Churchill Downs
The GI Kentucky Derby has been moved from May 2 to Sept. 5 as a result of the coronavirus, Churchill Downs officials announced Tuesday. "Throughout the rapid development of the COVID-19 pandemic, our first priority has been how to best protect the safety and health of our guests, team members and community," Churchill Downs CEO Bill Carstanjen said in a statement. "As the situation evolved, we reached the difficult conclusion that we needed to reschedule. At no point did we ever consider canceling the Kentucky Derby." In the aftermath of...
The GI Kentucky Derby has been rescheduled from May 2 to Sept. 5 and the GI Kentucky Oaks has been moved from May 1 to Sept. 4 due to the coronavirus, Churchill Downs announced Tuesday morning. The dates are contingent upon final approval from the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission which is expected Mar. 19. CDI's CEO, Bill Carstanjen, stated: "Throughout the rapid development of the COVID-19 pandemic, our first priority has been how to best protect the safety and health of our guests, team members and community. As the situation...
Churchill Downs Incorporated will make an announcement regarding the timing of 146th GI Kentucky Oaks and GI Kentucky Derby Tuesday morning at 9 a.m. ET, the company announced Monday. Media, investors and other interested parties may listen to the teleconference by calling (877) 372-0878 and entering the conference ID number 1848836 at least 10 minutes before the appointed time. International callers should dial (253) 237-1169. The Oaks and Derby are scheduled to be run May 1 and 2, respectively, but the feasibility of running them has come into question in...
Derby City Gaming, the Churchill Downs-owned casino in Louisville, as well as simulcasting at Churchill Downs itself, will close for 14 days in response to the coronavirus outbreak, Churchill Downs Incorporated announced Sunday. In a statement released by Churchill, the company said, "In the best interest of our guests, employees and the community around us amid public health concerns regarding the Coronavirus pandemic, Derby City Gaming and Churchill Downs Racetrack simulcasting has made the difficult decision to voluntarily suspend operations, effective Sunday, Mar. 15 at midnight, for 14 days. There...
Mike Campbell is president of the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association. Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association representatives tried last week during eight hours of negotiations with Arlington Park and parent company Churchill Downs to reach a reasonable agreement on a contract that would provide adequate funding for overnight purses at Arlington in 2020. But Arlington and Churchill offered only what could charitably be described as proposals made in bad faith. The ITHA is deeply disappointed. And if Arlington's past actions serve as any guide to its steps in the coming weeks, we...
Churchill Downs issued the following statement regarding COVID-19 and the status of the GI Kentucky Derby Saturday afternoon. "During times of uncertainty, our traditions provide a great sense of comfort. We realize, that for many of you, the Kentucky Derby is a treasured annual tradition, and for others, a bucket-list experience. The time-honored traditions of the Kentucky Derby are as much about the fans as the race itself. We recognize that the impact of this iconic event extends well beyond the historic racetrack of Churchill Downs. The Kentucky Derby is...
The FBI and the Department of Justice have done what the horse racing industry had failed to do for decades. They caught and are prosecuting high-profile trainers for doping infractions as part of an investigation that has finally torn the lid off of what had been the shadowy and secretive world inhabited by racing's cheaters. The entire industry owes a debt of gratitude to these agencies. The problem is, it's not the FBI's job to clean up horse racing. It has more important matters to deal with. There may be...
Churchill Downs has launched a five-year partnership with Ford Motor Company that would establish the brand as the official truck, SUV, car and van of The Kentucky Derby and Churchill Downs Racetrack. "Ford is such a vital part of the Louisville community that this new partnership is a natural fit," said Kevin Flanery, President of Churchill Downs Racetrack. "Ford vehicles power so much of our operations at Churchill Downs and many of our breeders rely on Ford Super Duty trucks to transport their precious cargo." The new 2020 Ford F-Series...
Three more Joe Sharp horses have been disqualified from purse money for testing positive for the drug levamisole, this time in Kentucky, according to a report in Daily Racing Form. The news comes after nine Sharp horses were DQ'ed for the same drug in Louisiana earlier this year. Sharp previously said that he had five horses test positive for the drug last fall at Churchill and was awaiting word from Churchill stewards on the matter. Levamisole is listed as a Class 2 drug by the Association of Racing Commissioners International,...
Spots are still available for owners in two new Churchill Downs Racing Club horses. Trainers Brad Cox and Tommy Drury will pick out and train an unraced 2-year-old for each of the new groups. Established in 2016, the club gives 400 people (200 per club) a low-cost pathway to introduce and experience the enjoyment of Thoroughbred racehorse ownership for the one-time membership dues of $500. Gary Palmisano will represent the club's interest and serve as a liaison for the club's members. Benefits include regular e-mail updates on the horse, visits...
Keeneland and Churchill Downs will ban the race-day use of Lasix in all 2-year-old races under the International Medication Protocol authority granted in 810 KAR 8:050 of the Kentucky Administrative Regulations beginning with Keeneland's 2020 Spring Meet and following at Churchill Downs Racetrack's 2020 Spring Meet, according to a joint press release Thursday. Kentucky's Thoroughbred race tracks supported sweeping medication reforms, including the Lasix ban, adopted by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) in late 2019. The tracks also jointly announced major changes in racing and training policies to strengthen...
The new date for the GII Stephen Foster H. and the creation of a new mid-meet Stephen Foster Preview Night highlight a record 41-race, $14-million stakes schedule for the upcoming 38-day Spring Meet at Churchill Downs that runs Apr. 25-June 27. The Stephen Foster, which will be contested closing day June 27, will also receive a $100,000 boost in purse to $700,000. The nine-furlong event anchors a seven-race stakes card-totaling $1.85 million in purses-includes the GII $300,000 Fleur de Lis S. and the GII Wise Dan S. and a pair...