Notable Racetrack Events at Turfway Park
- G3 Spiral | 3-year-olds going 1-1/8 mi. on the all-weather
- G3 Bourbonette Oaks | 3-year-old fillies going 1 mi. on the all-weather
- John Battaglia Memorial | 3-year-olds going 1-1/16 mi. on the all-weather
- Rushaway | 3-year-olds going 1-1/16 mi. on the all-weather
Recent Turfway Park News
History of the Turfway Park Racetrack
Opened as Latonia Race Course in 1959, Turfway Park is the winter home for racing in Kentucky. The original Latonia was 10 miles south of the current location and ran from 1883 to 1939 and was famous for hosting the Latonia Derby, a race that at one point rivaled the Kentucky Derby for prestige in the horse racing community. The track's name was changed to Turfway Park in 1986. The race track's signature race is the Spiral: created by then-general manager John Battaglia with the idea that three-year-olds would "spiral" up from his track's race to the Blue Grass at Keeneland then ultimately the Kentucky Derby. Turfway also hosted Kentucky Cup Day of Champions for many years until most of the races were moved to Kentucky Downs. In order to race safely during the frigid winter months, Turfway Park was the first to install Polytrack in 2005: the synthetic surface is comprised of wax, fibers, and silica sand. And though Turfway Park was mentioned as the setting for the 2005 movie Racing Stripes, no actual filming occurred at the Florence oval.
About Racing at Turfway Park
The race track at Turfway Park houses 1,000 horses who train and run over their 1 mile oval with a 6.5f chute and finish down the 970 foot stretch.
Things to Do at the Racetrack
Turfway Park offers a ton of
live events for people to enjoy after they have had their fill of live racing. The track also has an excellent
gift shop where patrons can buy Turfway Park apparel, jewelry, gifts, and memorabilia.
