Recent announcements have told some what they already knew. The live racing meet at Kentucky Downs is good and just keeps getting better.

  Last week the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association’s American Graded Stakes Committee made the Music City Stakes a grade 3 race for 2023. That means there will now be nine graded stakes events during the seven-day meet next year. Graded Stakes are considered races of the most importance and usually attract the best competition. Although the committee did not choose to elevate any of the races at Kentucky Downs to grade 1 status, the Franklin Kentucky track will feature four grade 2 events and five grade 3 races.

  “Certainly we are pleased to be awarded our eighth graded stakes race in the past seven years,” says Kentucky Downs Vice President of racing Ted Nicholson. “We are excited to have four grade 2 events, we just need to get them to grade 1 status.”

  The 2022 meet was another record-setter for the all-turf racing facility that sits just north of the Tennessee state line. Over $17.5 million was paid out in purse money to the equine athletes and just over $80 million was wagered during the meet. The 2023 schedule will see live racing on August 31, September 2, 3, 7, 9, 10, and 13.