ONE of the most lucrative race fixtures in North American history kicked off on Thursday, with the seven-day Kentucky Downs meet boasting a record prize fund of $34 million, funded in part by the on-course casino, the Mint Gaming Hall.

The prize money has attracted three Irish raiders over the weekend, the first of which is the Joseph O’Brien-trained Stromberg in the DK Horse Nashville Derby Invitational Stakes (1m2f) at 10.16 pm Irish time.