The return of turf racing to the Churchill Downs September meet resulted in strong gains in wagering over its 14 live racing days, according to an analysis conducted by Daily Racing Form.
Churchill held 11 turf races during this year’s September meet after carding zero last September, when the track scrapped turf racing after experiencing late-summer problems with the surface. Turf racing resumed during Churchill’s October-November meet last year.
According to the DRF analysis, total handle this year was up 12 percent to $84.11 million, while average handle per race was up 12.8 percent to $627,698. Churchill ran a total of 134 races this year compared to 135 last year.
During last year's September meet, total handle dropped 19 percent compared to 2023, when the track ran 23 turf races. The 2023 meet set a handle record of $93.15 million, nearly $9 million more than the 2025 meet.
Turf races generally attract more handle per race than dirt races due to larger and more competitive fields. Overall field size at the September meet was 8.32 horses per race, up slightly from an average field size of 8.27 horses per race in 2024.
The average purse during the meet was $106,299, up 2.5 percent compared to the average purse in 2024.
Tyler Gaffalione won the rider’s title with 26 victories from 104 mounts, three more than Irad Ortiz, who had 84 mounts. Brad Cox won nine races to take the trainer’s title, one more than David Jacobson.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.