Churchill Downs

The final Grade 1 stakes race in the US for older horses running on dirt this year goes this holiday Friday at Churchill Downs with the running of the $500,000 Clark Handicap. Eight have been entered to run 1 1/8 miles on the Churchill dirt, including a couple names that will sound familiar from both the 2017 and 2018 Triple Crown trail.

Seven three-year-old colts are expected to go to the gate on Saturday afternoon at Churchill Downs for the running of the $100,000 (G3) Commonwealth Turf Stakes. On paper a very competitive race, the Commonwealth Turf features a couple horses trying to stamp themselves as legitimate graded-stakes runners, while several others are trying to graduate from lower-level competition. They'll race 1 1/16 miles on the Churchill grass.

The final race of the 2018 Breeders' Cup World Championships, the Breeders' Cup Classic brings together 14 of the very best horses age three and older to race 1 1/4 miles on the Churchill Downs dirt course for a total purse of $6 million. Triple Crown winner Justify has been retired and won't run, leaving the field much more wide open in terms of betting options. 

Racing for a total purse of $4 million, the Breeders' Cup Turf always draws top horses shipping over from Europe and the 2018 World Championships are no exception. Since 1984, European horses have won 21 of the 33 races and this year they look to have several of the top choices again. They'll be running 1 1/2 miles on the Churchill Downs turf course.

The big race for female horses at the 2018 Breeders' Cup World Championships, the Distaff is for fillies and mares age three and older racing 1 1/8 miles on the Churchill Downs dirt for a purse of $2 million. While older mares often have the advantage in the Distaff, this year's race features a number of very fast three-year-old fillies.

One of the most popular of the Breeders' Cup World Championships races, the Mile is open to horses age three and older, racing on the Churchill Downs turf for a total purse of $2 million. Over the years the mile has produced more back-to-back winners than any other Breeders' Cup race, but for 2018 the defending champ won't be running and the field is wide open.

Coming in the middle of the second day of the 2018 Breeders' Cup World Championships, the Breeders' Cup Sprint is a six furlong dash on the Chuchill Downs dirt for horses age three and older, chasing after a total purse of $2 million. The race often features very close finishes and historically lucrative exacta payouts.

Run as the fourth race on the second day of the 2018 Breeders' Cup World Championships, the Filly & Mare Turf is an endurance test. For female horses aged three and older, they'll run 1 3/8 miles on the Churchill Downs turf course, racing for a total purse of $2 million. The race has been run 18 times as a part of the Breeders' Cup, with European horses winning 11 of those.

The third race on the second day of the 2018 Breeders' Cup World Championships, the Dirt Mile features horses aged three and older racing a flat mile on the Churchill Downs dirt course for a total purse of $1 million. Something of a specialty distance for North American horses, the Dirt Mile is usually a wide-open race, reflected in regular double-digit Win payouts.