Three Chimneys Sponsors Derby Day Stakes

Three Chimneys Farm announced it will sponsor a stakes race at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby Day. The $100,000 race, a five-furlong dash for 2-year-olds, will be called the Three Chimneys Juvenile. It was formerly known as the WHAS-11 Stakes, whose winners have included 1997 Horse of the Year Favorite Trick as well as More Than Ready and Yet It's True.

Three Chimneys, near Midway, Ky., is owned by Mr. and Mrs. Robert Clay, and ranks as one of the top breeding farms in the world, standing stallions such as Seattle Slew, Rahy, Slew o' Gold, Fly So Free, Dynaformer, Wild Again, Silver Charm, and War Chant.

The sponsorship agreement between Three Chimneys and Louisville's Churchill Downs is the first between the historic track and one of Kentucky's Thoroughbred breeding farms. The Three Chimneys Juvenile is scheduled to be telecast live as part of the Derby Day coverage on ESPN.

"We are very excited that Mr. and Mrs. Robert Clay and Three Chimneys Farm have joined Churchill Downs as a sponsor of this important race for young horses," said Alex Waldrop, president of Churchill Downs. "Three Chimneys is synonymous with excellence and buyers from around the world seek the horses that are bred and raised there. It's a wonderful addition to the spectacular day of racing that surrounds America's greatest race, the Kentucky Derby."

"We are thrilled to be associated with a race that has become one of the most exciting events for 2-year-olds on the racing calendar," said Robert Clay. "We are delighted that Three Chimneys is now a part of the great tradition of Kentucky Derby Day at Churchill Downs."