CDI

Saturday's canceled card due to a power outage at Fair Grounds will be moved in its entirety to Tuesday, Mar. 18, according to a Sunday press release from Churchill Downs Inc. First post is set for 12:45 pm CT. The track will conduct a six-day racing week culminating with the Louisiana Derby Day card on Saturday and closing day is Sunday, Mar. 23.

A federal judge on Wednesday ruled that the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) is unconstitutionally violating the Interstate Horseracing Act (IHA) by requiring the advance-deposit wagering (ADW) platform TwinSpires to partner with a racetrack in that state before accepting simulcast wagers from Michigan residents. The judge further issued a preliminary injunction ordering the MGCB not to enforce the contested Michigan Horse Racing Law (MHRL) licensing requirement or to issue any sanctions against the Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI) subsidiary for accepting bets. The Feb. 19 order only pertained to the TwinSpires...

The Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI) subsidiary that operates the advance-deposit wagering (ADW) platform TwinSpires sued the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) in federal court Jan. 12, alleging that the state's requirement that ADW providers be linked to a licensed racetrack and live race meeting is "unlawful." The state's track-partnership requirement currently can't be fulfilled by any ADW because there hasn't been any Thoroughbred racing in Michigan since 2018, and Standardbred races last ran in February 2024. TwinSpires (and other ADWs) had previously partnered with the harness operation at Northville Downs,...

On the eve that Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI) and the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) were scheduled to appear at separate enforcement hearings in front of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority board to address disputes over their non-payment of assessment fees that are based partially on purses, those two prominent Thoroughbred track operators teamed up to sue the Authority and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in federal court, alleging that both the fee impositions and the attempted enforcement actions for non-payment are "illegal." According to the civil complaint...

The distinctive water tower at Ellis Park that hulks behind the far turn and is emblazoned with the Kentucky track's name will be removed over the coming weeks "due to critical safety concerns related to its structural integrity." Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI), the gaming corporation that owns Ellis, made the announcement via press release on Thursday. CDI stated the decision was made "despite dedicated efforts to preserve the historic water tower." But, the press release added, "given the lack of functionality and rapid deterioration of the water tower, the increasing...

The surest sign that autumn is upon us is that we are already beginning to look ahead to next spring. In the racing world, that means the release of the 2025 Road to the GI Kentucky Derby qualifying schedule, and the list of points-awarding prep races that came out Friday contained a few tweaks. Two stood out--a schedule addition and a rule change. Churchill Downs Inc., the gaming company that controls the Derby and the points system that determines which horses get into the race, locked up a prime piece...

An $80-$90 million renovation to the existing grandstand at Churchill Downs Racetrack that will update ticketed seating is scheduled to begin in August with completion planned in time for the 151st GI Kentucky Derby in May 2025, the track said in a Wednesday release. The renovation of the Grandstand Club will transform existing outdoor aluminum bleachers into a combination of 8,300 new seating varieties. Updated options will include covered and uncovered stadium-style seats as well as rail boxes along the dirt track's outer rail that will offer a "trackside" seating...

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....

Edited Press Release Churchill Downs Incorporated established the "Safety from Start to Finish" program in March 2009 to formalize its comprehensive approach to continual improvement of the health and safety protocols and policies for horses and humans who work, train, compete and attend racing events at Churchill Downs Racetrack. Following a comprehensive evaluation of existing safety protocols and a thorough assessment of industry best practices in June 2023, Churchill Downs has implemented several key enhancements to the Safety from Start to Finish Program for 2024, including: -Investment in Surface Management:...

A Kentucky Court of Appeals judge on Wednesday denied a motion by Amr Zedan's incorporated racing stable that would have conferred "emergency" status on his legal quest to get 'TDN Rising Star' Muth (Good Magic) into the GI Kentucky Derby despite a ban by Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI) against the colt's trainer, Bob Baffert. Technically, the Apr. 24 order by Judge Jeff Taylor didn't decide Zedan's appeal of a lower court's denial of a temporary injunction in full. But from a practical standpoint, it appears that time has all but...

One day after a lower court in Kentucky denied a motion to make Amr Zedan's 'TDN Rising Star' Muth eligible for the GI Kentucky Derby by overturning Churchill Downs Inc., (CDI)'s ban again trainer Bob Baffert, Zedan's incorporated racing stable on Friday asked the Kentucky Court of Appeals to "vacate the Jefferson Circuit Court's order and issue a temporary injunction" to let his Good Magic colt at least begin the entry process to race in the first leg of the Triple Crown. Zedan's Apr. 19 motion proposed that "At a...

Amr Zedan's incorporated racing stable is planning an immediate appeal to a Thursday decision by a Kentucky judge who denied an injunction request that would have overturned Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI)'s ongoing ban against Bob Baffert. Zedan had initiated an Apr. 3 lawsuit in an effort to get his Baffert-trained 'TDN Rising Star' Muth (Good Magic) eligible for the GI Kentucky Derby. But Judge Mitchell Perry of Jefferson Circuit Court also denied CDI's request to dismiss the case in his Apr. 18 order. This means that barring a successful appeal...