Churchill Downs Inc. and HorseplayerPRO.com have joined forces to provide interactive online discussions between horse racing fans and a panel of experts each race day throughout Churchill Downs' 21-day fall meet Nov. 1-28.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Kentucky's horse racing and breeding industry plans to stand its ground in the wake of a proposal for a constitutional amendment on gaming some have characterized as a politically-motivated stall tactic.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
The Kentucky Derby Challenge Stakes at Kempton in Great Britain, inaugurated in 2009 to award a Europe-based horse a berth in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), won't be held next year. But officials said it could return.
Friday, October 09, 2009
A torrential rainstorm in the Louisville area Aug. 4 has wreaked havoc at Churchill Downs. Flooding caused several horses to be removed from the barn area, both the main track and infield are completely underwater, and employees at the racetrack were unable to get off the property for hours due to severe flooding in the parking lot and on many area roads.
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
John Asher, vice president of Racing Communications at Churchill Downs answers questions about night racing at Churchill Downs, the recent defeat of the VLT Bill in the Kentucky Senate, the Kentucky Derby and more. Transcript Now Available!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
For the first time in its 135-year history, Churchill Downs raced under the lights June 19. And based on the turnout, the experiment was an overwhelming success.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Fans entering Gate 1 at Churchill Downs may have their breath taken away when they arrive for the races Kentucky Derby week following the unveiling of life-sized statue of Barbaro April 26. The event drew a "Friends of Barbaro" crowd of about 500 who cheered with approval when the tarp was pulled off the sculpture.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Churchill Downs will ask the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission for permission to hold three night programs under temporary lights during its upcoming spring meet.
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
The ESPN network has dropped its live coverage of the May 1 Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) at Churchill Downs, but the race coverage will be shown on the Bravo network, which is owned by NBC.
Friday, March 13, 2009
The late Luke Kruytbosch, who served for a decade as the track announcer at Churchill Downs, will be honored Feb. 28 at 6 p.m. (EST) as the American Heart Association holds its 17th annual Crystal Heart Gala at the Louisville Marriott Downtown.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Churchill Downs has unveiled a stakes schedule for its 2009 spring meet that is headed by the 135th renewals of the $2-million Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) and the $500,000 Kentucky Oaks (gr. I). There will be 29 events with total purses of $7.575 million.
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Churchill Downs Inc. has renewed its membership in the National Thoroughbred Racing Association for 2009, an official with the NTRA confirmed Jan. 30.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Churchill Downs has launched the official Web site for the 2009 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), www.kentuckyderby.com, which will offer coverage of the horse racing season leading up to the 135th running of the Kentucky Derby May 2.
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Churchill Downs Inc. is reviewing its membership in the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, racing industry officials said Dec. 9.
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Power outages to the barn area and the Kentucky Derby Museum are about the only effects Churchill Downs felt from the Sept. 14 windstorm created by the remnants of Hurricane Ike.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Officials with Breeders' Cup and Churchill Downs aren't ready to confirm the 2010 World Championships will be held at the Kentucky racetrack.
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
The team that won the 2007 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) with Street Sense will reunite at Churchill Downs, the scene of their stirring victory, for a special book signing April 27
Friday, April 25, 2008
Kentuckyderby.com will now offer racing fans another way to experience the 2008 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) with the introduction of a journalism series focusing on memorable racing moments and personalities.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Next year's Breeders' Cup World Championships are set for the Oak Tree meet at Santa Anita Park, but which venue will host the event beyond that running is still in the works.
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Churchill Downs is offering viewers across the country a televised preview of its daily racing programs on "Churchill Downs Today," a new 30-minute show that will air during the track's 21-day fall meet.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Racing fans can experience all of the action from the 2007 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr.I) and Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) prep seasons in a new way this year, through the official Web site of the Kentucky Derby, www.kentuckyderby.com. Churchill Downs will offer free video podcasts for the two prep seasons featuring updates on the contenders, replays of prep races and interviews with top handicappers. The racetrack will host the 133rd running of the Kentucky Oaks May 4 and the 133rd Kentucky Derby May 5.
Friday, March 09, 2007
A bronze statue of Hall of Fame Jockey Pat Day, his arms raised in triumph, was unveiled during a noon ceremony Sunday at Churchill Downs. The sculpture, created by Louisville artist Raymond Graf, was inspired by Day's victory in the 1992 Kentucky Derby (gr. I) aboard Lil E. Tee.
Sunday, October 29, 2006
The Rolling Stones didn't play "Wild Horses" during their groundbreaking concert at Churchill Downs Friday night. But they did perform "Dead Flowers," which featured Mick Jagger singing about roses and Kentucky Derby (gr. I) Day, as rain fell on the Twin Spires.
Saturday, September 30, 2006
The world of fashion will be turned on its ear at Churchill Downs Sept. 13, as the official logo for Kentucky Derby 133 is unveiled.
Thursday, September 07, 2006
There is some good news for lovers of tradition. A sign promoting Yum! Brands, the first-ever presenting sponsor of the Kentucky Derby (gr. I), will be less prominent in its placement than originally planned in the area near Churchill Downs' famed Twin Spires.
Monday, April 24, 2006
The Louisville Thoroughbred Club invites all Kentucky Derby (gr. I) fans to gather at the Kentucky Derby Museum April 28 to raise a glass with three-time Kentucky Derby winning jockey Gary Stevens and several of the Thoroughbred industry's top racing analysts as they toast America's greatest race and dice out the odds and chances of all the 132nd Derby contenders.
Friday, April 14, 2006
Churchill Downs is searching for someone to fill the post of official starter, a position that includes the duties of sending the horses off in each year's Kentucky Derby (gr. I).
Friday, February 17, 2006
Though repairs to damage from a Nov. 6 tornado won't be completed by summer, Ellis Park in western Kentucky will conduct its 36-day meet in 2006, parent company Churchill Downs Inc. announced Dec. 28.
Thursday, December 29, 2005
Churchill Downs will bow to youth Nov. 5 when it cards its first "Stars of Tomorrow" program--all the races in the condition book are for 2-year-olds, including two grade III stakes.
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Churchill Downs' John Asher was named 2005 Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners Warner L. Jones, Jr. Horseman of the Year. Asher will be honored by the Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners (KTO) at their annual award dinner Nov. 11 at the Kentucky Derby Museum.
Friday, October 14, 2005
It was some ten years ago that Louisville singer-songwriter Tim Krekel sat down with his guitar and wrote a seemingly simple song – "No Mo Do Giacomo" – about a guy who had run out of money after living the high life too long.
Friday, May 20, 2005
As a bright morning sun broke through the darkness, all was quiet on the backside of Churchill Downs Saturday. And on the heels of a record crowd for Friday's Kentucky Oaks (gr. I), track officials were expecting another banner day for Saturday's Kentucky Derby (gr. I).
Saturday, May 07, 2005
Churchill Downs is taking precautionary measures at its Trackside training facility in Louisville, Ky., after a Thoroughbred racehorse was diagnosed with strangles, a contagious bacterial disease.
Sunday, March 13, 2005
Churchill Downs has launched its first-ever "Speakers Bureau" to make representatives from all areas of the historic track available for participation in events and gatherings sponsored by business, community, and social groups.
Wednesday, February 09, 2005
The Jockeys' Guild, in the wake of the ejection of 15 riders by Churchill Downs, has targeted the racetrack and the state of Kentucky in a rapidly developing conflict over what the Guild believes is inadequate medical insurance in many racing states.
Tuesday, November 09, 2004
Advance wagering and the two-tiered post position draw format are the only impediments to Churchill Downs employing an also-eligible procedure for the Kentucky Derby (gr. I), according to a track spokesman.
Friday, April 30, 2004
Construction crews at Churchill Downs are working double shifts in an effort to complete the steel skeleton of the racetrack's new six-story clubhouse before the start of the fall meet Oct. 26.
Wednesday, October 08, 2003
The second phase of Churchill Downs' $121 million renovation project took another step forward on July 11 as the demolition of a large section of the historic track's clubhouse began.
Friday, July 11, 2003
Churchill Downs, as part of its massive $121-million renovation project, is pondering the concept of personal seat licenses for at least part of its clubhouse box area.
Thursday, May 08, 2003
Churchill Downs and local law enforcement officials expect the new security measures in place for the Kentucky Oaks and Derby May 3-4 to actually help, not hinder, patrons gain access to the facility.
Thursday, May 02, 2002
Churchill Downs has changed the conditions of the Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) to give preference to 3-year-old fillies with the highest lifetime earnings in graded stakes. Previously, when the race was oversubscribed, preference was given to fillies with the highest career earnings regardless of whether races were graded.
Monday, April 01, 2002
While finding no state ethics laws were violated, the Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission was harsh in its criticism of Churchill Downs for contributions to lawmakers just a few days before the start of last month's legislative session.
Wednesday, February 13, 2002
The chances of alternative gaming at Kentucky racetracks will lie in the hands of lawmakers, but as of mid-January, racetrack officials and horsemen's groups were said to be close to agreement on revenue splits, a crucial component of any legislation that may be introduced.
Tuesday, January 22, 2002
Churchill Downs and officials with the city of Louisville, Ky. have requested help from the federal government in dealing with security for the May 4 Kentucky Derby, the Kentucky Oaks, and the Pegasus Parade that is staged Derby week.
Thursday, January 10, 2002
