The Iroquois Steeplechase returns for the 85th anniversary event on Saturday, May 9, 2026, at Percy Warner Park 2500 Old Hickory Blvd, Nashville, TN.) Tickets are available now! See link below.  

Known as Nashville’s “Rite of Spring,” the Iroquois Steeplechase combines world-class horse racing, Southern hospitality, fashion, and philanthropy. The 2026 event will introduce a new live music stage in Centerfield, featuring Nashville-based artists throughout the day.

Event Schedule for May 9, 2026:

• Gates Open: 8:30 a.m.
• Opening Ceremonies: 12:00 p.m.
• Races: Seven races throughout the day with total purses of $575,000.
• Additional Highlights: Style Contest, Tailgating Contest, Stick Pony Races, and the Parade of Hounds.
• Closing: Hospitality venues close approximately 15 minutes after the final race, except for Royal 615, Live Music Stage and the Infield Turf Tavern, which close at 7 p.m.

Drawing more than 30,000 spectators annually, the Iroquois Steeplechase remains one of the premier steeplechase events in the United States,featuring seven exhilarating races in 2026 with total purses of $575,000, the richest on the National Steeplechase Association’s Spring circuit.

Since being designated as one of our primary beneficiaries in 1981, Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt has received more than $11.3 million from The Volunteer State Horsemen’s Foundation (VSHF) proceeds.