Churchill Downs Opens Its Meet by Opening the Derby Trail

Saturday marks the first day of racing in Churchill Downs' 14-day fall meet, and the track is opening it with a race that carries weight well beyond the afternoon: the Iroquois Stakes, run for the 45th time, will serve as the official first leg of the road to next spring's Kentucky Derby. The one-mile test for 2-year-olds is graded at the Grade III level, the traditional proving ground for young horses stepping up from maiden company into stakes competition for the first time. For connections, a start here is as much about qualifying points on the Derby trail as it is about the race itself. For Churchill Downs, hosting the race that starts that clock is a fitting way to open a new meet.

With reporting from Thoroughbred Daily News.