Pesci Headlines Luncheon to Launch Breeders' Cup Week

(Edited press release)
Academy Award-winning actor Joe Pesci will be the featured speaker at a luncheon Oct. 30 at the Galt House that will launch the weeklong celebration of the return of the Breeders' Cup World Championships to Churchill Downs for a record sixth time.

The luncheon is sponsored by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Churchill Downs, and is presented by the Breeders' Cup Host Committee, a group of local business and community leaders working to promote the return of the Breeders' Cup to Louisville for the first time since 2000. WHAS-11 news anchor Gary Roedemeier will serve as the event's master of ceremonies.

Scheduled for 11:30 a.m. (EST) in the Grand Ballroom of the Galt House, luncheon tickets may be purchased for $50, or a table of 10 may be reserved for $500. Proceeds from the event will benefit the 828 Foundation and Metro Health Department Charities. Tickets and information are available by calling (502) 636-4400.

Pesci is best known for his starring roles in hit films such as "My Cousin Vinny," "Home Alone," and three installments of the "Lethal Weapon" series. He earned an Oscar for "Best Supporting Actor" in 1990 for his work in "Goodfellas."

Pesci has also enjoyed success in Thoroughbred racing as the co-owner of Pesci, a daughter of Stormy Atlantic   that won three of seven races and earned more than $152,000. In 2004, she finished second in the grade III Hawthorne Handicap and third in the grade I Milady Breeders' Cup, both at Hollywood Park.

Larry Bisig, president of the Bisig Impact Group, serves as the chair of the Breeders' Cup Host Committee.