In The Money Telegraph
Saturday, September 26, 2026 · By ITM Staff
Lukas Classic Day at Churchill — and a $1,000 Contest
With a nor’easter shutting the Northeast down, the day’s marquee action is under the Twin Spires, where Churchill Downs closes its September meet with a stakes-filled card — and a contest worth chasing. TwinSpires is running its $1,000 Churchill Downs KFC/BCBC Qualifier over the card, awarding seats to both the Keeneland Fall Challenge and the Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge: it’s $500 to your bankroll and $500 to the prize pool, and you play by wagering across at least five of the day’s races. Registration closes at 3:50 p.m. ET — enter it on TwinSpires here. With the Breeders’ Cup five weeks out, these are exactly the seats worth playing for.
The racing gives you plenty to work with. The $500,000 Lukas Classic (G2), honoring the late Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, is a Breeders’ Cup Classic prep and drew a field that includes ITM favorites Banishing and Chunk of Gold, both re-routed here after the Jockey Club Gold Cup. The Ack Ack (G3) and the Bourbon Flight fill out the graded action. PTF and JK went through the card — the show pivoted from a rained-out Belmont to Churchill — and it’s worth a watch below.
A Nor’easter Wipes Out Belmont’s Big Saturday
The new Belmont Park’s first blockbuster fall Saturday is a casualty of the weather. NYRA canceled live racing both Saturday and Sunday, September 26–27, with a powerful nor’easter forecast to bring sustained winds and gusts topping 50 mph, coastal flooding, and one to three inches of rain to Long Island. The track is closed to the public for the weekend.
The six graded stakes that were spread across the two days — the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, the Grade 2 Flower Bowl (a Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf “Win and You’re In’’), the Grade 3 Vosburgh (a Breeders’ Cup Sprint qualifier), the Grade 2 Gallant Bloom, the Grade 3 Belmont Turf Sprint, and the Grade 3 Winter Memories — have all been moved to Thursday, October 1. NYRA added makeup cards for Wednesday, September 30 and Wednesday, October 7, and shifted the $175,000 Joseph A. Gimma to Friday, October 2.
The storm knocked out other Northeast tracks too: Delaware Park scrapped its Saturday program and pushed the Grade 3 Delaware Handicap to Saturday, October 3, while the Monmouth at the Meadowlands Saturday-night card was called off, with racing there set to resume Friday, October 2.
Where Else the Action Is
Laurel Park. Maryland has a fighting chance to dodge the worst of it, and Laurel’s card is loaded with turf stakes — the Laurel Futurity for juveniles, the All Along, and the Selima. There’s a second contest to chase here too: the $500 Autumn Turf Festival Handicapping Challenge ($250 bankroll/$250 pool) plays over Laurel’s Races 1–9 and offers a BCBC seat, NHC prize packs, and cash — but registration closes at noon ET, so move quickly. Will Humphrey has picks and trip notes throughout the card. Humphrey’s tips & trips →
Santa Anita. Well clear of the storm out West, the fall meet rolls on. Dean Keppler makes the undefeated Little Opal his best bet in Race 9. Keppler’s card →
The Tour’s Finale Is Next Friday
A reminder with the regular season nearly done: the final ITM Horseplayers Tour feeder runs next Friday, October 2 — Keeneland’s Fall opening day — the last chance to earn one of the 72 playoff berths. From there it’s a three-round playoff (October 9, 16, and 23) that ends with one player winning a $10,000 Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge seat. It’s $20 to play at HorsePlayers.com, with proceeds to Breeders’ Cup Charities.
ITM Plus
A Busy Week Ahead, Weather Permitting
Belmont’s stakes reload for Thursday, the Tour finale and Keeneland’s opening land Friday, and the Breeders’ Cup is closing fast. ITM Plus members get daily written selections, the members’ bet share, exclusive shows, and full coverage all the way to Keeneland.
More all weekend at inthemoneypodcast.com and on the ITM YouTube channel, with premium coverage on ITM Plus.
