oaks (Listed) at 1 1/16 miles; the $250,000 Rushaway at 1 1/16 miles; the $250,000 Animal Kingdom at six furlongs; and the $250,000 Latonia (Listed) at 1 1/16 miles. The Bourbonette Oaks will award Kentucky Oaks qualifying points on a 50-25-15-10 scale.
The Holiday Meet condition book is available here: Turfway Park Holiday Meet Condition Book
For the latest information about racing and gaming at Turfway Park, visit Turfway.com .
TURFWAY PARK STAKES SCHEDULE
2026 Holiday Meet
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Dec. 5, Boone County, $125,000, 3yo & up, 1 1/4 M, BT
Dec. 12, Holiday Inaugural, $250,000, F&M, 3yo & up, 6 F, BT
Dec. 12, My Charmer, $250,000, F&M, 3yo & up, 1 M, BT
Dec. 12, Prairie Bayou, $250,000, 3yo & up, 1 M, Listed
Dec. 12, Holiday Cheer, $250,000, 3yo & up, 6 F, BT
Dec. 19, Florence, $125,000, F&M, 3yo & up, 1 1/4 M, BT
Dec. 26, Her Last Hurrah, $125,000, 3yo fillies, 1 1/16 M, BT
Dec. 26, Last Hurrah, $125,000, 3yo, 1 1/8 M, BT
2027 Winter/Spring Meet
Jan. 1, Gowell, $125,000, 3yo fillies, 6 F, BT
Jan. 2, Turfway Prevue, $125,000, 3yo, 6 1/2 F, BT
Jan. 9, Wishing Well, $125,000, F&M, 4yo & up, 6 1/2 F, BT
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Jan. 16, Leonatus, $125,000, 3yo, 1 M, BT
Jan. 23, Likely Exchange, $125,000, F&M, 4yo & up, 1 M, BT
Jan. 30, Forego, $125,000, 4yo & up, 6 1/2 F, BT
Feb. 6, Valdale, $125,000, 3yo fillies, 6 1/2 F, BT
Feb. 13, Dust Commander, $125,000, 4yo & up, 1 1/16 M, BT
Feb. 19, Cincinnati Trophy, $175,000, 3yo fillies, 1 M, BT
Feb. 20, John Battaglia Memorial, $175,000, 3yo, 1 1/16 M, Listed
Feb. 27, Wintergreen, $125,000, F&M, 4yo & up, 1 M, BT
March 6, Big Daddy, $125,000, 4yo & up, 6 F, Listed
March 13, Queen, $125,000, F&M, 4yo & up, 6 F, BT
March 20, TwinSpires Kentucky Cup Classic, $300,000, 4yo & up, 1 1/8 M, G3
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March 20, Jeff Ruby Steaks, $777,000, 3yo, 1 1/8 M, G3
March 20, Rushaway, $250,000, 3yo, 1 1/16 M, BT
March 20, Bourbonette Oaks, $300,000, 3yo fillies, 1 1/16 M, Listed
March 20, Animal Kingdom, $250,000, 3yo, 6 F, BT
March 20, Latonia, $250,000, F&M, 4yo & up, 1 1/16 M, Listed
March 27, Serena's Song, $125,000, 3yo fillies, 6 F, BT
All purses included contributions from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund.
This story was originally published by Paulick Report on Nov 2, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Paulick Report as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
