Iroquois Stakes (Churchill Downs) Iroquois Stakes (Churchill Downs) The Iroquois Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race which is the first graded stakes race for Thoroughbred horses on opening day at the Churchill Downs Fall Meet. This first day every fall is devoted entirely to two-year-old racing. The race is a Road to the Kentucky Derby Prep Season qualifying race. The winner receives 10 points toward qualifying for the Kentucky Derby. Prior to 2013 the race was run over at one mile on the dirt track, and open to juveniles only. The Grade III Iroquois currently offers a purse of $150,000. Since 2013, the
The Downs at Santa Fe but closed it only one year later after heavy losses. Today the property is used as an outdoor event venue for concerts and flea markets. The Downs at Santa Fe The Downs at Santa Fe was a horse racing facility near Santa Fe, New Mexico, running thoroughbred and American quarter horse events. Originally named Santa Fe Downs, the $5.5 million mile oval track opened in June 1971 with a crowd of 11,000 people, causing traffic jams in the area. Although the track enjoyed good attendance and handle, the heavy debt load to build the track became unmanageable when interest rates