‘A big meet now every year.’ Kentucky Downs opens this week to big names, record purses.

The fastest seven days in racing go to the post Thursday with the opening card of Kentucky Downs’ 33rd all-turf meet.

“It’s like the Field of Dreams,” said jockey Brian Hernandez Jr., the track’s all-time wins leader with 60 victories over America’s only European-style course. “If you build it, they will come. And that’s what Kentucky Downs has done.”

For Kentucky Downs, the unusual has become the standard:

▪ The highest purses in America and among the richest in the world, including maidens running for a record $170,000 for Kentucky-breds, the vast majority of the horses running.

▪ A record total of $37 million is being offered, including $15 million from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund for registered Kentucky-breds.

▪ Saturday’s $3.1 million, Grade 3 DK Horse Nashville Derby is the most lucrative race for Kentucky-breds for 3-year-olds behind only the $5 million Kentucky. Its $1.9 million base purse by itself is the richest turf race in America outside the Breeders’ Cup.

▪ The 18 stakes include nine enjoying graded status. Leading the way is Kentucky Downs’ first Grade 1 stakes ever in the Franklin-Simpson for 3-year-old sprinters.

▪ The Franklin-Simpson is part of the new FanDuel TV U.S. Open Turf Championships comprised of six graded stakes worth $2 million apiece for Kentucky-breds ($1 million for others) on Sept. 7. The $13 million in offered purses for the 12-race card has the potential to be surpassed only by Breeders’ Cup Championship Saturday.

As part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series, the winners of the Grade 2 FanDuel TV Kentucky Turf Cup at 1 1/2 miles and the Grade 2 Ainsworth Turf Sprint will receive a fees-paid berth in the corresponding Breeders’ Cup race on Nov. 2 at Del Mar. In addition, Kentucky Downs will pay the entry fees for the winners of the Franklin-Simpson, Grade 3 Mint Millions and Grade 3 Ladies Marathon if those horses make the corresponding Breeders’ Cup race.

▪ Overall, 15 stakes are worth at least $1 million for Kentucky-breds, including the four 2-year-old stakes.

“It’s a big meet now every year,” said Brendan Walsh, who won last year’s training title with eight victories, including two stakes. “It’s huge prize money, and big races. The whole place has just developed unbelievably the last few years. That’s why everybody is going there.”

And that is extending overseas. Last year the Kentucky-bred Ancient Rome came over for the Mint Millions, his connections attracted to the $2 million purse. Trainer Charlie Hills is returning Ancient Rome to Kentucky Downs to try for a repeat win. Hills also is scheduled to ship Khaadem (IRE), two-time winner of the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee at Royal Ascot, to Kentucky Downs for the Ainsworth Turf Sprint.

There will be “eight or nine” European horses coming over for stakes and others for non-stakes races, said Martin Panza, co-director of racing operations for Kentucky Downs.

The finest assembly of jockeys in one place outside the Breeders’ Cup will converge on Kentucky Downs. This year that includes international riding star Frankie Dettori.

As always, the trainer to beat is Mike Maker, Kentucky Downs’ all-time leader in virtually every category, with Walsh seemingly poised for another big meet. Others figuring prominently should include Brian Lynch, Joe Sharp, Rusty Arnold, Steve Asmussen, Brad Cox, Wesley Ward, Mark Casse, Vicki Oliver, Jonathan Thomas and Eddie Kenneally.

East Coast trainers Saffie Joseph, Christophe Clement, Chad Brown and Graham Motion and West Coast trainers such as Phil D’Amato, Peter Eurton, Neil Drysdale, Richard Baltas and Richard Mandella are among those sending horses to the meet.

“Owners are like, ‘Can you get me ready for Kentucky Downs?’” Arnold said. “Everybody wants to go there. I love the place. It’s my Royal Ascot.”

It’s a whirlwind of seven days of overflow fields packed into two weeks.

“It’s organized chaos,” Sharp said, “but it’s my favorite place to race.”

Kentucky Downs meet

At Franklin

Racing dates: Aug. 29, 31 and Sept. 1, 5, 7, 8 and 11

First post: 12:25 p.m. CDT, except Sept. 7, which is 11:30 a.m.

Reserved seating: TheMintKentuckyDowns.com/tickets

General admission: Free in upper stretch and tailgating at the top of the stretch

Parking: Free

2024 Kentucky Downs stakes schedule

(All races on turf)

Aug. 29: $500,000 Big Ass Fans Tapit Stakes.

Aug. 31: $3.1 million, Grade 3 DK Horse Nashville Derby Invitational; $1.5 million, Grade 2 Exacta Systems Ladies Turf Sprint; $1.5 million, Grade 3 Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf.

Sept. 1: $1 million Kentucky Downs Juvenile Sprint; $500,000 National Thoroughbred League Overnight Handicap.

Sept. 5: $500,000 Jeff Ruby One Dreamer.

Sept. 7: $2 million, Grade 1 Aristocrat Franklin-Simpson Stakes; $2 million Grade 2 FanDuel TV Kentucky Downs Turf Cup; $2 million, Grade 2 Ainsworth Turf Sprint; $2 million, Grade 2 AGS Music City; $2 million, Grade 3 Mint Millions; $2 million, Grade 3 Light and Wonder Ladies Marathon.

Sept. 8: $1.5 million Global Tote Gun Runner Stakes; $1 million Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile; $1 million Untapable Stakes; $1 million Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies.

Sept. 11: $1.6 million Pepsi Dueling Grounds Oaks Invitational; Blackwood Distilling $500,000 Nashville Gold Cup.

The jockey is a new mom. The trainer is a novice. A $1.5 million race awaits.