Skip to content
THE INDEPENDENT AMERICAN RACING GUIDERACE DAYS POST TIMES YOUR TIME ZONE
Horse RacingSCHEDULE

The race day, at a glance.

Find a racecourse

Louisville, Kentucky · The racecourse guide

Churchill Downs Racing Schedule

Find Churchill Downs racing dates in Louisville, compare the spring, September and fall meets, and open a racecard for post times, entries and available results.

Racing season
Spring, September & fall
At a glance
Kentucky Derby & Kentucky Oaks
Racecourse time zone
Eastern Time (ET)

Next published race day · racecourse date

Churchill Downs · Sun, Oct 25, 2026

First post: Oct 25 · 1:00 PM EDT · Times shown in America/New_York

Churchill Downs · October 2026

SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
27
28
29
30
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
26
27
30
31
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

Track-local dates. Green marks a published race day; blank dates may not yet be available.

Churchill Downs Racecards & Post Times

Thu, Oct 1, 2026 – Sat, Oct 31, 2026 · 3 published race days · ET times

Meet / CD

Upcoming

Churchill Downs Fall Meet 2026 →

Churchill Downs · Kentucky

Sun, Oct 25, 2026 – Sun, Nov 29, 2026

Published race days

Next published race day: 2026-10-25

Sun, Oct 25, 2026

Track-local date · Scheduled

Racecard not yet published

First scheduled post: Oct 25 · 1:00 PM EDT

Official racecard (opens in a new tab)

Wed, Oct 28, 2026

Track-local date · Scheduled

Racecard not yet published

First scheduled post: To be announced

Official racecard (opens in a new tab)

Thu, Oct 29, 2026

Track-local date · Scheduled

Racecard not yet published

First scheduled post: To be announced

Official racecard (opens in a new tab)

Races 0–0 of 0

Track schedule →Official meet source (opens in a new tab)

Choose the season

Churchill Downs Meet Dates

A meet contains several race days. Open its dated edition, then choose an individual race.

Previous meets & earlier racecards

Make a day of it

Visiting Churchill Downs

700 Central Avenue, Louisville, KY

Which Churchill Downs meet should I choose?

Churchill Downs races in separate seasonal meets rather than every day of the year. Spring includes Kentucky Derby week, while September and fall have their own race days. Open the dated meet for the season you want, then choose a race day. A featured stakes race is only one contest within that day's full card.

Planning your day at Churchill Downs

Choose your date before choosing seats. General admission, reserved seating and dining packages may provide different access, particularly during Derby week. Use the official visitor information for the entrance, parking and admission area on your ticket. Allow time to reach your viewing spot before the first race; the paddock is where horses appear before heading to the track.

Watching the Derby or the whole card

The Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby have separate race days and their own post times. The first post on a Churchill racecard starts Race 1, not necessarily the feature you want. Look for the complete race name, date and number when checking a broadcast or replay. A worldwide racing stream can switch tracks, so confirm that the pictures are actually from Churchill Downs.

Official racecourse information (opens in a new tab) Official racing & results (opens in a new tab)

Churchill Downs Results, Replays & Viewing

Open a race for available runners, finishing positions and video. Match the venue’s race date and number; television coverage can include more than one racecourse.

TV & streaming scheduleOfficial free viewing

Feature race guides

Kentucky Derby →Kentucky Oaks →

Churchill Downs: Common Questions

Does Churchill Downs race all year?

No. Live racing is arranged in separate seasonal meets. Use the calendar and dated meet links for the days with races.

Are Derby and Oaks tickets interchangeable?

Check the dates and access printed on your ticket or package. The Kentucky Oaks is a separate Friday card from Saturday's Kentucky Derby.

What time do Churchill Downs races start?

Use the selected day's first post, then the individual race's post time. Gate opening and feature-race times can differ from the first race.

Where are Churchill Downs results and replays?

Open a completed race or use the latest Churchill results link. Match the venue date and race number before opening an available replay.

Racecourse Information & Further Reading