Horse Racing’s Biggest Events Unite in Landmark New “Thoroughbred Championship Series”
Rhea-AI Summary
Churchill Downs (Nasdaq: CHDN) and the New York Racing Association announced the new Thoroughbred Championship Series, a six-race championship for three-year-old Thoroughbreds launching in 2027. The series will run from the first Saturday in May through September across Churchill Downs, Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course.
The 2027 lineup is expected to feature the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, Matt Winn, Jim Dandy, Travers and a new Championship Race. A unified points system and an additional $5 million prize pool will be awarded based on final standings. Races will be nationally televised, with Churchill Downs events on NBC and NYRA events on FOX, and CDI and NYRA will jointly manage rules, nominations, marketing, sponsorship, wagering and distribution.
Positive
- New six-race championship series for three-year-olds starting in 2027
- $5 million prize pool awarded based on final series standings
- National TV coverage on NBC for Churchill Downs races and FOX for NYRA races
- CDI and NYRA joint control of rules, marketing, sponsorship and wagering
- Multiple marquee events at Churchill Downs, including Kentucky Derby and new Championship Race
Negative
- None.
News Explained
The announcement sets out a proposed 2027 racing program, but leaves broadcast, sponsorship and commercial-partnership agreements, plus schedule, points, eligibility and prize-distribution details, to later releases; no finalized economic commitment is disclosed.
Key Figures
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | 24h Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 18 | Preakness IP decision | Negative | -2.2% | Maryland planned to exercise statutory rights to acquire Preakness intellectual property |
| Jun 18 | Earnings call invitation | Neutral | +0.6% | Company scheduled its second-quarter 2026 results conference call |
| May 01 | Kentucky Oaks results | Positive | -7.0% | Kentucky Oaks produced record attendance and wagering results |
| Apr 22 | First-quarter earnings | Positive | +10.1% | Record revenue, EBITDA and net income were reported for first-quarter 2026 |
| Apr 21 | Preakness IP acquisition | Positive | -2.2% | CDI agreed to acquire Preakness and Black-Eyed Susan intellectual property |
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
Recent history was mixed: positive announcements were followed by both gains and declines, including a 10.09% gain and a 7.05% decline.
Key Terms
forward-looking statements regulatory
safe harbor regulatory
anti-money laundering regulations regulatory
cybersecurity risk technical
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
Churchill Downs Incorporated and The New York Racing Association
Introduce a Six-Race Championship Series, Running Across Three Iconic Racing Venues and Crowning One Champion
CDI and NYRA Leaders to be Available for Joint News Conference Monday at 4 p.m. ET
LOUISVILLE, Ky., Aug. 03, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Churchill Downs Incorporated (“CDI”) (Nasdaq: CHDN) and The New York Racing Association, Inc. (“NYRA”) announced today the creation of the “Thoroughbred Championship Series.” The new six-race competition will begin in 2027 and establish an annual season-long championship for America’s leading three-year-old Thoroughbreds.
The country’s most iconic racing venues – Churchill Downs Racetrack, Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course – will host the six-race series beginning the first Saturday in May.
“The Thoroughbred Championship Series will extend the excitement of the sport across a five-month season,” said Bill Carstanjen, Chief Executive Officer of CDI. “The Kentucky Derby introduces millions of fans to a new generation of Thoroughbred stars each year, and this series gives those fans a reason to stay engaged with the sport's biggest stars throughout the season. By connecting these premier events through one championship, we're creating a season-long storyline that benefits the future of Thoroughbred racing.”
“This series is designed to showcase the sport’s best three-year-olds across a season-long championship, elevating our biggest events and creating the next generation of fans,” said David O’Rourke, President and Chief Executive Officer of NYRA. “The return of the Belmont Stakes to a newly transformed Belmont Park makes this an especially exciting moment for our sport. Together with Churchill Downs and our television partners, we are building on tradition to carry the excitement of these marquee races through the entire season.”
The inaugural 2027 Thoroughbred Championship Series is expected to include:
- Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve at Churchill Downs Racetrack on May 1
- Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets at Belmont Park on June 5
- Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs Racetrack in July (exact date TBD)
- Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga Race Course in late July/early August (exact date TBD)
- Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course in late August (exact date TBD)
- Championship Race at Churchill Downs Racetrack in September (exact date TBD)
A unified points system is designed to encourage the nation’s leading three-year-olds to compete against one another more frequently. In addition to individual race purses, a
Each race will be broadcast to a national television audience. The Churchill Downs races will air on NBC, while the NYRA races will air on FOX.
CDI and NYRA will work collaboratively on the series’ rules, nominations process, marketing, sponsorship, wagering opportunities and television distribution. Broadcast, sponsorship and commercial partnership details will be announced as agreements are finalized.
Additional information regarding the race schedule, points system, eligibility rules, prize distribution, and branding will be released shortly.
Bill Carstanjen and David O'Rourke will participate in a virtual news conference today, Monday, August 3, 2026 at 4 p.m. ET. Interested parties may listen to the conference call by accessing the online, real-time webcast and broadcast of the call here or by telephone at 800-715-9871 or 646-307-1963. Dial-in participants should reference Conference ID 8320599. Following the opening remarks, the moderator will open the call to questions. An online replay will be available following the call on CDI’s investor webpage at https://ir.churchilldownsincorporated.com/events-presentations.
Members of the media may also email the contacts listed above to submit questions in advance of the conference call by 2 p.m. ET. Questions will be addressed during the news conference as time permits. For media assets regarding this announcement, click here.
About Churchill Downs Incorporated
Churchill Downs Incorporated (“CDI”) (Nasdaq: CHDN) has created extraordinary entertainment experiences for over 150 years, beginning with the Company’s most iconic and enduring asset, the Kentucky Derby. Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, CDI has expanded through the acquisition, development, and operation of live and historical racing entertainment venues, the growth of the online wagering businesses, and the acquisition, development, and operation of regional casino gaming properties. https://www.churchilldownsincorporated.com/.
About The New York Racing Association, Inc.
The New York Racing Association, Inc. (“NYRA”) is a not-for-profit organization franchised by New York State to conduct thoroughbred racing at Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course. NYRA tracks are the cornerstone of New York’s horse racing economy, which is responsible for 19,000 jobs and more than
NYRA is the parent company of NYRA Bets, LLC, the national advanced deposit wagering platform launched in 2016 and currently available to customers in 38 states. NYRA Bets provides bettors the opportunity to wager on tracks worldwide from anywhere at any time. The NYRA Bets app is available for download on iOS and Android at NYRABets.com.
This news release contains various "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by the use of terms such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "might," "plan," "predict," "project," "seek," "should," "will," "scheduled," and similar words or similar expressions (or negative versions of such words or expressions), although some forward-looking statements are expressed differently.
Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations include the following: the occurrence of extraordinary events, such as terrorist attacks, public health threats, civil unrest, and inclement weather, including as a result of climate change; the effect of economic conditions on our consumers' confidence and discretionary spending or our access to credit, including the impact of inflation; changes in, or new interpretations of, applicable tax laws or rulings that could result in additional tax liabilities; the impact of any pandemics, epidemics, or outbreaks of infectious diseases, and related economic matters on our results of operations, financial conditions, and prospects; lack of confidence in the integrity of our core businesses or any deterioration in our reputation; negative shifts in public opinion regarding gambling that could result in increased regulation of, or new restrictions on, the gaming industry; loss of key or highly skilled personnel, as well as general disruptions in the general labor market; the impact of significant competition, and the expectation that competition levels will increase; changes in consumer preferences, attendance, wagering, and sponsorships; risks associated with equity investments, strategic alliances and other third-party agreements; inability to respond to rapid technological changes in a timely manner; concentration and evolution of slot machine and historical racing machine ("HRM") manufacturing and other technology conditions that could impose additional costs; failure to enter into or maintain agreements with industry constituents, including horsemen and other racetracks; cybersecurity risk, including cybersecurity breaches, loss or misuse of our confidential information as a result of a breach including customers’ personal information, or IT system operational disruptions, could lead to government enforcement actions or other litigation; costs of compliance with increasingly complex laws and regulations regarding data privacy and protection of personal information; reliance on our technology services and catastrophic events, system failures, errors or defects disrupting our operations; inability to identify, complete, or fully realize the benefits of our proposed acquisitions, divestitures, development of new venues or the expansion of existing facilities on time, on budget, or as planned; difficulty in integrating recent or future acquisitions into our operations; cost overruns and other uncertainties associated with the development of new venues and the expansion of existing facilities; general risks related to real estate ownership and significant expenditures, including risks related to environmental liabilities; personal injury litigation related to injuries occurring at our racetracks; compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act or other similar laws and regulations, or applicable anti-money laundering regulations; payment-related risks, such as risk associated with fraudulent credit card or debit card use; work stoppages and labor problems; risks related to pending or future legal proceedings and other actions; highly regulated operations and changes in the regulatory environment could adversely affect our business; restrictions in our debt facilities limiting our flexibility to operate our business; failure to comply with the financial ratios and other covenants in our debt facilities and other indebtedness; increases to interest rates, disruption in the credit markets or changes to our credit ratings may adversely affect our business; increase in our insurance costs, or inability to obtain similar insurance coverage in the future, and any inability to recover under our insurance policies for damages sustained at our properties in the event of inclement weather and casualty events; whether the objective of a strategic alternative review process will be achieved; the terms, structure, benefits and costs of any strategic transaction; the timing of any strategic transaction and whether any strategic transaction will be consummated on the terms proposed or at all; the risk that the announcement or exploration of strategic alternatives could have an adverse effect on our ability to retain key personnel and maintain relationships with partners, suppliers, employees, shareholders and other business relationships; the risk of any unexpected costs or expenses resulting from the exploration of strategic alternatives; the risk of any litigation relating to the exploration of strategic alternatives or any strategic transaction; and other factors described under the heading "Risk Factors" in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and in other filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
We do not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
| Media Contact (CDI): Breck Thomas-Ross (502) 636-4506 Breck.ThomasRoss@kyderby.com | Media Contact (NYRA): Pat McKenna (646) 373-6789 pmckenna@nyrainc.com |
| Investor Contact (CDI): Sam Ullrich (502) 638-3906 Sam.Ullrich@kyderby.com |
