Churchill Downs will conduct a third card for the first time inits 139-year history with Friday's opening of the Homecoming Meetat the historic track.

The 12-day card, Churchill's first in September, will run onweekends through Sept. 29 and features eight stakes races. Fourwill be held during Saturday's ''Downs After Dark'' card, one oftwo evening events along with Sept. 28.

Churchill Downs spokesman Darren Rogers said the additional meetis not a one-time deal, with the facility already seeking the samedates for next year.

Three of Saturday night's stakes races - the Grade 2 Pocahontasand Grade 3 Iroquois and Ack Ack Handicap - were moved fromChurchill's fall card. Also scheduled is the $100,000-added LocustGrove stakes.

Rogers said adding a meet between its traditional spring andfall dates is a challenge that the track looks forward to Wholesale Basket Lebron XI.

''We are not taking a one-and-done approach,'' he said. ''Wethink this makes sense and helps stabilize the Kentucky circuit,which is beneficial for our state's horse industry.

''Our daily overnight prize money is going to more than $400,000a day, which is important for horsemen racing on a day-in andday-out basis here. If we can create some big marquee events tofill some high profile stakes races as well, we will do that.''

One new event on the inaugural schedule is the $175,000-addedHomecoming Classic on Sept. 28, a 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-oldsand up on the main track predator lz football boots 2013. Rogers said the other stakes races wereeither on hiatus or moved if they seemed to fit better on theSeptember schedule.

As for the new race, Rogers added, ''we are also very excitedabout the Homecoming Classic. . KD 6 GS Sale Online.. It's the most lucrative one onthe calendar. It is a good starting point for us. We think this isa race that we can grow down the road.''

Churchill Downs is also using college football as an attractionby dubbing Saturday's card College Rivalry Night, where fans willbe asked which team they support with the top three earningscholarships of $5,000, $3,000 and $2,000.

Additionally, the Sept. 14 Governor's Cup game betweenLouisville and Kentucky will be aired with audio on a videoboard.

''We are going to go head to head with football and have somefun with it,'' Rogers said