With increased takeout and short fields souring bettors on some of the major racetracks around the country, Kentucky Downs five-day race meet which began in earnest September 6 with three stakes races worth a combined $650,000 is a breath of fresh air – albeit a brief window of opportunity for the serious horse player. 
On the closing day card at Del Mar on Wednesday, a field of nine fillies and mares will line up to compete in the 21st edition of the $90,000 C.E.R.F. Stakes. The race will be run at six furlongs over the synthetic main track. 
The $500,000 Grade I Forego Stakes features a field of ten going seven furlongs on the main track August 30 at Saratoga with two standouts figuring to take most of the betting action. 
Shared Belief will put his five-race undefeated streak on the line in the $1,000,000 Pacific Classic on Sunday at Del Mar. The mile and a quarter contest has drawn a field of eleven and will be run for the final time on Del Mar’s synthetic main track before switching back to conventional dirt in 2015. 
The $100,000 Union Avenue is the lone stakes race carded August 21 at Saratoga and could come down to a match race between two short-priced horses running against a small field in the six and a half furlong event on the main track. 
On Sunday at Saratoga, the featured race will showcase some of the top turf horses in the country in the 40th edition of the Sword Dancer Invitational. The Grade 1 event offers a purse of $500,000 and will be run at a mile and a half on the inner turf course. 
On Monday at Saratoga, three-year-old fillies will take to the turf in the inaugural running of the $100,000 Tenski Stakes. Restricted to fillies who have not won a graded stakes in 2014, the race will be contested on the inner turf course and has drawn a full field of ten with two on the also-eligible list and two entered for the main track only. 
The $100,000 Grade III Monmouth Oaks is the feature event at the Jersey shore racetrack August 9 as a competitive field of ten three year-old fillies line up to contest the mile and a sixteenth event. 
New York-breds will be the focus of Monday’s card at Saratoga with the $100,000 New York Stallion Series Stakes. Restricted to three-year-old colts or geldings, the race will be contested at a mile and a half on the turf. There is a separate race on the card for fillies.