Churchill, HBPA Settle Over Race Revenue

Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association have settled a disagreement over the distribution of a portion of revenue from some sponsored races at the Louisville, Ky., track.

The agreement, which dealt with money generated by races listed as "presented by" a partner rather than a specific event sponsorship, ended a lawsuit filed by the Kentucky HBPA against the track in Jefferson Circuit Court Nov. 4, 2004.

Churchill Downs president Steve Sexton declined to release details of the agreement, but said in a release: "Churchill Downs is very pleased that we have settled this disagreement to the satisfaction of both parties. We value our strong relationship with the Kentucky HBPA and it helped lead to the resolution of this issue.

"We look forward to a continued growth in that relationship as we work together in the months to come on important issues that will help move our industry forward."

"The mutual effort by the Kentucky HPBA and Churchill Downs to sit down and resolve this issue is a testament to the strength of the relationship of our organizations," Kentucky HBPA president Susan Bunning said. "We applaud the spirit of cooperation exhibited by both organizations in these negotiations and look forward to working with Churchill Downs on other important issues in 2005 and beyond."