Jill Byrne

Churchill Downs Incorporated (“CDI”) (NASDAQ: CHDN) has launched www.KentuckyDerby.com, the official Web site for the 136th running of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands and definitive online resource for information about the Kentucky Derby experience.

The all-inclusive Web site, redesigned in conjunction with Texas-based FooCulture, features a clean, classy, condensed and easy-to-navigate homepage with quick links to user-friendly sections. The updated site is loaded with colorful imagery that pulls visitors in to the spectacle that is America’s original, extravagant, springtime sports party and well represents the many intriguing aspects of the Kentucky Derby brand.

“Whether you’re a casual sports fan, entertainment seeker or diehard horse racing enthusiast, KentuckyDerby.com is the ultimate online destination for the Kentucky Derby experience – and it’s the only Web site you need to visit for everything Derby related,” said Julie Koenig-Loignon, Churchill Downs Incorporated’s vice president of brand development and marketing. “We designed the site to blend  the rich history and time-honored traditions that Derby fans love about the ‘Run for the Roses’ with fresh, fun entertainment content that showcases the tremendous social experience wrapped around America’s greatest horse race.”

All-encompassing information about top Kentucky Derby prospects, important prep races and expert analysis is just a mouse click away in the “Contenders” area. Meanwhile, comprehensive Derby race histories as well as entertainment and lifestyle segments featuring updates on Derby fashions, signature cuisine, Red Carpet interviews and local celebrity parties can be found in the retooled “Derby Experience” section.
 
Additionally, there are areas devoted to breaking news and visitor information, plus easy-to-find e-commerce tabs for Kentucky Derby and Oaks tickets, official Derby photographs and merchandise and online wagering through TwinSpires.com. There are handy links to Derby party planning tools, social networking channels, the “Road to the Roses” Derby fantasy game and home page links to local community and business partners that contribute to the entire Derby hospitality effort in Louisville, Ky.

Content will be added throughout the Derby season and integrated with video updates from veteran Churchill Downs’ racing analyst Jill Byrne and popular Louisville entertainment reporter Angie Fenton. Byrne will give fans a unique behind-the-scenes look at promising Kentucky Derby contenders and their jockeys, trainers and owners while also offering weekly previews of upcoming Derby prep races. Fenton will deliver entertaining reports on a broad range of topics, including Derby party-planning tips, fashion dos and don’ts and the latest dish on celebrities and the Derby party scene.

John Asher, Churchill Downs’ vice president of racing communications, will join Byrne and handicappers Kellie Reilly and James Scully of Bloodstock Research Information Services (BRISNet.com) for expert analysis and opinion about Derby contenders, including Top 10 rankings. BRISNet.com and the Churchill Downs communications department will team to provide breaking news updates.

Approximately 2.4 million unique users, including nearly one million unique visitors in the weeks surrounding the Kentucky Derby, visited KentuckyDerby.com in 2009.

Annually staged at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. on the first Saturday in May, this year’s $2 million-guaranteed Kentucky Derby (Grade I) is scheduled for May 1. The 1 ¼-mile classic for 3-year-old Thoroughbreds – the first leg of horse racing’s famed Triple Crown series – was first run in 1875, which makes “The Run for the Roses” the oldest continuously held sporting event in North America. Approximately 150,000 people attend the Kentucky Derby in person with more than 20 million people tuning in via television and radio worldwide.

The companion Web site for the Derby’s sister race, the 136th running of the Kentucky Oaks for 3-year-old fillies, will launch the week of Feb. 15, while a new-and-improved  KentuckyDerbyParty.com, the official site for Kentucky Derby Party planning, will debut in early March.

    Churchill Downs Incorporated, (“CDI”), headquartered in Louisville, Ky., owns and operates four world renowned Thoroughbred racing facilities: Arlington Park in Illinois, Calder Casino and Race Course in Florida, Churchill Downs Race Track in Kentucky and Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots in Louisiana.  CDI operates slot and gaming operations in Louisiana and Florida.  CDI tracks are host to North America’s most prestigious races, including the Arlington Million, the Kentucky Derby and the Kentucky Oaks, the Louisiana Derby and the Princess Rooney, along with hosting the Breeders’ Cup World Championships for a record seventh time on Nov. 5-6, 2010.  CDI also owns off-track betting facilities, TwinSpires.com and other advance-deposit wagering channels, television production, telecommunications and racing service companies such as BRIS and a 50-percent interest in the national cable and satellite network, HorseRacing TV, which supports CDI’s network of simulcasting and racing operations.  CDI’s Entertainment Group produces the HullabaLOU Music Festival at Churchill Downs Racetrack which premieres on July 23-25, 2010.  CDI trades on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol CHDN and can be found at www.churchilldownsincorporated.com.

- END -

Churchill Downs will celebrate “Ladies’ Weekend” on Saturday, Nov. 14 and Sunday, Nov. 15 with a special ladies only handicapping seminar, unique boutique bazaar and warehouse sale and the second annual celebration of “Horses and Hope” to raise awareness for breast cancer.

The weekend festivities begin early on Saturday, Nov. 14 with an informative new seminar entitled “Ladies First” Racing Seminar & Breakfast: How to be a Lucky Lady! Churchill Downs has partnered with the newly formed group F.A.T.E. (Females Are Thoroughbred Enthusiasts) in an effort to educate women on all aspects of horse racing, from beginner handicapping to Thoroughbred ownership. The seminar and breakfast for ladies of all ages will take place in the Oaks Room on the fourth floor of the Jockey Club Suites from 9-11 a.m. and feature Churchill Downs’ Jill Byrne, the Courier-Journal’s Jennie Rees, top horse owner Maggi Moss and former jockey P.J. Cooksey. In addition to the seminar and breakfast, the $25 admission will include parking, an official program and reserved seat for a day at the races.

Guests of the seminar will also get a sneak preview of Churchill Downs’ first Boutique Bazaar and Warehouse Sale to benefit the Kentucky Derby Museum. Approximately 15-20 Louisville-area boutiques – including Clodhoppers, Dressing Room, Peacock Boutique and General Eccentric – will be on hand Saturday, Nov. 14 for a sure-to-be fabulous warehouse sale of discounted ladies fashion, accessories and hostess gifts. The one-stop shop haven is free to attend with paid general admission from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and will also feature a Chambord and Champagne cocktail sample and an appearance by Brown-Forman’s Chief Entertainment Officer Tim Laird with demonstrations of unique signature cocktails.

On Sunday, Nov. 15, “Horses and Hope,” the initiative created in 2008 by Kentucky First Lady Jane Beshear with the Kentucky Cancer Program, will return to focus attention on breast cancer awareness, education, screening and treatment referral for the women who work in the barn areas at Kentucky racetracks. More than 700 cancer survivors attended the inaugural event a year ago in Millionaire’s Row 4. In conjunction with “Horses and Hope”, the color of pink will be scattered throughout Churchill Downs, including saddle towels for a featured race, jockey arm bands, groom’s vests, outriders, flags, bunting and trophies for winning horse owners.

To help celebrate “Ladies Weekend”, Churchill Downs’ world famous Twin Spires will be bathed in pink light throughout the week, starting on the evening of Wednesday, Nov. 11.

Additionally, Churchill Downs, in conjunction with Thorntons, will host an on-track sweepstakes to win one of 20 $250 gas cards on Saturday, Nov. 14 and Sunday, Nov. 15. All patrons age 18 and up will be eligible to submit one entry at the Thorntons booth in the paddock area until 3 p.m. each day. In turn, one winner will be drawn after each of the 10 races on Nov. 14-15.

    Churchill Downs’ 120th Fall Meet, featuring world-class horse racing, continues its 21-day run through Saturday, Nov. 28. General admission is $3, but only $1 for senior citizens and members of the track’s free-to-join Twin Spires Club. Children 12 and under are admitted free when accompanied by an adult. Parking is free in the Longfield Avenue lot (Gates 10 & 12) and $3 in all other lots. Valet parking is $5. For more information or to purchase reserved seats, call (502) 636-4400 or visit www.ChurchillDowns.com.

    Churchill Downs, the world’s most legendary racetrack, has conducted Thoroughbred racing and presented America’s greatest race, the Kentucky Derby, continuously since 1875. Located in Louisville, the flagship racetrack of Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ Global Select Market: CHDN) also operates Trackside at Churchill Downs, which offers year-round simulcast wagering at the historic track. Churchill Downs will conduct the 136th running of the Kentucky Derby on May 1, 2010. The track will conduct its 2009 Fall Meet from Sunday, Nov. 1 through Saturday, Nov. 28. Churchill Downs is scheduled to host the Breeders’ Cup World Championships for a record seventh time on November 5 and 6, 2010. Information about Churchill Downs can be found on the Internet at www.churchilldowns.com.

- END -

Churchill Downs will host its annual “Stars of Tomorrow” 2-Year-Old Handicapping Seminar on Sunday, Nov. 1 in the Paddock Pavilion from 9-11:30 a.m.

Churchill Downs racing analyst Jill Byrne will host this year’s seminar with jockey Jon Court, trainer Ian Wilkes and workout clocker John Nichols. The quartet will provide insight on how to improve handicapping skills for 2-year-old racing and in-depth analysis of the entire “Stars of Tomorrow I” racing program with a question and answer session.

One of the most popular aspects of the seminar is a special trip to the saddling paddock for an up-close inspection of a 2-year-old and its confirmation, behavior and equipment.

The cost to attend is $25 and includes breakfast buffet, official program, Brisnet.com past performances and a reserved seat in Skye Terrace 5. There also will be a raffle for door prizes, including a VIP day at the races, two rounds of golf at Belterra Casino Resort & Spa, winning connections-signed framed photographs of past Kentucky Derby winners and a chance to watch a race from the Churchill Downs announcer’s booth with track commentator Mark Johnson.

Call (502) 636-4400 for reservations.

Churchill Downs Incorporated (“Company” or “CDI”) (NASDAQ: CHDN) has partnered with www.HorseplayerPRO.com to provide interactive online discussions between horse racing fans and a panel of experts each race day throughout Churchill Downs’ upcoming 21-day Fall Meet. The 120th Fall Meet will begin its four-week run on Sunday, Nov. 1 and continue through Saturday, Nov. 28.

    Horseplayer PRO utilizes live chat technology in hosting an interactive experience capable of accommodating tens of thousands of participants simultaneously. The race-day chats can be accessed at www.ChurchillDowns.com or www.HorseplayerPRO.com and will begin 30 minutes before the 12:40 p.m. ET first race. The discussions will continue throughout the racing program until the final race of the day.

Fans will be able to exchange handicapping insights and receive useful handicapping information and advice from a team of experts, including Horseplayer PROs Jeremy Plonk, Joe Kristufek, Tim Turrell and Brian Spencer. Additional analysis will be provided by on-site guests such as Churchill Downs’ John Asher, Jill Byrne and Mark Johnson.

“We’re excited to team with Horseplayer PRO on this promising new online opportunity,” said Tom Jenkins, Churchill Downs Incorporated vice president. “In order to grow horse racing’s fan base and bring back lapsed customers, we need to continue to utilize modern technologies and find ways to become more fun than the other forms of entertainment with which we compete. These progressive on-line chats present an appealing and entertaining platform for customers to connect with one another and receive insightful commentary and useful handicapping information. Simultaneously, it also allows us the opportunity to showcase our product offerings and communicate to an enthusiastic and captive audience. Unquestionably, Horseplayer PRO will help broaden the scope of interaction with fans of our sport.”  
 
    In addition to hosting the race-day chats, Horseplayer PRO producers create interactive polls and a race-day scoreboard to follow winning connections, prices and track trends. The chat module is embedded into a specially designed Horseplayer PRO webpage that provides visitors a plethora of race-day information. With a simple mouse-click, chatters can find entries, weather, scratches/changes, results, jockey/trainer stats, news and selections without leaving the chat.

    “The marriage of a new-brand venture like Horseplayer PRO with some of the sport’s most renowned racing institutions makes a strong statement about the importance of horseplayers,” said Plonk, managing partner of Horseplayer PRO. “We look at the live chat experience as equal parts camaraderie and consultation, where horseplayers live and learn in real time. Our initial chat ventures with Remington Park have proven beneficial to the track brand as well as the bottom line in wagering handle.”

    “The chats give online fans a community feel,” Kristufek said. “The experience appeals to all levels of horseplayers, from the beginner to the expert. We’re all playing the races together – analyzing past performances, discussing pace scenarios, watching the odds, examining the horses in the post parade and seeking out potential track trends. The insider contributions provided on-site from the track announcer and analysts are invaluable.”

    In addition to racing from Churchill Downs, the action from Fair Grounds will be spotlighted on the Horseplayer PRO chats starting Sunday, Nov. 8. The New Orleans racetrack begins its season on Friday, Nov. 6.

Churchill Downs, the world’s most legendary racetrack, has conducted Thoroughbred racing and presented America’s greatest race, the Kentucky Derby, continuously since 1875.  Located in Louisville, the flagship racetrack of Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ Global Select Market: CHDN) also operates Trackside at Churchill Downs, which offers year-round simulcast wagering at the historic track. Churchill Downs will conduct the 136th running of the Kentucky Derby on May 1, 2010. The track will conduct its 2009 Fall Meet from Sunday, Nov. 1 through Saturday, Nov. 28.  Churchill Downs is scheduled to host the Breeders’ Cup World Championships for a record seventh time on November 5 and 6, 2010. Information about Churchill Downs can be found on the Internet at www.churchilldowns.com.
 
- END -

Jill Byrne, whose insights as a television racing analyst for Churchill Downs and cable racing network TVG have earned acclaim and a loyal audience throughout Thoroughbred racing, has joined Churchill Downs on a full-time basis as Director of On-Air Racing Communications.

    In her new position, Byrne will continue to serve as the track’s primary racing analyst on its daily live racing simulcast programming, during which she offers commentary on all of the track’s races along with announcer/commentator Mark Johnson.  In her new position Byrne will play an expanded role in providing video and print Web content for the official sites for Churchill Downs (www.churchilldowns.com) and the Kentucky Derby (www.kentuckyderby.com), and in programming offered on TwinSpiresTV, the groundbreaking video interface for TwinSpires.com, the official advance-deposit wagering service for Churchill Downs Incorporated and its family of racetracks (www.twinspires.com).
    
    She has served as Churchill Downs’ racing analyst since April 2008, when Byrne succeeded longtime simulcast host and former announcer Mike Battaglia in that role.  Prior to joining Churchill Downs on a full-time basis, Byrne worked as an in-studio on on-site analyst and reporter for Television Games Network (“TVG”).

    Byrne’s role in on-track activities, fan education efforts and as a community representative for the historic track will continue to grow in her full-time position with the historic track.  She currently serves as the weekly host for Churchill Downs’ “Get in the Game” handicapping seminars, in which she interviews special guests while discussing the day’s races on Saturdays at Churchill Downs. The roster of Spring Meet “Get in the Game” guests has included jockeys Calvin Borel and Julien Leparoux, and Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Bennie “Chip” Woolley Jr.  The seminar is conducted each Saturday at noon (EDT) and a telecast is made available to simulcast outlets nationwide via Churchill Downs Simulcast Productions (“CDSP”). Byrne is also co-host, with track Vice President John Asher, of “Churchill Downs Today,” a handicapping show that airs live at 11 a.m. (EDT) during most racing at selected simulcast outlets nationwide and viewed later by on-track patrons.

     Along with her on-air skills and top-notch racing analysis and handicapping, Byrne is an accomplished horsewoman who worked with her husband, trainer Patrick Byrne, in the development of 1997 Horse of the Year and juvenile champion Favorite Trick and Countess Diana, that year’s champion 2-year-old filly.  The Byrne-trained Awesome Again defeated 1997 Kentucky Derby (GI) winner Silver Charm to win the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI) at Churchill Downs in 1998.  

    Jill Byrne launched her career in the Thoroughbred industry as an exercise rider and assistant to her father, Peter Howe, a noted show rider and Thoroughbred trainer who conditioned two Eclipse Award winners.  She climbed into the saddle aboard her first racehorse at the age of 12. She also worked for Hall of Fame trainer Scotty Schulhofer.     

With five sensational graded stakes races cumulatively worth more than $1.2 million and a bevy of entertainment before and during the races, Saturday’s popular Reunion Day program at Churchill Downs promises to be action packed on and off the racetrack.

            Inaugurated a decade ago, Reunion Day, who many have nicknamed “Stephen Foster Super Saturday,” is a day-long celebration of the past and present with multiple stakes offerings centered around the track’s signature event for older horses, the Grade I, $660,000 Stephen Foster Handicap.

The 28th running of the 1 1/8-mile test, which has helped crown Horse of the Year on four occasions, lured America’s top older horse. Einstein, who sits atop the Week 15 NTRA Thoroughbred Poll conducted by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, is the 2-1 morning line favorite for this year’s marquee event and he’ll make a run at history.

The 7-year-old horse will attempt to become the first horse to win three consecutive Grade I races on three surfaces and a millionaire three times over (the $396,924 first prize would boost Einstein’s career earnings to $3,006,828). This year, he’s won Santa Anita Handicap over the synthetic Pro-Ride surface and the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic over the Matt Winn Turf Course on Kentucky Derby Day.

Einstein has a stiff challenge as the field of eight cumulatively boasts 21 graded stakes wins. Top opponents include international star Asiatic Boy-ARG, who’ll make his U.S. debut in the Foster; multiple Grade II champ Arson Squad, who’ll be ridden by Eclipse Award-winning jockey Garrett Gomez; and the flashy West Virginia invader Researcher, who’ll be piloted by red-hot Calvin Borel.

            Appropriately, the star-studded racing program will be accompanied by several special events for racing fans of all ages. They include:

¨      Between race salutes and trophy presentations to winning connections of this year’s Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks (the Oaks presentation will be after Race 4 at 2:21 p.m. and the Derby presentation will follow Race 5 at 2:53 p.m.), plus free autograph sessions with the Derby and Oaks victorious owners, trainers and jockey Calvin Borel;

¨      An appearance by famed horse racing cartoonist Pierre “Peb” Bellocq, who’ll be onsite to update his colorful Derby-winning jockey and trainer murals and sign purchased prints of those popular works;

¨      A special pre-race handicapping seminar and breakfast featuring a panel of horse racing experts;

¨      A free question and answer session with leading rider Julien Leparoux;

¨      Entertainment by The Stephen Foster Singers inside Gate 10 and live music by Artie Dean Harris in the paddock area;

¨      A petting zoo, pony rides, face painting and games for children at the track’s Junior Jockey Club;

¨      A between-race $100,000 check presentation by Churchill Downs Incorporated to Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure for funds raised at this year’s Kentucky Oaks (immediately after Race 6 at approximately 3:25 p.m.); and

¨      A special invitation-only “TwinSpires Day at Churchill Downs” in Skye Terrace 4 and Sections 115-116 for a select group of TwinSpires.com account holders.

            Churchill Downs will open admission gates Saturday at 11:30 a.m. (all times EDT) with the first of 11 live races scheduled for 12:45 p.m. Early arrivals can take part in free autograph sessions and/or handicapping seminars.

Borel, who scored a rare Oaks-Derby sweep aboard Rachel Alexandra and Mine That Bird, respectively, will be available to sign free autographs from 11:30 a.m. to about noon on the second floor of the clubhouse in front of Peb’s jockey mural. Meanwhile, Mine That Bird’s trainer Chip Woolley and owners Mark Allen and Dr. Leonard Blach and Rachel Alexandra’s former trainer Hal Wiggins and former owners Dolphus Morrison and Michael Lauffer will sign from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and between 3-4 p.m. 

            Customers also will have an opportunity to learn more about leading rider Julien Leparoux, the regular rider of Einstein. The 25-year-old Frenchman will be racing analyst Jill Byrne’s special guest for Saturday’s “Get in the Game” Handicapping Seminar. The half-hour session – free with general admission – will begin at noon in the paddock area and will feature informative and in-depth analysis of select races and other handicapping topics.

            A more in-depth Reunion Day Handicapping Seminar that’ll include race-by-race analysis of each Reunion Day stakes race will take place early Saturday at 9 a.m. in the Paddock Pavilion. For $15, fans will receive admission to the seminar and that afternoon’s races, continental breakfast, a reserved box seat, an official program, a gift bag and an entry into a drawing for door prizes. The expert panel will feature top trainer Dale Romans, Daily Racing Form’s Marty McGee, WHAS 84’s Paul Rogers and Churchill Downs’ John Asher and Jill Byrne.

There’s also fun for the entire family. Patrons who enter through Gate 10 will be entertained by The Stephen Foster Singers as they perform the legendary works of the famed composer who wrote “My Old Kentucky Home”. Meanwhile, Artie Dean Harris will play live music in the paddock area between 1-5 p.m.

A petting zoo, pony rides, face painting and games for children aged 3-10 will highlight Saturday’s activities at Churchill Downs’ Junior Jockey Club located near the Guest Services Booth inside Gate 10. The Junior Jockey Club is open every Saturday and Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Churchill Downs’ mascot Churchill Charlie will be on hand for photographs between 2-2:30 p.m. Coloring books, crayons, individual games and reading material are available as well.

Meanwhile, acclaimed Thoroughbred racing cartoonist Pierre Bellocq, better known to generations of horse racing fans as “Peb,” will update his colorful murals that depict every jockey and trainer that have won the Kentucky Derby. Peb will add Woolley to the trainer’s mural and update Borel’s image to reflect two victories as a jockey.

Between 1-2:30 p.m., Peb will be available for autographs and, for the first time, fans can purchase limited edition prints of his masterful trainer’s mural at cost for just $10. Additionally, the first 100 who purchase the trainer’s mural will also receive a complementary print of its 2005 companion piece, the jockey’s mural.

            Churchill Downs’ rapid-fire stakes action on Saturday will commence in Race 7 at approximately 3:57 p.m. and will encompass the final five races on the program. The Stephen Foster, carded as Race 10, is scheduled for 5:29 p.m.

According to the National Weather Service, Saturday’s Louisville forecast calls for mostly cloudy skies with a high near 84 degrees. There’s a small 30-percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m.

For more information, call (502) 636-4400 or log onto churchilldowns.com.

-30-

Jockey Calvin Borel is not assured of having a mount in the June 6 Belmont Stakes (Grade I), but the leadup to the third jewel of the Triple Crown will have his fingerprints all over it.
    Borel’s agent, Jerry Hissam, has a lot more on his plate these days than just lining up mounts for the popular rider.
    “He is going to New York on Tuesday June 2 to tape the ‘Late Show with David Letterman’ that will air June 5,” Hissam said. “CNN is shooting something this week for Belmont Day. NYRA has something on June 2 at Madison Square Garden and after the Belmont, ’60 Minutes’ is coming to shoot a 10- to 12-minute segment that is supposed to air in September.”
    All this action was made possible by Borel’s victories aboard Mine That Bird in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I) and Rachel Alexandra in the Kentucky Oaks (Grade I) and Preakness Stakes (Grade I).
 Borel has first call on Rachel Alexandra, but her connections have not commited to run in the Belmont. Trainer Chip Woolley of Mine That Bird is hoping to get Borel back if the filly doesn’t run and is expected to name a rider Monday.
Borel could become the first jockey to sweep the Triple Crown riding different horses, but to Hissam, his rider already has achieved a Triple Crown.
“He won the Oaks, Derby and Preakness,” Hissam said. “If he wins the Belmont, what would that be?”
Let’s call it a “Calvin Slam.”
Only one other rider has won the same three races in the same year as Borel and that was Don Brumfield in 1966. Brumfield rode Native Street to victory in the Oaks and then won the Derby and Preakness aboard Kauai King before finishing fourth aboard the Derby winner in the Belmont Stakes.

FANS HAVE CHANCE TO HEAR CALVIN WITH JILL BYRNE SATURDAY’S “GET IN THE GAME” SEMINAR – Popular Kentucky Derby and Preakness-winning jockey Calvin Borel will be Racing Analyst Jill Byrne’s special guest during Saturday’s free “Get in the Game” Handicapping Seminar at Churchill Downs.
The new weekly series takes place every Saturday in the paddock area at noon (EDT) and features informative and in-depth analysis of races and handicapping topics. Among Borel’s scheduled mounts on Saturday is a ride aboard veteran Brass Hat in the $100,000-added Louisville Handicap (GIII).

DERBY WINNER MINE THAT BIRD COULD WORK MONDAY – Double Eagle Ranch and Buena Suerte Equine’s Kentucky Derby Mine That Bird galloped two miles before the renovation break under exercise rider Charlie Figueroa.
    Trainer Chip Woolley said Mine That Bird may work Monday, “something light, like three-eighths. If he works, I’ll probably wait until after the break.”
    Also scheduled to work Monday is Preakness winner Rachel Alexandra, who galloped early Friday morning with Dominic Terry up.
    Woolley plans to give Mine That Bird his serious Belmont tune-up the following Monday, June 1, and send the gelding to New York by plane on Wednesday, June 3.
    Originally sold as a yearling for $9,500, Mine That Bird was purchased by his current connections for $400,000 last fall. His Derby victory and runner-up showing in the Preakness have attracted more interest.
    “We have had a couple of inquiries,” Woolley said.
    In recent Kentucky Derby lore, the highest price paid for a gelding was $750,000 by J.E. Jumonville Sr. for Real Dare in 1982. A sensation in his home state of Louisiana, Real Dare finished last in the Derby won by Gato Del Sol.

SUNDAY FEATURE HAS STAKES QUALITY FEEL – The Memorial Day Weekend offers two Grade III stakes in the Louisville Handicap on Saturday and Monday’s Winning Colors. Sunday’s feature, an allowance optional claiming race at 1 1/16th miles on the main track, offers up a salty field that includes five stakes winners.
    With the $600,000 Stephen Foster Handicap (Grade I) looming in three weeks, Sunday’s test could serve as a springboard to that event.
    “It’s a prep for something,” said Gary Thomas, trainer of Golden Yank. “I don’t know about the Foster; maybe the Cornhusker (on June 27 at Prairie Meadows).”
    Golden Yank has been idle since finishing ninth in the March 14 Mervyn Muniz Jr. Memorial (GII) on turf at Fair Grounds.
    “He got beat up and knocked around at New Orleans and we gave him some time off,” Thomas said. “Same thing happened when he ran here last year in the Jefferson Cup and in the million dollar race (the Delta Jackpot) at Delta (Downs) when he got hit from both sides.”
    Golden Yank’s most recent start on dirt came in a runner-up finish in Oaklawn Park’s Essex Handicap.  He lost to Prom Shoes, who also shows up in Sunday’s race.
    “We are just looking for a spot to run,” trainer William “Jinks” Fires said of Prom Shoes. “We’ll see how he comes out of it (before making a decision on the Foster).”
    Prom Shoes ran eighth in the Grade III Alysheba here on May 1 and Fires is looking for a better effort Sunday.
    “He didn’t run too good the last time,” Fires said. “There was no pace in the race and he needs pace to run at. I haven’t looked at the race yet, but I hope to see some pace in there Sunday.

BARN TALK – Robby Albarado moved one victory closer to the 4,000-win plateau on Thursday with a score on Handlethetruth in the fifth race. Albarado had 3,996 wins heading into Friday’s 11-race program.  He was scheduled for five mounts on Friday in his bid to become the 56th North American rider to reach 4,000 wins.
    Ken McPeek, with 999 career victories, will have two chances this afternoon to get No. 1,000. He saddles Chapel Affair in the fifth and Our Dahlia in the 10th.
    Bill Connelly, who has 998 career victories, saddles Mr. Brutus in the opener and Hungry Tigress in the 10th. Connelly also has a starter tonight at Indiana Downs, Patchen Prince in the sixth.

WORK TAB – Trainer Ian Wilkes had a couple of hopefuls for the Stephen Foster Super Saturday card turn in identical five furlong works of 1:02.40 over “fast” footing. Miss Isella, winner of two consecutive Grade II events under the Twin Spires – last November’s Falls City Handicap and the May 1 Louisville – prepped for the $200,000 Fleur De Lis (Grade II) and Warrior’s Reward, a Kentucky Oaks Day allowance winner, tuned up for the $100,000-added Northern Dancer (Grade III),

Churchill Downs has launched the official Web site for the 2009 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands, www.kentuckyderby.com, which will offer unparalleled coverage of the horse racing season leading up to the 135th running of the Kentucky Derby on May 2, 2009. [asset|height=12|width=1] Employing advanced Web technology, the site serves as an all-inclusive online resource for the entire Kentucky Derby experience, from in-depth contender information to full-scale treatment of the lavish entertainment and party atmosphere that surrounds the historic event.

“Kentuckyderby.com brings together all the different elements of the Kentucky Derby experience into one user-friendly site,” said Jeremy Borseth, senior director of channel services and Internet operations for Churchill Downs Incorporated.  “It pays tribute to the time-honored traditions and pageantry of the ‘Run for the Roses,’ while at the same time reflecting the latest online technology to help fans stay informed.  Whether you’re a passionate racing fan, a Derby party host, or a newcomer attracted to the Kentucky Derby scene, you’ll find everything you need at Kentuckyderby.com, including how to buy tickets, where to go, and what to see in Louisville.”

Among the new components of the official Kentucky Derby 135 Web site is an expanded lifestyle and entertainment section, which includes Red Carpet and Derby celebrity photo galleries, information on the official Kentucky Derby Party program, and insider’s peeks at Millionaires Row and the boisterous infield.  Kentuckyderby.com will also serve as the online home for an exciting array of Kentucky Derby 135 events and programs, which will be unveiled in the weeks ahead.

A focal point of the 2009 Kentucky Derby Web site remains the “contenders” pages, which include videos, photographs, detailed pedigree analyses, workout information, and past performances.  These pages are supplemented by an area dedicated to Kentucky Derby prep races, which provides complete previews and recaps of every major prep race on the Kentucky Derby trail, including video replays, video analysis by Churchill Downs experts, past performance charts, official results, and stakes recaps.  The site also contains exclusive analysis videos and interviews, as well as comprehensive historical archives of past runnings of the Kentucky Derby.

A user-friendly navigation bar near the top of the Kentucky Derby site home page provides quick links to Kentucky Derby and Oaks ticketing information, a summary of Derby history and traditions, and a link to the official online Kentucky Derby Store, located at www.kentuckyderby.com/store, where fans may purchase officially licensed Kentucky Derby 135 apparel and souvenirs.

One popular item returning in 2009 is a suite of advanced interactive online tools that link visitors to Kentucky Derby content available through YouTube, Facebook, and other popular social networking platforms.  The site will offer weekly video podcasts, also available through Apple’s iTunes and YouTube, to provide the latest information on all major Kentucky Derby prep races and contenders.  From the site’s download section, fans may also enjoy free access to wallpaper, ringtones, and a host of other Derby-themed applications.

John Asher, who serves as vice president of racing communications for Churchill Downs, will be joined by Churchill Downs analyst Jill Byrne and expert handicapper James Scully as racing analysts in place for the 2009 Kentucky Derby Web site.  Bloodstock Research Information Services, an industry-leading data services company owned by Churchill Downs Incorporated, is providing news content and pedigree information.  The site also features blogs by Justin Dew, who will analyze the racing and wagering aspects of the Kentucky Derby, and Caroline Smith, who will focus on the fashion and entertainment scene of Kentucky Derby 135.

The official Web site for the 135th running of the Kentucky Oaks, www.kentuckyoaks.com, is expected to launch in March 2009.

Kentuckyderby.com is the official Web site of the Kentucky Derby and is owned and operated by Churchill Downs Incorporated. As one of the world’s premier sporting events and the first leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown, the Kentucky Derby traditionally takes place on the first Saturday in May. The 135th running of this celebrated event is scheduled for May 2, 2009, at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.  Approximately 150,000 people attend the Kentucky Derby in person, with more than 20 million people tuning in via television and radio worldwide.

Churchill Downs, the world’s most legendary racetrack, has conducted Thoroughbred racing and presented America’s greatest race, the Kentucky Derby, continuously since 1875.  Located in Louisville, the flagship racetrack of Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ Global Select Market: CHDN) also operates Trackside at Churchill Downs, which offers year-round simulcast wagering at the historic track.  Churchill Downs will conduct the 135th running of the Kentucky Derby on May 2, 2009.  The track’s 2009 Spring Meet will take place from April 25 through July 5.  Churchill Downs is scheduled to host the Breeders’ Cup World Championships for a record seventh time on November 5 and 6, 2010.  Information about Churchill Downs can be found on the Internet at www.churchilldowns.com.