Historic links have been reinforced as the Jockey Club and Ascot Racecourse partner with Churchill Downs in an exciting new runners initiative.
It was back in 1872 that Colonel Meriwether Lewis Clark from Kentucky visited Epsom Downs to witness The Derby won by Cremorne.
When he returned to Louisville, he made plans to create a race along the lines of the one he had witnessed and so the Kentucky Derby was born in 1875.
That historic link will be reinforced in 2024, when a runner from each of two turf contests staged at the 150th Kentucky Derby Meeting at Churchill Downs in May will receive a “wild card” entry for the two Classics staged at Epsom Downs four weeks’ later – the Betfred Derby and Betfred Oaks.
Last Wednesday, 06 December, marked 150 days until the 150th Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve at Churchill Downs.
For three-year-old fillies, a runner from the $500 000 Gr2 Edgewood Stakes, run on Kentucky Oaks Day, 03 May, will receive an entry and a travel incentive to run in the £500,000 Gr1 Betfred Oaks at Epsom Downs on Ladies Day, 31 May.
Similarly for three-year-old colts, a runner from the $500 000 Gr2 American Turf Stakes, run on Kentucky Derby Day on 04 May, will receive an entry and a travel incentive to run in £1,500,000 Group 1 The Betfred Derby at Epsom Downs on Derby Day, 01 June.
Jockey Club Racecourses (JCR) and Ascot Racecourse have been coordinating with Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI) to create links between historic races in the UK and high-profile, top quality turf races in the USA.
The ultimate aim is to build the international profile of these races by increasing the number of runners travelling from the US to the UK and vice versa.
To that aim, two races at the 150th Kentucky Derby meeting will also offer ‘wild card’ entries for three races at Royal Ascot.
A runner from the $500 000 Gr2 Twin Spires Turf Sprint Stakes, run on Kentucky Derby Day, will receive an entry and a travel incentive to run in the £650 000 Group 1 King Charles III Stakes (formerly the King’s Stand Stakes) at Royal Ascot on 18 June.
A runner from the $1 000 000 Group 1 Old Forester Turf Classic Stakes, run on Kentucky Derby Day, will receive an entry and a travel incentive to run in either of the £750 000 Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes on 18 June or the £1 000 000 Group 1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes on 19 June at Royal Ascot.
In return for the above incentives for USA-based runners, a runner from both the Queen Anne Stakes and the Prince of Wales’s Stakes will receive an entry and a travel incentive to run in the $1 000 000 Group 1 Colonial Downs’ Arlington Million Stakes in mid-August.
In addition, a runner from the £275 000 Group 1 Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket’s July Festival on 12 July will also receive an entry and travel incentive to run in the $500 000 Gr1 Beverly D Stakes on the same day as the Colonial Downs Arlington Million.
Winners of the above races will receive the invite to run in the corresponding races across the Atlantic.
In the event that the winners aren’t able to take up that invite, racecourses may then also invite placed horses.
The elimination procedures in these races will remain as they are now.
For additional information on the 150th Kentucky Derby please visit www.Derby150.com
