Thoroughbred Championship Series Expands to Include Oaks Division for Three-Year-Old Fillies
The expanded series will offer more than $22 million in purses and prizes, with all 10 races televised nationally.
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Rhea-AI Summary
Churchill Downs (Nasdaq: CHDN) and the New York Racing Association will expand their 2027 Thoroughbred Championship Series with an Oaks Division. The new four-race division for three-year-old fillies joins the previously announced six-race Derby Division. Together, the divisions will offer more than $22 million in purses and prizes across 10 races, all nationally televised on NBC or FOX networks.
The Oaks Division will link four Grade 1 races in a points-based competition, with a $1 million prize pool shared among the three highest-ranked horses. Its winner will receive an invitation to the TCS Championship at Churchill Downs Racetrack on September 25, 2027. In addition to purse earnings, the filly will receive a guaranteed bonus for competing in that race; the bonus could be worth as much as $1 million if she wins.
Positive
- Minor point. Forward-looking: it has not happened yet and may not happen.The 2027 Oaks Division adds four races for three-year-old fillies to Churchill Downs and NYRA’s series.
- Minor point. Forward-looking: it has not happened yet and may not happen.All 10 races in the expanded series will be nationally televised on NBC or FOX networks.
Negative
- None.
Key Figures
- Oaks Division races
- 4 races
- 2027 series for three-year-old fillies
- Total series races
- 10 races
- Derby and Oaks divisions combined
- Purses and prizes
- More than $22 million
- Across both 2027 divisions
- Oaks Division prize pool
- $1 million
- Shared among the three highest-ranked horses
- Maximum Championship Race bonus
- Up to $1 million
- Guaranteed bonus; maximum applies if the filly wins
- TCS Championship Race
- September 25, 2027
- Scheduled at Churchill Downs Racetrack
Historical Context
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Earlier launch set six-race Derby format and $5 million prize pool; current announcement adds Oaks division.
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
Churchill Downs Incorporated and The New York Racing Association’s 2027 Series to Award More Than
LOUISVILLE, Ky, Oct. 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Churchill Downs Incorporated (“CDI”) (Nasdaq: CHDN) and The New York Racing Association, Inc. (“NYRA”) announced today the expansion of the Thoroughbred Championship Series (“TCS”) in 2027 to include two distinct divisions – the Derby Division and the Oaks Division. The new Oaks Division will establish a four-race series for elite three-year-old fillies, joining the previously announced six-race Derby Division for the sport’s leading three-year-olds. Together, the two divisions will encompass 10 races offering more than
The Oaks Division will connect four of the sport’s most prestigious Grade 1 races for three-year-old fillies in a points-based competition, with a
“Bringing three-year-old fillies into the Thoroughbred Championship Series is an important next step in building a season-long platform to showcase the sport’s best horses,” said Bill Carstanjen, Chief Executive Officer of CDI. “By rewarding excellence and creating more opportunities for our top horses to compete on a national stage, we give fans even more reasons to follow the sport from one marquee race to the next.”
“The Oaks Division gives three-year-old fillies a championship of their own, connecting four of the best races in the sport into one points race from Louisville to Saratoga," said David O'Rourke, NYRA President & CEO. "And for the filly who comes out on top, it opens the door to take on the colts in September. It’s a matchup fans have always wanted to see, and now there’s a clear path to it.”
The 2027 Oaks Division will include:
- Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs Racetrack on April 30
- DraftKings Acorn Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park on June 4
- Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) at Saratoga Race Course on July 24
- Alabama Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course on August 21
The 2027 Derby Division will 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 on July 3
- Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on July 31
- DraftKings Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on August 28
- TCS Championship at Churchill Downs Racetrack on September 25
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, Churchill Downs Racetrack, the home of the Kentucky Derby and premier races of the Thoroughbred Championship Series. 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 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 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 | Media Contact (NYRA): Pat McKenna |
| (502) 636-4506 | (646) 373-6789 |
| Breck.ThomasRoss@kyderby.com | pmckenna@nyrainc.com |
| Investor Contact (CDI): Sam Ullrich | |
| (502) 638-3906 | |
| Sam.Ullrich@kyderby.com |
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/32b5ee57-7ec2-40bc-ace1-e9f9d923fd2e
FAQ
AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
What is the prize pool for the 2027 Thoroughbred Championship Series Oaks Division?
The Oaks Division will offer a $1 million prize pool shared among the three highest-ranked horses in its final standings. Rankings will be determined through a points-based competition across four Grade 1 races for three-year-old fillies.
Can the Oaks Division winner compete in the 2027 TCS Championship?
The Oaks Division winner will be invited to the September 25, 2027 TCS Championship at Churchill Downs Racetrack. The filly will receive a guaranteed bonus for competing, in addition to any purse earnings; that bonus could be worth as much as $1 million if she wins.
Which races make up the 2027 Thoroughbred Championship Series Oaks Division?
The division includes the Longines Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on April 30, the DraftKings Acorn Stakes at Belmont Park on June 4, the Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga on July 24, and the Alabama Stakes at Saratoga on August 21.