Kevin Flanery

Headed by the 138^th runnings of the $2 million-guaranteed Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I) and the $1 million-guaranteed Kentucky Oaks (GI), Churchill Downs’ schedule of stakes races for its April 28-July 1 Spring Meet will feature 24 events, total stakes purses of $7.275 million and an emphasis on ‘big event’ programs that include the first nighttime running of the multi-stakes event headed by the Stephen Foster Handicap, one of America’s top races for older horses.

All but one of the 24 Spring Meet stakes events has achieved graded stakes status, and five are Grade I contests topped by the Kentucky Derby, America’s greatest race, and its companion Kentucky Oaks.  The Grade I roster is rounded out by the $500,000-added Woodford Reserve Turf Classic and $300,000-added Humana Distaff, both set for their 26^th runnings on the Kentucky Derby Day program, and the Stephen Foster Handicap, which will carry a purse of $400,000-added when it makes its first appearance beneath Churchill Downs’ permanent lights when the 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-olds and up is run for the 31^st time on Saturday, June 16.

The spring schedule of stakes races at Churchill Downs features four multi-stakes race programs.  Total stakes purses for the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks programs, each featuring six stakes events, will be the largest in the history of those great American races.  Six stakes contests on the Derby Day program on Saturday, May 5, offer total purses $3.525 million, up from last year’s then-record of $3.4 million. Overall stakes purses for Kentucky Oaks Day, Friday, May 4, will surpass $2 million for the first time as its half-dozen stakes races are now worth a collective $2.05 million.  Oaks Day stakes purses hit the $2 million mark for the first time in 2011, when the value of the Kentucky Oaks, America’s top race for 3-year-old fillies, doubled to $1 million.

The value of stakes purses for the 2012 Spring Meet is down slightly from last year’s of total of $7.325 million for 25 races.  Purses for three 2012 races on the popular Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks Day programs have been increased, headed by a $100,000 boost for the Grade II Churchill Downs Stakes, a race for 4-year-olds and up at seven furlongs that is now worth $400,000-added.  Purses for five Spring Meet stakes races were adjusted downward, including a $100,000 reduction for the Stephen Foster Handicap and a $50,000 decrease for the Fleur de Lis Handicap (GII), a 1 1/8-mile race for fillies and mares ages three and up that is set to return from a one-year hiatus with a $150,000-added purse as one of four stakes races on the Stephen Foster Night program.

Nine of the 12 Spring Meet stakes races outside of its blockbuster Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks programs are scheduled to be run in prime time on a Saturday night.

"Our 2012 Spring Meet Stakes schedule at Churchill Downs is exciting in terms of the high quality events and wonderful possibilities offered to the fans who enjoy those races and the owners, trainers and jockeys who compete in them,” said Kevin Flanery, president of Churchill Downs Racetrack. “Our fans who support Churchill Downs racing at our track, through TwinSpires.com and other advance deposit wagering platforms, and at simulcast centers have shown us that they love big-event programs, so we’ve added a fourth multi-race stakes card to the schedule.  We’re eager to see how stakes races on each of our four ‘Downs After Dark’ night racing programs enhance those Saturdays of racing under the lights.

“But our stakes purses are basically flat to last year’s total, and we’ve had to do some adjusting within our available purse funds to make the overall schedule of our top races as attractive as possible to both horsemen and racing fans. The schedule continues to offer strong events in every division of horses, but the lack of growth in those purses continues to reflect the challenges Churchill Downs and Kentucky’s horse industry face in the continued growth of direct gaming competition from neighboring and other racing markets that benefit from gaming revenues.”

The 2012 Spring Meet will kick off on Saturday, April 28 with the “Opening Night” celebration under the lights that launches both the spring racing session and Kentucky Derby Week.  The evening’s racing highlight is the 88^th running of the $200,000-added The Cliff’s Edge Derby Trial (Grade III), the one-mile race for 3-year-olds that is the final major prep for the Kentucky Derby.  Last year’s debut of “Opening Night” attracted 38,142 fans, which was the largest crowd in the short history of night racing beneath the Twin Spires and a record for a non-Derby/Oaks/Breeders’ Cup program.

All four night racing programs during the Spring Meet are scheduled on Saturdays and will, for the first time, feature graded stakes races along their array of “Downs After Dark” dining and entertainment options.

A quartet of stakes races with total purses of $750,000 is set for the Stephen Foster Handicap “Downs After Dark’ night racing program on Saturday, June 16.  Along with its main event and the return of the Fleur de Lis, Stephen Foster Night will offer a pair of Grade III contests in $100,000-added Matt Winn, a 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-olds, and the $100,000-added Regret for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles on grass.  A trio of $100,000-added stakes races is set for the “Downs After Dark” celebration on Saturday, June 2. And the “Downs After Dark” finale on Saturday, June 30 will feature the historic 111^th running of the $100,000-added Bashford Manor (GIII) for 2-year-olds at six furlongs.

Other changes in the purse or status of races on the 2012 Spring Meet stakes schedule include:

• Purse hikes for two Kentucky Derby Day stakes races: a $100,000 boost to the Churchill Downs Stakes (GII) making it worth $400,000-added, and a $25,000 increase for Twin Spires Turf Sprint Presented by GE - Appliances & Lighting (GIII), which now has a purse of $125,000;

• The $300,000-added Alysheba Presented by Besilu Stables on Kentucky Oaks Day has been elevated to Grade II status, and the purse for the ungraded Edgewood Presented by Kentucky Naational Insurance on the same day has jumped to $150,000-added, an increase of $50,000;
• The purse for the Firecracker Handicap (GII), the featured event on the meet’s closing day program on Sunday, July 1, has been reduced by $25,000 to $150,000-added;
• Purses for the $100,000-added Regret and $100,000-added Matt Winn on Stephen Foster Night were reduced by $25,000 each;
• Two stakes run in 2011 – the $100,000-added Dogwood (GIII) for 3-year-old fillies and the $100,000-added Jefferson Cup (GIII) for 3-year-olds on turf – are on hiatus for at least a year.

Click here for the complete 2012 Spring Meet Stakes Schedule

Julian Logan “Buck” Wheat, Churchill Downs’ Director of Horsemen’s Relations long known as the “Mayor of the Backside” at the home of the Kentucky Derby, died Wednesday afternoon of complications from injuries suffered in a Tuesday fall at his home.  Wheat was 78.

The Churchill Downs veteran, whose career at the track in various roles spanned more than 60 years, died at approximately 2:10 p.m. (EST) at University of Louisville Hospital, where he had been treated since he was found unconscious in his home following his Tuesday accident.  Family members said Wheat did not appear to be seriously injured following the mishap, but they became concerned when he could not be contacted later in the day.  He was rushed to the hospital after family members went to Wheat’s home to check on him, but he never regained consciousness.

Wheat apparently suffered serious head injuries in that fall.

Known simply as “Buck” to owners, trainers, jockeys and fans of every type, Wheat was the son of trainer Logan Wheat and launched a formal association with Churchill Downs that would last most of his life when he took a job as an usher at the age of 16 in 1949.  He attempted to follow in his father’s footsteps as a trainer for a few years, but accepted the post of Director of Horsemen’s Relations at Churchill Downs in 1986.   That post – in which Wheat served as the initial contact for owners and trainers who brought their horses to compete at Churchill Downs in the Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks and other races throughout the year – became the signature job of his long career.  Despite occasional health concerns in recent years, Wheat held that position at the time of his death.

“We could not begin to name, or even count, all of the people who have worked at Churchill Downs in one capacity or another since our track opened in 1875, but Buck Wheat is part of a very small number who became a true part of the fabric of this institution and the Kentucky Derby,” said Kevin Flanery, president of Churchill Downs Racetrack.  “Buck was a friend to all who had the good fortune to cross his path, and a great ambassador for Churchill Downs, the Derby and the horse industry and his efforts went far beyond his listed duties.  We will forever miss the one and only ‘Mayor of the Backside.’  As a friend and co-worker, Buck Wheat is simply irreplaceable.”

Wheat’s work as Director of Horsemen’s Relations frequently wandered far beyond the formal job description for that post.  Throughout his time at Churchill Downs, Wheat greeted fans and dignitaries from all walks of life on visits to the track’s stable area and served as an unofficial ambassador for the historic track, the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky’s signature horses industry.  His activities included work as a guide on countless tours by groups and individuals through the track’s stable area, and those efforts led Wheat to his unofficial title of “Mayor of the Backside.”  Many of his tours, speaking engagements and other activities benefited charitable organizations and causes.

He was honored several times for his work at Churchill Downs and never-ending charitable activities.  The most recent of those honors came earlier this year during Kentucky Derby Week when Wheat received the “Dean Eagle Award” from Knights of Columbus Bishop Spalding Council No. 2761.  That award, named for the late Courier-Journal sports columnist Dean Eagle, annually honors individuals for their contributions to the Thoroughbred racing industry.  Previous winners of that award include Hall of Fame and Kentucky Derby-winng trainers trainers D. Wayne Lukas, Bob Baffert, Nick Zito, Bill Mott, Carl Nafzger, MacKenzie Miller and Woody Stephens; owners Seth Hancock of Claiborne Farm, the late William T. Young and Penny Chenery of Secretariat fame; jockeys Steve Cauthen and Pat Day; and even Secretariat himself, the legendary winner of the 1973 Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown.

In 2001, Dogwood Stable honored Wheat with its “Dogwood Dominion Award,” which annually recognizes “unsung heroes” of the horse industry.  As he handed the award to Wheat, Dogwood Stable’s W. Cothran “Cot” Campbell said, “’Unsung hero’ is Buck Wheat’s middle name.”

Wheat is survived by three children: Denise, Kevin and Dennis; five grandchildren and one great-grandchild; and Barbara Passafiume, his first wife and the mother of his three children.  Among Wheat’s countless friends is his special companion, Debbie Hunt, who shared many joyous moments and special events with Buck and his family and friends in recent years.

Funeral arrangements have not been finalized, but family members say there will be no memorial service until after Christmas holiday.

Twenty-eight outstanding Metro Louisville area high school students – all members of the 2011 class of Churchill Downs Governor’s Scholars (“CDGS”) – will be welcomed and honored at Churchill Downs, the famed home of the Kentucky Derby, during a reception at the track on Thursday, Nov. 17.

The students will be joined by their parents, family members and representatives of their respective schools in a reception at the historic track to celebrate their participation in the Churchill Downs Governor’s Scholars Program, which has funded participation in the overall Kentucky Governor’s Scholars Program for nearly 300 students since it was launched in 2001.

The reception for this year’s class of Churchill Downs Governor’s Scholars is set for 11 a.m. (EST) in the Trophy Room on the fifth floor of the Churchill Downs Clubhouse.  The 2011 CDGS class members will be honored by dignitaries that include Kevin Flanery; president of Churchill Downs; Dr. Aris Cedeno, academic dean of the Kentucky Governor’s Scholars program; Rep. Darryl Owens, chairman of the Jefferson County legislative delegation, and other local lawmakers.

The overall Kentucky Governor’s Scholars Program is funded by the Kentucky Legislature and corporate and private donors, but the Churchill Downs Governor’s Scholars initiative is unique in that it exclusively funds the participation in the overall program for students who have overcome personal adversity, illness and other life challenges to become high achievers in their personal lives and academic pursuits.  The Churchill Downs Governor’s Scholars program funds the participation of one student from each of the Kentucky legislative districts in Jefferson County, some of which extend into surrounding counties.

Established in 1983, the Kentucky Governor’s Scholars Program allows more than 1,000 participating high school students from across the Commonwealth to spend five weeks on a Kentucky college campus between their junior and senior years to take part in an intense program of hands-on academic studies, leadership building activities and co-curricular programs.

Students are selected to participate in the program free of charge. The mission of the Kentucky Governor’s Scholars Program is to enhance Kentucky's next generation of civic and economic leaders. The 2011 leadership programs were conducted on the campuses of Bellarmine University in Louisville, Danville’s Centre College and Murray State University. 

Fewer than three months after a tornado roared the stable area at historic Churchill Downs, restoration and repair work on barns damaged by the storm’s winds is complete and horses are moving into those structures to prepare for competition during the track’s Oct. 30-Nov. 27 Fall Meet.

Churchill Downs had established a target date of Sept. 15 for the completion of the barn repairs, and crews from Louisville-based Hall Contracting accomplished that task.  The project included major repairs on 6 ½ barns that were deemed uninhabitable by city safety officials following the storm that hit the track on the evening of Wednesday, June 22.  Despite the major damage inflicted by the storm, no injuries to horses or humans were attributed to the tornado and the track missed only one day of racing in its aftermath.

National Weather Service officials in Louisville said the Churchill Downs tornado packed top winds of 105 miles-per-hour as it tore through the stables and significantly damaged a group of barns constructed in the 1940’s.  The tornado was rated as an FI storm on the Fujita Scale, the official classification system for tornado damage.

The storm caused approximately $1 to $1.5 million in damage  The structures impacted the most were Barns 21, 23, 24, 26, 28, 40 and 5, as well as the stable area’s chapel.

“This is a very special day for Churchill Downs, our horsemen and all who felt the impact of the tornado that hit our track on an evening that five of those storms took Kentucky and Southern Indiana by surprise,” said Churchill Downs Racetrack President Kevin Flanery.  “We continue to consider the fact that no horses or humans were injured in the tornado to be miraculous, but the completion of repair work on our damaged barns during a very narrow window of time is also remarkable.

"A long list of partners headed by Louisville’s Hall Contracting, Luckett & Farley architects, our horsemen and our Churchill Downs team made major contributions to this effort and worked hard to make the goal of getting horses back into these barns by Sept. 15 a reality.  We thank those partners and every individual, public agency, and the many community and church groups that reached out to offer help to our track and support the individuals impacted by the tornado in the hours after the storm and during the following weeks and months that led to this special day.”

Flanery also thanked the Louisville Metro Police Department, Louisville Fire Department, Louisville Gas & Electric (LG & E), the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission and representatives of the Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau for their contributions to the recovery effort in the hours following the surprise storm.

The completion of the restoration and repairs of the tornado-damaged barns allows stables and horses to return to the track and resume normal training in preparation for Churchill Downs’ 21-day Fall Meet.  The meet will be highlighted by the unprecedented eighth visit by the Breeders’ Cup World Championships to Louisville on Nov. 4-5 and the 137^th running of the $500,000-added Clark Handicap (Grade I) on Friday, Nov. 25.

The 137th running of the Kentucky Oaks (Grade I) at Churchill Downs will be the richest in history as the purse for America’s most prestigious race for 3-year-old fillies has been raised to $1 million guaranteed, which doubles the purse offered in 2010.

The record-setting Kentucky Oaks, scheduled for Friday, May 6, and the $2 million guaranteed Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI), the nation’s greatest race and one of America’s top entertainment events, head a schedule of 25 stakes races with total purses of $7.325 million set for Churchill Downs 2011 Spring Meet.  The 39-day meet opens with the first Kentucky Derby Week night racing event on Saturday, April 30 and will conclude with an Independence Day racing program on Monday, July 4.

The record purse for the Kentucky Oaks will make the 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-old fillies the richest American race in that division. The increase will help boost the value of purses for six stakes races scheduled on the Oaks Day program to a record $2 million.  That total is second at Churchill Downs only to Kentucky Derby Day, which also features six graded stakes races – three of which are Grade I events – with total purses of $3.4 million.

“There is no weekend in American racing like Kentucky Oaks and Derby Weekend, and it is exciting to raise the purse for the Oaks to a level that reflects its status and importance as a sports and entertainment event,” said Kevin Flanery, president of Churchill Downs Racetrack.  “The Oaks has enjoyed spectacular growth in recent years and the 2010 running won by Blind Luck was one of its greatest renewals.  The 2010 attracted a record crowd of 116,046 and all sources wagering set records with $10.6 million bet on the Oaks race, and $30.6 million was wagered on the entire Oaks card, a jump of 20 percent from the previous record.  The Oaks ranked eighth in the U.S. in betting on a single race in 2010, and wagering on the entire Oaks card ranked sixth.  Along with its wagering success, the Oaks clearly stands on its own as a spectacular entertainment event, and the fundraising partnership with Susan G. Komen for the Cure® and national television coverage on Bravo have opened doors to new fans of America’s greatest race for 3-year-old fillies.

“While some stakes races have gone on hiatus and others have had slight adjustments in purse levels, our overall stakes schedule is strong and attractive, and our ‘big event days’ – the Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks and Stephen Foster Handicap – head a roster of stakes races that offers wonderful opportunities for horsemen in nearly every division.”

he 2011 Churchill Downs Spring Meet kicks off with a spectacular racing and entertainment program under the track’s permanent lights that features the $200,000-added The Cliff’s Edge Derby Trial.  The Grade III Derby Trial is the final major prep for the Kentucky Derby, which will be run a week later.  The opening night celebration that kicks off the Spring Meet will be the first Derby Week racing session conducted under the lights in Churchill Downs history.

The last purse increase for the Kentucky Oaks came in 1996, when the purse was raised to $500,000-added for the race won by Pike Place Dancer.

Three straight Kentucky Oaks winners – Rachel Alexandra (2009), Proud Spell (2008) and Rags to Riches (2007) – went on earn Eclipse Awards as champion 3-year-old filly.  Two of those – Rachel Alexandra and Rags to Riches – defeated males in Triple Crown events in their next start as Rachel Alexandra won the Preakness (GI) on her way to Horse of the Year honors, and Rags to Riches defeated eventual Horse of the Year Curlin in the Belmont Stakes (GI).  Blind Luck, the 2010 winner, is a finalist to become the fourth consecutive filly to pull off that double when the 2010 Eclipse Award winners are revealed on Monday, Jan. 17, in Miami.

Other recent stars who won the Kentucky Oaks on their way to 3-year-old championship honors include Ashado (2004), Bird Town (’03), Farda Amiga (’02), Silverbulletday (’99), Open Mind (’89), and Tiffany Lass (’86).  Fillies that failed to win the Oaks but went on to earn Eclipse Award championship honors at the conclusion of their 3-year-old seasons include Wait A While (3rd in 2006), Banshee Breeze (2nd in ’98), and Go for Wand (2nd in 1990).

Along with the doubling of the Kentucky Oaks purse, other changes from last year in the 2011 Spring Meet stakes program include:

• Purses have been increased for the Churchill Downs Presented by Navistar (GII), which will grow by $50,000 to $300,000-added; the Alysheba Presented by Besilu Stables (GIII), which increases from $150,000-added to $300,000-added; and the American Turf (GII), which jumps by $25,000 to $200,000-added;
•  Purses will be lower for the Stephen Foster Handicap (GI), which carries a purse of $500,000-added, a reduction of $100,000; and the La Troienne (GII), which drops by $100,000 to $300,000-added.  The La Troienne decrease reflects a loss of $100,000 in Breeders’ Cup Stakes Program funding;
• The race previously known as the Northern Dancer is now named the Matt Winn, in honor of the legendary president of Churchill Downs who became known as “Mr. Derby” for his work in transforming the Kentucky Derby and its home track into international sports and entertainment icons during his 1902-1949 tenure at the track;
• Four races – the Fleur De Lis (GII), Kentucky Juvenile (GIII), the Locust Grove Handicap (GIII) and the race previously known as the Matt Winn – will go on hiatus for this year;
• The Edgewood Presented by Forcht Bank, a $100,000-added turf race for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles, returns after a one-year hiatus and will be run on Kentucky Oaks Day;
•  The $100,000-added Eight Belles Presented by ACS, A Xerox Company (GIII) will move from Kentucky Derby Day to Kentucky Oaks Day, and its distance has been changed to seven furlongs from its recent 7 ½ furlongs, and
• The five-furlong, Grade III Turf Sprint run in recent years on Kentucky Oaks Day has been moved to Kentucky Derby Day and is now named the Twin Spires Turf Sprint.

“It was difficult to place four quality stakes events on hiatus for this year, but our racing team
looked very closely at our events and stakes schedules at other tracks in our region and around the United States and that allowed us to put together the strongest possible stakes schedule for 2011,”  Flanery said.  “Of the 25 races on our 2011 stakes schedule, 16 are scheduled on those ‘big event days’ surrounding the Derby, Oaks and Stephen Foster.  These big days have proven extremely popular with fans and horsemen, as are our ‘Downs After Dark’ night racing programs.  The record $1 million purse should make the Kentucky Oaks even more attractive to fans, owners and trainers, and we are very excited about our Spring Meet kickoff under the lights and this year’s running of The Cliff’s Edge Derby Trial, an important prep that could have an impact on the field for the Kentucky Derby.”

The stakes schedule for Churchill Downs 21-day Fall Meet, which runs from Oct. 30-Nov. 2 and will include the two-day Breeders’ Cup World Championships on for the second consecutive year on Nov. 4-5, will be announced later this year.

Churchill Downs Racetrack and Yum! Brands (NYSE: YUM) today announced a five-year extension of their 2006 agreement that made the world’s largest restaurant company the first named presenting sponsor of the $2 million-guaranteed Kentucky Derby, the historic track’s signature race and one of the country’s  major sports and entertainment events.

Under the agreement negotiated by the two Louisville, Ky.-based companies, the race will again be run as the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands when it is renewed for the 137th consecutive year on Saturday, May 7, at Churchill Downs.  It will be the sixth consecutive Kentucky Derby in which Yum! Brands has served as the Kentucky Derby’s presenting sponsor.

Terms of the extended agreement were not released.

The first major Kentucky Derby sponsorship contract between Churchill Downs and Yum! Brands was announced on Feb. 1, 2006, and the agreement announced today will continue the partnership through 2015.  Churchill Downs, which opened with the running of the first Kentucky Derby on May 17, 1875, is the flagship racetrack of Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ: CHDN). Yum! Brands, a Fortune 500 company that operates more than 37,000 restaurants in 110 countries, is the parent company of KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and Long John Silver’s.

“Churchill Downs is very pleased to have reached this agreement with Yum! Brands, a great corporate citizen in our hometown, that extends its presenting sponsorship of the Kentucky Derby for five more years,” said Kevin Flanery, president of Churchill Downs Racetrack.  “Our partnership with Yum! Brands has been positive for both companies and good for the Kentucky Derby, an event that is a great American tradition and a springtime sports party known and loved around the world.”

“YUM Brands is pleased to renew our presenting sponsorship of the Kentucky Derby, the greatest two minutes in sports,” said Jonathan Blum, Senior Vice President, YUM Brands, Inc.  “While millions of people know and love our leading restaurant brands, they may not know YUM Brands.  The sponsorship of the Kentucky Derby allows us to build awareness of YUM, the world’s largest restaurant company.”

The Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands is coming off a very successful renewal on May 1, 2010, when, a crowd of 155,804 braved a daylong rain to witness a victory by WinStar Farm’s homebred Super Saver.  The Derby 136 winner provided Kentucky-based WinStar Farm and trainer Todd Pletcher with their first victories in the “Run for the Roses”, while jockey Calvin Borel won the race for the third time in four years. 

Total wagering on the 2010 Kentucky Derby was $112.7 million, an increase of 7.8 percent from the previous year.  Total wagering from all sources on the 13-race Kentucky Derby Day card at Churchill Downs was $162.7 million, an increase of 4.3 percent from the $156.0 million wagered a year earlier.

The Kentucky Derby is the only race in North America to attract wagering of more than $100 million.   The Derby’s attendance figure for 2010 marked the 10th time – and the sixth consecutive year – that America’s greatest race had attracted a crowd in excess of 150,000.

The presenting sponsorship agreement will not impact the purse of the Kentucky Derby, which stands at $2 million guaranteed.  But, like Churchill Downs’ previous agreement with Yum! Brands, owners and trainers who race their horses at Churchill Downs’ Spring and Fall Meets will benefit as a portion of the sponsorship’s revenues will go to race purses through a formula agreed upon in the most recent agreement between the track and horsemen.

Continuing her quest for perfection in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic  and reign among the greatest names in sports history, the undefeated Zenyatta leads the list of a record 184 horses pre-entered, 26  from overseas, for the 2010 Breeders’ Cup World Championships.

The 27th Breeders’ Cup World Championships, Thoroughbred racing’s most prestigious global event, consisting of 14 races and purses totaling $26 million over the two-day event, will be held at Churchill Downs on Friday, Nov. 5 and Saturday, Nov. 6. This will be a record seventh time that Churchill Downs will host the Championships.

The Breeders’ Cup will be televised live on ABC/ESPN and in more than 130 foreign countries.

“The overall depth and quality of this year’s pre-entered fields are higher than at any previous occasion,” said Tom Robbins, Chairman of the Breeders’ Cup Racing Directors/Secretaries Panel. “The international contingent is particularly strong and is bolstered by high ratings for Zenyatta, Workforce and Goldikova.”

In perhaps the most dramatic moment in Breeders’ Cup history, Zenyatta came from last to first to win the 2009 Breeders’ Cup Classic, becoming the first female to capture the race, and the first horse to win two different Breeders’ Cup races. (In 2008, she was the winner of the Ladies’ Classic.) Brought out of a brief retirement by her owners Jerry and Ann Moss, Zenyatta returned as a 6-year-old mare this year and has won all five of her starts to increase her unbeaten streak to 19 consecutive races. Under the care of trainer John Shirreffs, Zenyatta captured the Santa Margarita at Santa Anita, the Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park, the Vanity at Hollywood Park, the Clement Hirsch at Del Mar and most recently the Lady’s Secret by a half-length at the Oak Tree meeting at Hollywood Park. Tiznow, in 2000 and 2001, is the only horse to win back-to-back Classics.

If Zenyatta is to repeat, she will have to do it against one of the strongest Classic fields ever assembled. Among the 16 horses pre-entered for the 1 ¼ mile race is  Adele Dilschneider’s and Claiborne Farm’s 4-year-old Blame, winner of the Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs and the Whitney Handicap at Saratoga, before finishing second in the Jockey Club Gold Cup; the Bob Baffert-trained Lookin at Lucky, the nation’s top 3-year-old, who won the Preakness Stakes, the Haskell Invitational and the Indiana Derby; the 4-year-old Quality Road, who had to be scratched at the gate prior to last year’s Classic, but returned this year with sparkling victories in the Donn Handicap, the Metropolitan Handicap and the Woodward Stakes, and the versatile 5-year-old Gio Ponti, who finished second to Zenyatta in last year’s Classic and was both champion older male and champion turf horse of 2009. Trained by Christophe Clement, Gio Ponti has two grade I stakes victories on turf this year in the Man O’ War at Belmont and the Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland.

Others prominent in the pre-entered Classic field are Haynesfield, a front running 4-year-old who defeated Blame in the Jockey Club Gold Cup; Fly Down, second in the Travers Stakes and Paddy O’Prado, the top 3-year-old American turf horse, and also third in this year’s Kentucky Derby. The Classic is brought further intrigue by the Japanese 5-year-old Espoir City (JPN), who won last year’s Japan Cup Dirt and was twice victorious in three 2010 starts.      

Zenyatta is not the only superstar shooting for an unprecedented third consecutive Breeders’ Cup win. Alain and Gerard Wertheimer’s 5-year-old Goldikova (IRE) is seeking her third consecutive $2 million TVG Breeders’ Cup Mile on turf, leading the charge of overseas participants in this year’s Breeders’ Cup. In 2009, European horses won six Breeders’ Cup races. Goldikova, trained by Freddy Head, has won four of five starts this year, three of them over males in the Prix d’Ispahan at Longchamp, the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot, and most recently, the Prix de la Foret at Longchamp. Challenging Goldikova will be Juddmonte Farms’ 5-year-old mare Proviso (GB), who has won her last four starts on the turf this year for trainer Bill Mott, including the Frank Kilroe Mile over males at Santa Anita Park; Woodbine Mile winner Court Vision, who was fourth in last year’s TVG Mile and Paco Boy (IRE), a formidable rival to Goldikova this year, having lost the Prix de la Foret to her by just a half-length. Gio Ponti is also pre-entered in the Mile as a second preference.

There has yet to be a winner of both the Arc de Triomphe and the Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Turf in the same year, but trainer Sir Michael Stoute is going to try with Khalid Abdullah’s 3-year-old Workforce (GB), who also captured the Epsom Derby earlier this year. The $3 million Breeders’ Cup Turf, run at 1 ½ miles on the Matt Winn Turf course, will also have Behkabad (FR), who qualified for the race by winning the Prix Niel at Longchamp through the Breeders’ Cup Challenge series and also won the Grand Prix de Paris. Two other Breeders’ Cup Challenge winners who have been pre-entered for the Turf are Debussy (IRE), winner of the Arlington Million for trainer John Gosden and Champ Pegasus, who won the Clement Hirsch at Oak Tree at Hollywood Park. Winchester, winner of both the Manhattan Handicap and the Turf Classic at Belmont Park, has also been pre-entered.

On Championship Friday, for the first time ever, the Breeders’ Cup will finish under the lights, and the focus will be on the female races, headlined by the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic at 1 1/8 miles.

Leading the field is the fast closing 3-year-old filly Blind Luck, who has won five races this year, including the Kentucky Oaks, the Delaware Oaks and the Alabama Stakes for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer. Contrasted with Blind Luck is the front running 5-year-old mare Life At Ten, who has been beaten just once this year in six starts. Trained by Todd Pletcher, who leads all trainers with 11 pre-entered horses, Life At Ten has captured two grade 1 races this year in the Ogden Phipps and the Beldame Stakes.

Juddmonte Farms’ Midday (GB) came from Great Britain to Santa Anita last year and scored a one-length victory in the $2 million Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf. Midday is back as one of six previous Breeders’ Cup Champions pre-entered for this year’s event (along with Zenyatta, Goldikova, California Flag, Informed Decision and Forever Together), and she appears stronger than ever in facing a tough international cast. Trained by Henry Cecil, the 4-year-old filly has won three times in four starts in 2010, including consecutive Group 1 victories in the Nassau Stakes, the Yorkshire Oaks and the Prix Vermeille.  She will face the likes of the French 4-year-old filly Plumania (GB) who defeated male rivals in the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud and was second to Midday in the Prix Vermeille. The 3-year-old Harmonious, trained by Shirreffs, could also be dangerous in this race with grade 1 wins to her credit in the American Oaks at Hollywood Park, and recently, the Queen Elizabeth II at Keeneland. Japan will be represented by the 4-year-old Red Desire (JPN), third in last year’s Japan Cup and third earlier this month in the Flower Bowl at Belmont Park after a five-month layoff.

The competition in the $2 million Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at 1 1/16 miles shapes up as a battle among a pair of two-year-old stars on each coast. In the East, Boys at Tosconova was the summer’s early star after capturing the Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga, but the latest Eastern star is Repole Stable’s Uncle Mo, a dominant 4 3/4-length winner of the Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park for trainer Todd Pletcher.   In California, Gem Stable’s J P’s Gusto dominated the Western division with wins in the Best Pal and Del Mar Futurity before being upset by Zayat Stables’ Jaycito by one length in the Norfolk Stakes at Oak Tree at Hollywood Park.

Trainer Bob Baffert has won the $2 million Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies two times. This year he sends out Zayat Stables’ A Z Warrior, winner of the Frizette Stakes at Belmont Park. The Todd Pletcher-trained R Heat Lightning was the favorite in that race following a victory in the Spinaway. From Florida comes the undefeated Awesome Feather, a winner of five career starts and most recently an
8 1/4-length victory in the My Dear Girl Stakes at Calder.

The $2 million Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Sprint at 6 furlongs appears wide open with Smiling Tiger, winner of two grade 1 races in the Bing Crosby at Del Mar and the Ancient Title at Oak Tree at Hollywood Park the top runner from the West. The 5-year-old Kinsale King journeyed from California this spring to win the Golden Shaheen Stakes in Dubai.

The $1 million Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at 7 furlongs drew 22 pre-entered horses. The Jonathan Sheppard-trained Informed Decision is back to defend her title following a hard charge to finish third in the Thoroughbred Club of America at Keeneland behind the 5-year-old mare Dubai Majesty. Others who could figure prominently in the wide open race are the 3-year-old Test Stakes winner Champagne d’Oro and Ballerina Stakes winner Rightly So.

The $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile also appears to be wide open. The 5-year-old Tizway arrives off a five-length victory in the one mile Kelso at Belmont Park. Here Comes Ben, a 4-year-old Street Cry (IRE) colt, has won his last four races, capping the streak with the grade I Forego at Saratoga. D. Wayne Lukas, the leading all-time Breeders’ Cup trainer with 18 victories, has also pre-entered 2009 Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird.

California Flag seeks to win a second $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at 5 furlongs, the shortest of the 14 races, for trainer Brian Koriner. The 6-year-old gelding faces Woodford winner Silver Timber and the 3-year-old filly Rose Catherine, a winner of five races this year.

A maximum of 14 starters are allowed in each of the 14 Breeders’ Cup World Championships races. Breeders’ Cup Limited has adopted a field selection system to select runners in the event fields are oversubscribed. This system ranks horses in order of preference based on (i) Breeders’ Cup Challenge race winners, (ii) a point system, and (iii) the judgment of a panel of racing experts.  The field selection system was implemented following the taking of pre-entries on Monday, Oct. 25, to officially rank the oversubscribed fields.  The Racing Secretaries and Directors Panel (the “Panel”) will ranked all the horses pre-entered in the oversubscribed races.  After pre-entry, any vacancies in the fields will be filled by horses in order of panel preference. Entry for the Breeders’ Cup World Championships races will be Tuesday, Nov. 2 by 10:00 a.m. (ET).  At the time of entry a maximum of 14 horses will be accepted for entry in each race based on the order of preference in the rankings established at pre-entry. 

The complete list of pre-entries for the races of the 2010 Breeders' Cup World Championships at Churchill Downs is available on the official Breeders' Cup Web site.

There will be up to two (2) also-eligible horses for each Championship race. The also-eligible horses will be designated in accordance with the Breeders’ Cup Racing Directors/Secretaries Panel’s order of preference for each Championship race that is oversubscribed at the time of pre-entry. Scratch time for all Championships races to be contested on both Championship Friday and Championship Saturday will be 7:00 a.m. ET, Friday, Nov. 5. 

For the first time in its history the Breeders’ Cup World Championships will be held at Churchill Downs, Inc (“CDI”) in consecutive years as officials from Breeders’ Cup Ltd, Churchill Downs and Commonwealth of Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear made the announcement at a news conference this morning at the racetrack.

The 2011 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, Thoroughbred racing’s most prestigious two-day event, annually attracts the best horses from North America and Europe. It is the richest prize money event in sports, with more than $26 million in purses offered over the two-day event, which will be held on Friday, Nov. 4 and Saturday, Nov. 5. 2011. The Breeders’ Cup will be televised on ABC/ESPN and to more than 130 countries around the world.

The 28th Breeders’ Cup will mark a record eighth time that the Championships will be held at Churchill Downs - the legendary home of the Kentucky Derby. This year’s Breeders’ Cup will be conducted on Nov. 5, 6.  Previous editions of the Breeders’ Cup were held at Churchill Downs in 1988, 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000 and in 2006.   The previous six runnings have had an average attendance of 73,556, with an all-time single day Breeders’ Cup crowd of 80,452 at the 1998 event. The 2006 event, which was attended by 76,132 fans, also produced all-time Breeders’ Cup records for single day on-track handle, $18,259,971, and the total worldwide single day wagering mark of $140,332,198. 

“I am thrilled that Kentucky’s iconic Churchill Downs, home of the legendary Kentucky Derby, has been selected to host the 2011 Breeders’ Cup World Championships,” said Gov. Steve Beshear. “The 28th Breeders Cup will mark a record eight times that Churchill has hosted the Breeders’ Cup and will be the first time it has hosted this prestigious race for two consecutive years. Jane and I congratulate Churchill Downs on this accomplishment and we look forward to joining the thousands of spectators who will attend these events.”

Governor Beshear was joined by Breeders’ Cup Chairman William S. Farish Jr. and Breeders’ Cup President and Chief Executive Officer Greg Avioli, Churchill Downs Incorporated President and Chief Executive Officer Robert Evans, Bill Carstanjen, Chief Operating Officer of Churchill Downs, Inc., and Churchill Downs Racetrack President Kevin Flanery.

“The prospect of consecutive years at Churchill Downs combined with Kentucky’s strong business climate and legislative incentives are sure to make the event a tremendous success for the Breeders’ Cup, greater Louisville and the state,” said Breeders’ Cup Chairman William S. Farish, Jr.  “Churchill Downs continues to be one of the world’s greatest racing facilities, and is extremely popular with our horsemen and fans. We are enjoying an excellent relationship with Bob Evans and the Churchill management team. On behalf of our Board and Trustees and the racing and breeding industry which benefit the Breeders’ Cup, we appreciate Churchill’s continued enthusiasm and support in extending our relationship for the 2011 World Championships.”

“The return of the Breeders’ Cup for a second consecutive year in 2011 is good news for Kentucky and Churchill Downs as it underscores the importance of the event and our track to life and the economic vitality in our state and region,” said Evans.  “Nearly a half-million fans from around the world have witnessed some of racing’s most dramatic moments during the record six previous visits by the Breeders’ Cup to our historic track.  From its first stop in 1988, the Breeders’ Cup at Churchill Downs has been one of our industry’s greatest celebrations and its return in 2011 provides another wonderful economic development opportunity for our city, state and region.  We are pleased to welcome the two-day Breeders’ Cup championship in 2011 to complete its first back-to-back visits to Churchill Downs and our city.”

Over the past four years, the, Breeders’ Cup World Championships has experienced unprecedented growth, with total races expanding from eight to 14, and total purses increasing from $14 million to $26 million. This year’s Breeders’ Cup will be the first at Churchill under the two-day format. It will also be the first Breeders’ Cup in which both days of the Championships will finish under the lights. 

Churchill Downs will offer fans of the $2 million-guaranteed Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I) a trio of opportunities in February and March to make a lucrative early bet on the winner of this year’s “Run for the Roses” and one chance to take a stand on the 3-year-old filly that will succeed Rachel Alexandra as the winner of the $500,000-added Kentucky Oaks (GI).

The historic Louisville track has announced dates for three wagering pools for the Kentucky Derby Future Wager (“KDFW”), which is entering its 12th year, and a single pool for the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager (“KOFW”), now in its eighth year.  In a significant change, all Kentucky Derby and Oaks future pools will consist of three days of wagering.  Previous pools for both wagers had been four-day events.

Dates for the three Kentucky Derby Future Wager pools (pending final approval by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission) are:

• Pool 1 – Feb. 12-14
• Pool 2 – March 5-7
• Pool 3 – March 26-28

The single pool for the Kentucky Oaks Future wager will coincide with the March 5-7 KDFW Pool 2.  Betting will open each day of the Derby and Oaks pools at noon (all times Eastern).  The Kentucky Derby pools will close at 6 p.m. on Sunday, while betting on the lone Kentucky Oaks pool will conclude at 6:30 p.m., 30 minutes after Pool 2 Derby Future betting is wrapped up.

Exacta wagering, a popular addition to the Kentucky Derby Future Wager betting menu in 2009, will be offered during all three KDFW pools in 2010.  The exacta option was offered on the latter two Derby Future pools in 2009 along with its traditional win option.  The Kentucky Oaks Future Wager will not offer exactas in 2010.

“Last year’s results proved just how unpredictable and exciting the Kentucky Derby and Oaks Future Wagers can be as Mine That Bird, a 50-1 longshot winner on Derby Day, returned a winning payout as an ‘all others’ wager in all three Derby pools, and the dominant Rachel Alexandra was actually a bettor’s bargain as the second betting choice in the only Oaks pool,” said Kevin Flanery, president of Churchill Downs racetrack.   “Exacta wagering was a welcomed addition to the Derby Future pools last year, and we think the shorter three-day future pools we’ve scheduled for 2010 for both wagers will sharpen the focus of our players, generate new excitement and add to the fun of betting experiences that are now a part of the traditions of both the Kentucky Derby and Oaks.”

The KDFW and KOFW pools consist of 24 wagering interests that include 23 individual horses and a mutuel field, or “all others” interest.  In the Kentucky Derby wager, the mutuel field includes all other 3-year-olds.  The mutuel field in the Kentucky Oaks bet includes all other 3-year-old fillies.

All bets in the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks Future Wagers are $2 minimum wagers.  There are no refunds on any wagers made during the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks future pools.  If it is determined during those pools that one of the individual horses has suffered an illness, injury or other circumstance that will prevent that horse from competing in either race, wagering on that betting interest will be suspended at that point.

The 136th running of the $2 million-guaranteed Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands is scheduled for Saturday, May 1 at Churchill Downs.   The Kentucky Oaks, America’s premier race for 3-year-old fillies, will be renewed for the 136th time on Friday, April 30.  Both races have been held without interruption since the first racing meet at Churchill Downs was conducted in 1875.  

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Statistics- Download the PDF

Churchill Downs’ exclusive Infield Club, which offered a new guest experience for fans of the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks in 2009, will return for this year’s renewals with several venue enhancements, including the creation of a new VIP Lounge plus additional seating, more and larger tented areas, additional jumbo televisions and bar locations.

“We’re constantly looking for new and innovative ways to enhance the Derby and Oaks experience,” Churchill Downs Racetrack President Kevin Flanery said. “The Infield Club and its comfortable, sports-bar atmosphere was a popular new addition in 2009 as the area sold out, proving there is exceptional demand for unique Derby and Oaks hospitality areas. After listening to customer feedback, we’ve made a number of Infield Club enhancements and tailored our venue design to best create added comfort and take the overall experience to new levels.”

Much like its 2009 debut, the Infield Club will be a temporary outdoor hospitality area totaling 93,000 square feet, located in the center of the world-famous Churchill Downs infield. The private space, secured by decorative eight-foot lattice, will allow fans of the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks the opportunity to enjoy the exuberant party atmosphere of the infield in an exclusive setting.

The internal design of this year’s all-new Infield Club has been reconfigured and enhanced by Churchill Downs and M Scenic Group Studios. In addition to its variety of staffed betting windows, self-serve betting machines, food concession booths and executive restroom facilities, the Infield Club’s 2010 added amenities will include:

§    A new Infield Club VIP Lounge. The VIP Lounge will be a reserved-seating area that features cocktail service, half-priced menu items, four elevated jumbo television screens, plasma monitors located at every table station, eight private betting windows and executive restrooms;
§    One seat for every ticket sold. The number of tickets sold will match the number of seats available compared to last year when seating was only available to approximately 20 percent of the customers who purchased access to the Infield Club. First-come, first-served seating options will include large and cabaret tables with chairs, high-top tables with barstools, stadium-style seating, bleachers and picnic tables;
§    32,000-square feet of tented areas. The additional tented structures within the Infield Club will be a 50 percent increase in covered area from 2009;
§    12 jumbo television screens with enhanced resolution and surround-sound audio. Customers will be able to watch the day’s racing action from a dozen elevated jumbo televisions with enhanced resolution, view points and surround-sound audio of track commentary, race calls and music. In 2009, there were only two jumbo televisions; and
§    Five bar locations. Patrons won’t have to travel far for mint juleps and other beverages with five full-service convenient bar locations through the complex.

    Tickets to the Infield Club are currently on sale at Churchill Downs’ new online box office http://tickets.churchilldowns.com. The tickets have been bundled to include all-day admission for both the 136th running of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands on Saturday, May 1, and the Kentucky Oaks on Friday, April 30. Two-day general admission is $250 per person, while the Infield Club VIP Lounge package, which includes admission, a reserved seat, programs on both days and a special commemorative gift, costs $375 per person.

    Availability is limited and ticket packages will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis, while supplies last. Tickets must be purchased with a Visa credit or debit card. Minimal ticket processing charges will apply with an online purchase.

    Customers should be aware that the Infield Club does not offer a direct view of the racetrack. Food and beverage are not included in Infield Club ticket package prices. Lawn chairs and coolers are not permitted in the Infield Club.

    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 host the 136th running of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands on Saturday, May 1 and the Kentucky Oaks on Friday, April 30. The track will conduct its 2010 Spring Meet from Saturday, April 24 through Sunday, July 4. Churchill Downs is scheduled to host the Breeders’ Cup World Championships for a record seventh time on Nov. 5 and 6, 2010. Churchill Downs tickets are available at tickets.churchilldowns.com or by calling (502) 636-4400. Additional information about Churchill Downs can be found on the Internet at www.churchilldowns.com.

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