FanDuel Meet at Kentucky Downs
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A new racing event has come about- the FanDuel Meet at Kentucky Downs. Through an interesting partnership, this six day horse racing event will take place annually for the next few years. Keep reading to learn everything you can about this new and exciting racing event!
CONTENTS
- FanDuel’s Partnership With Kentucky Downs
- FanDuel Meet at Kentucky Downs 2021
- FanDuel Meet at Kentucky Downs FAQ
FANDUEL’S PARTNERSHIP WITH KENTUCKY DOWNS
You may be wondering how the FanDuel Meet at Kentucky Downs event came about. The partnership between online gaming and online sportsbook platform FanDuel and Kentucky Downs is a sponsorship deal. FanDuel is the parent company of TVG, which is a racing network and betting platform.
FanDuel and Kentucky Downs have agreed to a three year sponsorship at this time, meaning the event will take place for at least three years. Part of the deal includes the fact that the event will be covered on the TVG Network.
Plus, Kentucky Downs races will exclusively air on TVG, for both network as well as cable television, with the exception of NBC showing the two Breeders’ Cup Challenge races live.
TVG has also become Kentucky Downs’ official advance deposit wagering (ADW) platform. FanDuel is also now the title sponsor of the FanDuel Turf Sprint, which has a $1 million purse. The FanDuel Turf Sprint is a Grade 3 stakes and is one of two Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series races at this meet.
The $400,000 Tapit Stakes has also been rebranded as the TVG Stakes. In addition, September 8 has become TVG Day, with the day being sponsored by the racing network. The partnership also means that signage for FanDuel will now appear at the finish line, the paddock, the starting gate, as well as the winner’s circle. The branding will also be appearing on all of the staff uniforms.
Additionally, the glass-enclosed air-conditioned facility that has an outdoor terrace with a wide view of the horse racing track will be rebranded. It was formerly known as the VIP Chalet, and will now be known as the FanDuel VIP Chalet.
FANDUEL MEET AT KENTUCKY DOWNS 2021
The first FanDuel Meet at Kentucky Downs has already taken place. In 2021, the Meet was held from September 5th - September 12th.
The payout of purses to horse owners came to a total of $15,974,800. That does not account for the one thousand dollar payout that went to horses who finished in non-stakes races in the sixth through last positions. This amount is about $700K more than what had been offered in the condition book originally.
This increase came from splitting some of the maiden races as well as running two divisions of the TVG stakes. Both kept the $400,000 purse. The FanDuel Meet at Kentucky Downs also had some other sponsors like Nelson’s Green Brier Tennessee Whiskey.
The entire event had pretty great weather, with the exception of some rain on the opening day of the races. NBC was there to televise the two Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series stakes live for the first time. In the $4 million Breeders’ Cup Longines Turf (G1), Imperador was able to earn a fees-paid spot. Gear Jockey was able to earn a fees-paid spot in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1).
The turf course had experienced some renovation, with some of the more heavily-traveled portions dug up and replaced with uniform material. It was smoothed out before it was replaced with sod, to a great reception. A new system of temporary rails was also implemented on course.
On the second day of the meet, jockey Joel Rosario was able to snag his first riding title at the Kentucky Downs. He took home five race wins for the second day straight. He also went on to win seven more races overall. This included seven races on the final card, bringing his track record total to a whopping 17.
The record for wins was previously 12, held by Rafael Bejarano and secured in 2004. In 2015, that record was matched by Florent Geroux. It was also matched by Joel Rosario back in 2016 on the fourth day of the meet (before its FanDuel branding).
Tyler Gaffalione, who came in as the meet leader from 2020, was able to finish second. He did so with eight wins. It will be interesting to see how future FanDuel Meet at Kentucky Downs events go down for the next three years, as this partnership is secured until 2024.
FANDUEL MEET AT KENTUCKY DOWNS FAQ
WHEN DID THE FANDUEL MEET AT KENTUCKY DOWNS BEGIN?
The FanDuel Meet at Kentucky is a partnership between Kentucky Downs and the famed DFS provider. FanDuel is now getting into everything from online casinos to sports betting and online horse racing bets, so this three-year deal is a way to promote the brand. The first Meet was held in 2021.
WHO WON THE FANDUEL MEET AT KENTUCKY DOWNS 2021?
Joel Rosario and his team took home the most race wins at the meet, taking home the trophies: a bottle of whiskey and a signed guitar, including the prize purse (totaling $15 million, divided amongst the winners).
WHAT IS THE FANDUEL MEET AT KENTUCKY DOWNS?
Kentucky Downs was famous for a six-day meet boasting some of the most decisive races in the calendar year.
In a partnership with online betting and DFS giant FanDuel, expert news source TVG, and Kentucky Downs, this six-day event is now known as the FanDuel Meet at Kentucky.