Franklin, KY, 22 Aug 2025 – America’s richest turf sprint for female horses, the G2 Never Say Die Bourbon Ladies Turf Sprint, will be run at Kentucky Downs on Saturday, Aug. 30. With a $2 million purse, the race stands out among the highlights of a historic $10 million prize day – one of the richest racing days in North America – with live national coverage on NBC from 4–6 p.m. EST (3–5 p.m. CT / 9–11 p.m. UK).
Headlining the day is the $3.5 million Grade 3 Nashville Derby, the richest race in Kentucky Downs’ history, and one of the most lucrative turf races in the U.S. outside of the Breeders’ Cup. Though the meet is staged at Kentucky Downs in southern Kentucky, the Nashville Derby name honors the track’s close proximity to Nashville, Tennessee. Just 40 miles from the Music City, the event has become a destination for Nashville’s thoroughbred fans, offering world-class racing closer to home than Lexington or Louisville.
This year marks the first time Never Say Die Bourbon has sponsored a U.S. race and the brand will also make its national TV advertising debut during the broadcast. Two 30-second ads will tell the story that inspired the brand: the Kentucky-born colt Never Say Die, who was famously revived with a shot of Bourbon after a difficult foaling, before going on to stun the racing world in 1954 by winning the Epsom Derby at 33–1 odds. His improbable triumph became part of transatlantic racing folklore and even sparked a cultural legacy when Mona Best’s bet on the horse helped fund the Liverpool club where The Beatles first made their name.
The G2 “Never Say Die Ladies Turf Sprint”, will be the first race on the NBC national broadcast, and all race winners will receive custom-engraved, collector bottles of Never Say Die Bourbon which was named ‘Best Bourbon In The World’ by Forbes Magazine. In celebration of Kentucky’s dual heritage, each Kentucky Downs race day features a different “Bourbon of the Day,” uniting the world-famous industries of horse racing and Bourbon whiskey.
Pat Madden, Co-Founder of Never Say Die Bourbon, said: “As a Kentuckian, this sponsorship is particularly meaningful to me. The Never Say Die story began here in Kentucky, when the colt was born on my family’s farm at Hamburg Place before going on to make racing history at the UK’s Epsom Derby in 1954. To see that legacy honored at Kentucky Downs, alongside the debut of our first national TV campaign, feels like bringing the story home”.
Kentucky Downs is known for its European-style turf course and fun, boutique atmosphere, making it one of the most distinctive venues in American racing. Originally opened in 1990 as “Dueling Grounds” – a nod to the patch of Kentucky land once used to settle disputes just over the Tennessee line – the track today is home to the Mint Gaming Hall and annually hosts a two-week, high-stakes meet, which boasts a record $40 million in prizes this year.
This year’s Kentucky Downs race meet runs Aug. 28, 30, 31 and Sept. 4, 6, 7 and 10. The Never Say Die Ladies Turf Sprint is for fillies and mares three years old and up, run at 6 ½ furlongs on turf, with a purse of $2 million for Kentucky-breds and $1 million for all others, making it America’s richest turf sprint for female horses.
Want to see it unfold? Tune in to NBC on 30 August from 4–6 p.m. EST.
