After Months of Racing Absence, Popular Equestrian Race Track Opens Season With Grade 3 Stakes

The equestrian community is excited to welcome one of the most prestigious equestrian events, the Kentucky Derby. The qualification rounds for the 150th iteration of the Kentucky Derby kick off on 16th September 2023 with a $300,000 Grade 3 Iroquois race. 

The grand opening marks a big highlight for the temporarily closed Churchill Downs Racetrack. A social media post recently released a list of the participants of the Grade 3 race. The post instantly went viral and spurred the adrenaline of equestrian fans all over the world. Fans are excited to see another season of the Derby, which was won by Gustavo Delgado’s Mage in May 2023.

Equestrian race initiates 37-race tournament

The announcement of the highly-anticipated Kentucky Derby has fully charged the equestrian community. Americans see it as their most prestigious horse racing event ever since its beginning in 1875. The Derby takes place on the first Saturday of May every year and invites cut-throat competition from all around.

Equine partners race for the blanket of roses on Churchill Downs, which is the same racetrack where everything begins. Horses will set the tracks of Churchill Downs on fire as they run to claim top qualification points. The Grade 3 Iroquois Stakes will lay the first stone on the road to the Kentucky Derby. 

A tweet revealed a list of the racehorses that will take part in the initial bout of the 37-race tournament. The viral tweet displayed the names of nine racehorses, out of which, the names Risk It and Edified stand out the most. The two-year-olds may not have a very strong record at the moment. However, both racehorses have the training of legendary equestrian trainer Steve Asmussen etched in their muscles and bones.

The Hall of Famer is known for giving rise to some of the best racehorses in the league. He treads patiently and carefully but makes zero compromises on progress. The amazing lineup marks the perfect reboot for the Churchill Downs Racetrack after its controversial hiatus.

Glorious racetrack restarts operations after major backlash

The equestrian community was facing a tough time a while back because of the demise of several racehorses. The Churchill Downs Racetrack and the Saratoga Racetrack received the most flak, as scores of people protested against them.

The enraged fans demanded the closure or temporary suspension of operations at both racetracks and asserted that these tracks were not safe.

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While the Saratoga Racetrack didn’t halt its operations, Churchill Downs bent under pressure and temporarily closed down. The historical racetrack witnessed 12 equine deaths between March and May 2023. In fact, two of the deceased horses were part of the 149th Kentucky Derby undercard.

Although the racetrack is hosting the upcoming Kentucky Derby events, it hasn’t yet received an analysis of its safety standards. The Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) has said that they will release their findings on 12th September. Despite a temporary period of dark clouds, equestrian fans are ecstatic to see the Kentucky Derby happen one more time.

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