Churchill Downs Incorporated expects its new Thoroughbred Championship Series to create additional wagering and commercial value when the competition begins in 2027. Chief executive Bill Carstanjen outlined that view during the company's third-quarter earnings call, presenting the series as a way to connect major races into a season-long contest rather than a collection of isolated events.
According to CDC Gaming's report on the call, Carstanjen expects strong races featuring familiar horses to produce a meaningful wagering contribution from the outset. He also linked sustained television and social-media audiences with longer-term opportunities in sponsorship and media rights. Those outcomes are management forecasts and have not yet been tested because the series has not started.
The Derby Division will run through six races, beginning with the Kentucky Derby and continuing through the Belmont Stakes, the Matt Winn Stakes, the Jim Dandy Stakes and the Travers Stakes. It will finish with a championship race at Churchill Downs on 25 September 2027. The structure is designed to reward horses that compete repeatedly across the season.
A joint announcement from Churchill Downs and NYRA also confirms a four-race Oaks Division for three-year-old fillies. Its winner will receive an invitation to the championship race, while the two divisions together will offer more than $22 million in purses and prizes. National coverage is planned across NBC and Fox.
The project was discussed alongside record quarterly results. Churchill Downs' official earnings release reports revenue of $696 million, up 2%, and adjusted EBITDA of $264 million, up 1%. The company therefore enters the launch period from a position of growing revenue, but the series' eventual wagering, sponsorship and broadcast contribution will depend on participation and audience interest during its first season.
