Bill Carstanjen

Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI) has escalated its recent threat of pulling out of racing at Fair Grounds in New Orleans. "Given the legislature's ease with which it approved legislation that is directly adverse and harmful to the economic interests of Fair Grounds, the opposition by elected officials to engage in meaningful solutions in collaboration with the Fair Grounds, and the forthcoming adjournment of the legislative session, CDI is left with no choice but to request an appearance before the LSRC to begin the next steps for voluntarily surrendering the racing...

All-sources wagering on the 151st running of the GI Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs Saturday set a new record of $349 million, smashing the previous record of $320.5 million established in 2024. All-sources wagering on the Derby alone was a record $234.4 million, easily surpassing the previous high-water mark of $210.7 million recorded in 2024. The all-sources handle for the week of racing leading up to an including Derby day set a new mark of $473.9 million, up from $446.6 million last May. TwinSpires, the official betting partner of the...

Raffles of six all-inclusive box seats to both the GI Kentucky Oaks and GI Kentucky Derby will be held by the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF), with all proceeds benefitting the TRF's mission of providing lifetime aftercare to nearly 400 retired racehorses. Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI) has donated the boxes, which hold an estimated value of $3,000 for the Oaks and $7,000 for the Derby. The special on-line raffle boxes are located in Section 324, which is on the third floor overlooking the eighth pole. All reserved seating includes food, as...

In an era when most racetracks in the mid-Atlantic region are paring race dates from their yearly schedules to reflect the declining number of available horses to fill races, Colonial Downs is an outlier. Under the ownership of the gaming company Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI), the Virginia track announced in August that it plans to increase its race dates to 44 in 2025 after racing 27 programs this year. On Thursday, by Bill Carstanjen, CDI's chief executive officer, said during a quarterly earnings conference call that he expects the number...

Bill Carstanjen, the chief executive officer of Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI), said during a quarterly earnings conference call Thursday that the gaming company will embark upon a series of frontside and infield projects at Churchill Downs that will increase premium seating by 20% at the corporation's flagship racetrack in Louisville, representing "the largest expansion we have done to date." The frontside redevelopment will be centered on the area starting 180 feet past the finish line through to the First Turn Club, and will require the demolition of the existing Skye...

The suspension of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert from racetracks owned and operated by Churchill Downs Incorporated has been rescinded, effective immediately, CDI announced Friday evening. The decision was detailed in a statement from CDI CEO Bill Carstanjen: "We are satisfied that Mr. Baffert has taken responsibility for his actions, completed a substantial penalty and is committed to running in full compliance with the rules and regulations going forward. All parties agree that it is time to bring this chapter to a close and focus on the future. Mr....

The Louisiana Racing Commission went back to square one Friday, announcing that it will adhere to the guidelines set by the Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI) regarding medications. The move came just nine days after the commission announced an emergency set of rules that were about to take effect and would have meant that Louisiana had, by far, the most lenient medications policies in the U.S. The withdrawal times for dozens of medications had been reduced and the threshold levels had been increased. The laundry list of changes included...

NBC Sports will continue to present the Kentucky Derby on NBC and Peacock through 2032, Churchill Downs and NBC Sports announced Saturday. The extension of the NBC Sports-Churchill Downs relationship--which began with the 2001 Kentucky Derby--makes NBC the longest-running home of the Derby, and NBCUniversal the first media company to present the Kentucky Derby over three decades. "As we celebrate the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs is proud to extend the relationship with NBC Sports," said Churchill Downs CEO Bill Carstanjen. "As our media partner for the last...

According to a report in the Los Angeles Times, Owner Amr Zedan filed suit Wednesday in Louisville seeking a temporary injunction that would allow his horses and all others trained by Bob Baffert to run in the GI Kentucky Derby and all other Derby-week races. Baffert is not a party to the lawsuit. Zedan owns the GI Arkansas Derby winner Muth (Good Magic), who would be among the Derby favorites if allowed to race. After Medina Spirit (Protonico) tested positive for betamethasone in the 2021 Derby Baffert was banned by...

The 150th GI Kentucky Derby scheduled for Saturday, May 4 will be the richest in history as the purse for America's greatest race has been elevated to a guaranteed $5 million, Churchill Downs Inc. (CDI) said in a release Wednesday. The $2 million increase to the race highlights a record-setting, 50-race stakes schedule cumulatively worth $25.6 million for Churchill Downs' 2024 Spring Meet, which will be run over 43 dates from April 27-June 30/ The Derby purse structure was the subject of a Chris McGrath TDN interview with John Sikura,...

Racing will return to Churchill Downs as scheduled for the track's regularly scheduled meeting beginning Sept. 14. The announcement comes following an "evaluation of existing safety protocols and a thorough assessment of industry best practices," according to a release from the track. Operations at the Louisville oval were suspended in early June following a rash of breakdowns during the first month of the meeting that began only a few days prior to the running of the GI Kentucky Derby. The balance of the Churchill spring meet was run at Ellis...

Bill Carstanjen, the chief executive officer of Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI), said during a quarterly earnings conference call Thursday that nearly two months of internal investigation into the deaths of 12 Thoroughbreds during the shortened spring meet at the gaming corporation's flagship Louisville track has yielded "nothing that jumped out as the apparent cause." Carstanjen added that CDI will soon be announcing new safety protocols to be implemented for the scheduled September return of racing to Churchill Downs, but he did not disclose details about what to expect. During the...