dueling ground

Bill Thomason President and CEO of Keeneland will discuss Keeneland Race Course's conversion from synthetic back to dirt as it announced Thursday that its new dirt main track has been installed and open for training. The historic track replaced the synthetic surface during the summer in time for the fall meet, beginning Oct. 3. A major purpose of the removal of the synthetic racing surface and installation of a dirt track was for Keeneland to host the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which it had never done. The track was rewarded with 2015's Breeders' Cup. In the second segment Byron King, a native of Louisville, Ky., and Kentucky handicapper and columnist for Daily Racing Form will join John in handicapping the major stakes this week-end: - the $200,000 Grade 2 Pocohontas Stakes and the $150,000 Grade 3 Iroquois Stakes both from Churchill Downs; the $250,000 Dueling Grounds Derby From Kentucky Downs and the $500,000 Grade 2 Super Derby from Louisiana Downs.