Road to the Kentucky Oaks Road to the Kentucky Oaks The Road to the Kentucky Oaks is a points system to qualify for the Kentucky Oaks, one of the most important races for three-year-old fillies and held the day before the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. It features roughly 30 stakes races for Thoroughbred fillies between September (when the horses are age two) and April (when they are three) – the number and specific races have varied slightly over the years. The point system replaces the previous qualifying system which was based on graded stakes earnings. If more than 14 horses wish to enter 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