Louisiana Derby

While “March Madness” is heating up, the “Road to the Kentucky Derby” is also well underway, and Churchill Downs has arranged a fun way for fans of both basketball and horse racing to keep tabs on each sport by partnering with PRIME Lounge, one of Louisville’s newest and upscale nightclubs, to host a trio of viewing parties for NBC Universal’s upcoming broadcasts of the “Road to the Kentucky Derby” series.

The first of three consecutive one-hour “Road to the Kentucky Derby” telecasts will air Saturday on USA Network from 5-6 p.m. ET. The broadcast will showcase the Grade II, $750,000 Louisiana Derby from Fair Grounds Race Course and Slots in New Orleans and the Grade II, $500,000 Lane’s End from Turfway Park in Florence, Ky.

Churchill Downs’ “Derby Nation Road to the Kentucky Derby Viewing Parties” at PRIME Lounge, located at 104 West Main Street in the heart of Louisville’s downtown gallery district, will begin when doors open at 4 p.m. Guests age 21 and older will be admitted free of charge (no cover) and can enjoy $3 personal pizzas, 35-cent wings and a plethora of drink specials while watching the exciting Kentucky Derby prep races in an enjoyable party atmosphere. There also will be prize giveaways. Hometown fans hoping to keep tabs on college basketball action will be able to do so as well via PRIME Lounge’s array of large-screen televisions.

Following the “Road to the Kentucky Derby” series launch on USA Network, broadcasts will shift to NBC for the Santa Anita Derby and Wood Memorial on April 3 and the Blue Grass Stakes and Arkansas Derby on April 10.  All “Road to the Kentucky Derby” telecasts will air from 5-6 p.m. ET.

    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.

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Like every prolific sporting championship, the Kentucky Derby® is the culmination of months – even years – of preparation, determination and the heart-felt desire to win America’s greatest race for horses.  For many, the chance to compete in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and not making the cut means saying goodbye to a dream.

Just like the road to the Super Bowl, World Series and Final Four, teams of Thoroughbred horses, owners, trainers and jockeys must perform well in schedule of preparatory races – a playoff series – in order to earn a start in the “Run for the Roses.”  

The newly launched “Road to the Kentucky Derby” television series, produced in partnership by Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ: CDHN) and NBC Sports, will take viewers into the middle of this gutsy competition and show them the intense commitment made by both human beings and horses chasing the Kentucky Derby dream.

The three-part series, slated to run on consecutive Saturdays from March 27 through April 10, will provide live coverage of six Derby prep races, key competitions that contenders must win to earn a coveted spot in the Derby’s 20-horse starting gate.  The series will also give viewers at home a sense of the spectacle surrounding a day at the races, including snapshots of the fashion, food, famous faces and racing’s real “characters” – the fans – to draw viewers into the social scene that makes racetracks the ultimate source for entertainment.  
    
    “We are excited to partner with NBC Sports on this new approach to televised horse racing, which has helped us grow viewership for the Kentucky Derby telecast over the last three years,” said Bob Evans, president and chief executive officer of Churchill Downs Incorporated.  “Derby prep races are still the focal points of each telecast, and viewers will have the chance to invest themselves in the compelling storylines of Derby hopefuls as they earn a berth in America’s premier horse race. By blending traditional sports coverage with feature and lifestyle stories, we will offer entertainment programming that appeals to a broad audience, including women and younger viewers, while widely distributing live racing coverage for our core fans.”

    The broadcast schedule for the “Road to the Kentucky Derby” series is as follows:

SATURDAY, MARCH 27 (USA Network, Fair Grounds, 5-6 p.m. ET):
Grade II, $750,000 Louisiana Derby, 1 1/8 miles, Fair Grounds
Grade II, $500,000 Lane’s End, 1 1/8 miles, Turfway Park

SATURDAY, APRIL 3 (NBC Sports, Santa Anita, 5-6 p.m. ET):
Grade I, $750,000 Santa Anita Derby, 1 1/8 miles, Santa Anita
Grade I, $750,000 Wood Memorial, 1 1/8 miles, Aqueduct

SATURDAY, APRIL 10 (NBC Sports, Keeneland, 5-6 p.m. ET):
Grade I, $1 million Arkansas Derby, 1 1/8 miles, Oaklawn Park
Grade I, $750,000 Toyota Blue Grass, 1 1/8 miles, Keeneland

    While viewers take in the action at home, fans at the track will have the chance to enjoy the “DreamBet” of a lifetime. Churchill Downs Incorporated will sponsor a special promotion at each of the broadcast host tracks for the “Road to the Kentucky Derby” series, allowing on-track patrons to enter a drawing for the opportunity for a free $10,000 wager on the broadcast host track’s race. A winning fan will be drawn at random during the course of the racing program at each broadcast host track.  Churchill Downs will then place a $10,000 “win” wager on the horse the winning contestant at each host site selects in the following races:

·    Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots on March 27;
·    Santa Anita Derby at Santa Anita Park on April 3; and
·    Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland Race Course on April 10.

    Viewers at home can watch to see if the contestant wins big as the race unfolds.  Churchill Downs Incorporated piloted a similar wagering concept during its three “Downs After Dark” night racing events in the summer of 2009 that proved extremely popular with fans of all ages and wagering experience levels.  For more information and to review official rules for each “DreamBet,” Sweepstakes visit www.KentuckyDerby.com/dreambet.

    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.

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Churchill Downs has partnered with PRIME Lounge, one of Louisville’s newest and upscale nightclubs, to host a trio of viewing parties for NBC Sports’ upcoming broadcasts of the “Road to the Kentucky Derby” series.

The first of three consecutive one-hour “Road to the Kentucky Derby” telecasts will air Saturday, March 27 on NBC Universal’s USA Network from 5-6 p.m. ET. The broadcast will showcase the Grade II, $750,000 Louisiana Derby from Fair Grounds Race Course and Slots in New Orleans and the Grade II, $500,000 Lane’s End from Turfway Park in Florence, Ky.

Churchill Downs’ “Derby Nation Road to the Kentucky Derby Viewing Parties” at PRIME Lounge, located at 104 West Main Street in the heart of Louisville’s downtown gallery district, will begin when doors open at 4 p.m. Guests age 21 and older will be admitted free of charge (no cover) and can enjoy $3 personal pizzas, 35-cent wings and a plethora of drink specials while watching the exciting Kentucky Derby prep races in an enjoyable party atmosphere. There also will be prize giveaways.

In January it was announced that Churchill Downs Incorporated reached a deal to partner with NBC Sports and present three broadcasts in the weeks leading up to the 136th running of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands on Saturday, May 1.

Each broadcast will feature major Kentucky Derby prep races and handicapping segments along with lifestyle and entertainment segments designed to appeal to a broader audience and drive viewership of the Kentucky Oaks, Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown telecasts. 

The 2009 Kentucky Derby on NBC Sports was the most viewed Derby telecast in two decades with more than 16.3 million viewers, good for 7.3 Nielsen rating with an 18 share and a 2.1 million jump in total viewership from 2008.

Following the “Road to the Derby” series launch on USA Network, broadcasts will shift to NBC for the Santa Anita Derby and Wood Memorial on April 3 and the Blue Grass Stakes and Arkansas Derby on April 10.

Restricted to 3-year-old Thoroughbreds, horses have only one chance to win the prestigious Kentucky Derby, and it’s quite an accomplishment just to receive a berth in the starting gate. More than 30,000 Thoroughbreds are foaled in North America each year, but only 20 are allowed to enter “The Run for the Roses” based on earnings accumulated in graded stakes races that comprise the “Road to the Kentucky Derby.”

With limited opportunities remaining and coveted graded stakes money on the line, serious Kentucky Derby contenders are likely to make their final start in advance of the Derby in one of the six 1 1/8-mile races to be televised on NBC Sports, which serve as a “playoff” series for entry into the Derby race itself. The outcome of each prep race will impact and help shape the Kentucky Derby field.

The “Road to the Kentucky Derby” series at a glance:

SATURDAY, MARCH 27 (USA Network, Fair Grounds, 5-6 p.m. ET):
·    Grade II, $750,000 Louisiana Derby, 1 1/8 miles, Fair Grounds
·    Grade II, $500,000 Lane’s End, 1 1/8 miles, Turfway Park

SATURDAY, APRIL 3 (NBC Sports, Santa Anita, 5-6 p.m. ET):
·    Grade I, $750,000 Santa Anita Derby, 1 1/8 miles, Santa Anita
·    Grade I, $750,000 Wood Memorial, 1 1/8 miles, Aqueduct

SATURDAY, APRIL 10 (NBC Sports, Keeneland, 5-6 p.m. ET):
·    Grade I, $1 million Arkansas Derby, 1 1/8 miles, Oaklawn Park
·    Grade I, $750,000 Toyota Blue Grass, 1 1/8 miles, Keeneland

About Churchill Downs Incorporated
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.

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Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ: CHDN) and NBC Sports have announced a partnership to present three broadcasts featuring six Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown prep races this spring leading up to the 136th running of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands on NBC Sports on Saturday, May 1. The three one-hour broadcasts, two on NBC and one on USA Network, will include the Louisiana Derby, Lane’s End Stakes, Santa Anita Derby, Wood Memorial, Toyota Blue Grass Stakes and Arkansas Derby. The announcement was made Jan. 11 by Bob Evans, President and CEO, Churchill Downs Incorporated and Ken Schanzer, President, NBC Sports.
    
The shared vision of Churchill Downs and NBC Sports’ successful “Big Event Strategy” led to the 2009 Kentucky Derby being the most viewed Derby in two decades with a more than 26% increase in viewers since the strategy was launched in 2007. Each of the three, one-hour “Road to the Kentucky Derby” broadcasts will feature stakes races and handicapping segments in addition to lifestyle elements designed to broaden the audience for these races and to drive viewership of the Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown.  

“This approach has been effective in bringing new fans to racing, and we hope to see similar success with the ‘Road to the Kentucky Derby‘ series,” Evans said. “The key difference is that we promote racing to both men and women by focusing on the fan’s entire experience of racing, not just the race itself. This includes food, fashion and celebrity.”

“We value the relationship we have with Churchill Downs immensely,” Schanzer said. “Adding the broadcasts of these important Derby prep races allows us to introduce key storylines that continue to build the broadest possible audience for the Kentucky Derby and the sport of Thoroughbred racing.”

ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY:

SATURDAY, MARCH 27, USA Network – Louisiana Derby – Broadcast from Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, La. Coverage will also include the Lane’s End Stakes from Turfway Park in Florence, Ky.

SATURDAY, APRIL 3, NBC Sports – Santa Anita Derby – Broadcast hosted from Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif. Coverage will also include the Wood Memorial from Aqueduct Race Track in Jamaica, N.Y.

SATURDAY, APRIL 10, NBC Sports – Toyota Blue Grass Stakes – Broadcast hosted from Keeneland in Lexington Ky. Coverage will also include the Arkansas Derby from Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark.

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Trainer Larry Jones will be a busy man on Saturday as he send his pair of major contenders for the 135th running of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I) into important prep races in two states.

Jones’ representative in the 96th running of the $600,000 Louisiana Derby (GII) at Fair Grounds is Friesan Fire, a chestnut son of A.P. Indy who is going for a sweep of the New Orleans’ track’s three major races for 3-year-olds.  Friesan Fire notched earlier wins in the Lecomte (GIII) and the Risen Star (GIII) and is the 5-2 morning line favorite to add the Louisiana Derby to his collection of Fair Grounds triumphs.

Gabriel Saez, who rode the ill-fated runner-up Eight Belles for Jones in last year’s Kentucky Derby, will be aboard Friesan Fire as the colt breaks from the outside post in a field of nine 3-year-olds.  Nowhere to Hide, who was entered in the race and drew the outside post, was also entered in Saturday’s Tampa Bay Derby (GIII) and will scratch from the Louisiana Derby to run in the race at Tampa Bay Downs.

The strong group of opponents for Jones’ star includes Lecomte runner-up Patena, the second choice at 7-2; Giant Oak (4-1), runner-up in the Kentucky Jockey Club (GII) at Churchill Downs but a troubled fifth in the Risen Star; Flying Pegasus (8-1), runner-up in the Risen Star; and California invader Papa Clem (8-1), runner-up to leading West Coast Derby contender Pioneerof the Nile in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (GII) at Santa Anita.

“This is a good field of horses,” said Jones, a native of Hopkinsville, Ky. who also trained 2007 Kentucky Derby runner-up Hard Spun.  “I think who ever wins it definitely is going to come out of here and be a major player in the (Kentucky) Derby.”

Patena raced over synthetic racing surfaces last year in Canada, but rallied impressively to finish second to Friesan Fire in his debut on conventional dirt in the one-mile Lecomte.  He was purchased after that race by a partnership headed by IEAH Stables, the owner of 2008 Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown, and transferred to the care of trainer Rick Dutrow, who guided Big Brown to last year’s win at Churchill Downs.

Robby Albarado, a six-time leading rider at Fair Grounds and winner of the Louisiana Derby in 1998, will be in the saddle aboard Patena.

The field for the 1 1/16-mile Louisiana Derby from the rail out (with jockey) includes Free Country (Kent Desormeaux), Soul Warrior (Shaun Bridgmohan), Patena (Albarado), Terrain (Julien Leparoux), Flying Pegasus (John Velazquez), Giant Oak (James Graham), Uno Mas (Brian Hernandez, Jr.), Papa Clem (Rafael Bejarano), and Friesan Fire (Saez).

The Louisiana Derby is scheduled as the ninth of 12 races on Saturday’s card.

UNBEATEN OLD FASHIONED HEADS REBEL – Fox Hill Farm’s Old Fashioned, the narrow favorite after the opening day of betting in Pool 2 of Churchill Downs’ 2009 Kentucky Derby Future Wager, looms as a heavy favorite to keep his perfect record intact as he faces eight rivals in Saturday’s $300,000 Rebel Stakes (GIII) at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark.

The Larry Jones-trained son of Unbridled’s Song will have regular rider Ramon Dominguez in the saddle as he breaks from the rail post in a nine-horse field in the 1 1/16-mile prep for the Arkansas Derby (GII), the track’s major prep for the Kentucky Derby.

Old Fashioned notched a 3 ¾-length victory over Rebel rival Silver City in Oaklawn’s Southwest (GIII), which was the first start for Jones’ colt since a romp in the Remsen (GII) in November at New York’s Aqueduct.

Silver City’s runner-up finish in the Southwest came in his stakes debut and his first race at a two-turn distance.  He is back for another try and will have Jon Court in the saddle.

Other notables in Saturday’s field include Wise Kid, a rapidly improving colt who is coming off an impressive victory in a 1 1/16-mile allowance race at Oaklawn, and Captain Cherokee, a half-brother to sprint champion Midnight Lute trained by Steve Asmussen.

WEST/PIONEEROF THE NILE FAVORED IN SAN FELIPE – Zayat Stables’ Pioneerof the Nile, the leader of the California-based Kentucky Derby contenders, goes for his third consecutive stakes victory when he faces six rivals in Saturday’s 72nd running of the $200,000 San Felipe (GII) over the synthetic Cushion Track at Santa Anita.

The son of 2003 Kentucky Derby runner-up Empire Maker has scored late-running wins in the CashCall Futurity (GI) at Hollywood Park and the Robert B. Lewis (GII) at Santa Anita in his last two starts.  The 1 1/16-mile San Felipe is Pioneerof the Nile’s final prep for the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby (GI) on April 4.

Trainer Bob Baffert is seeking his fourth Kentucky Derby victory with Pioneerof the Nile.  Baffert’s last win in the “Run for the Roses” came in 2002 with War Emblem.  A fourth Derby win would tie him with D. Wayne Lukas for second on the all-time win list for the classic at Churchill Downs.  Jockey Garrett Gomez is seeking his first Kentucky Derby victory.

The opposition on Saturday includes Shafted, who seeks redemption after finishing a disappointing eighth in the Robert B. Lewis for trainer Mark Casse.  Shafted, a son of 2003 “Horse of the Year” Mineshaft, had scored an impressive allowance win prior to that outing.

Among the horses Pioneerof the Nile defeated in the Robert B. Lewis was I Want Revenge, who finished third and then traveled to New York to notch an 8 ½-length victory in last week’s Gotham (GIII) at Aqueduct in his first race on conventional dirt.

SOUTHEAST/GENERAL QUARTERS MEETS HELLO BROADWAY IN TAMPA BAY DERBY – Former claiming horse General Quarters will attempt to prove that an impressive win in last month’s Sam F. Davis Stakes (GIII) was not a fluke when he faces the highly-regarded Hello Broadway and nine other rivals in Saturday’s $300,000 Tampa Bay Derby (GIII) at Tampa Bay Downs.

General Quarters was claimed out of his career debut at Churchill Downs for $20,000 by owner-trainer Tom McCarthy, a retired high school principal from Louisville, Ky.  The son of Sky Mesa gave McCarthy his first Kentucky Derby hopeful when he romped to his 3 ½-length win in the Sam F. Davis.

“I envision he’ll run a good race,” said McCarthy, who has turned the duty of training General Quarters over to Mark Miller at Tampa Bay.  “Whether or not he wins I don’t know, but he looks like he’s as good as anything in here and he has (three) good races over the track.”

James Lopez will ride General Quarters, who will break from post eight.

The favorite in the race could turn out to be Elizabeth Valando’s Hello Broadway, the runner-up in the Hutcheson (GII) at Gulfstream Park for trainer Barclay Tagg, who saddled Sackatoga Stable’s Funny Cide to win the 2003 Kentucky Derby.  Other contenders include Holy Bull (GIII) runner-up Bear’s Rocket; Warrior’s Reward, runner-up to the unbeaten Dunkirk in a Gulfstream Park allowance; Sumo and Nowhere to Hide.

EUROPE/OVERFLOW FIELD ENTERED IN FIRST KENTUCKY DERBY CHALLENGE AT KEMPTON, WINNER GETS GUARANTEED SPOT AT CHURCHILL DOWNS  – A “who’s who” roster of the top trainers in Britain and Ireland is represented by 23 horses under consideration for Wednesday’s inaugural $115,000 Kentucky Derby Challenge Stakes at Kempton Park near London.

Trainers Jim Bolger, John Gosden, Richard Hannon, Mark Johnston, Aidan O’Brien and Dermot Weld each have 3-year-olds aimed at Europe’s 1 1/8-mile clockwise race over Polytrack.

In an unprecedented reward, the winner will earn an automatic starting spot in the Kentucky Derby 135 field and a $100,000 bonus if the horse runs in America’s greatest race.

Triple Crown nominees under consideration (with trainers) for the race are Born to Be King (O’Brien); Close Alliance (Gosden); Duc de Savoie (Weld); Gitano Hernando-GB (Marco Botti); Grand Admiral (O’Brien); Mafaaz-GB (Gosden); and Spring of Fame (Michael Magnusson).

The others are Agente Parmigiano-IRE (Gerald Butler); Akhenaten-GB (Mick Channon); Crackdown-IRE (Johnston); Deposer-IRE (John Best); Haashed (Johnston); Keeptheboatafloat (Karl Burke); Markyg (Burke); Mastery-GB (Johnston); Nashmiah-IRE (Clive Brittain); Redwood-GB (Barry Hills); Saint Arch (Johnston); Shampagne-GB (Paul Cole); Sohcahtoa-IRE (Richard Hannon); Talking Hands-GB (Sylvester Kirk); Vocalised (Bolger); and Weald Park (Hannon).

A maximum of 14 horses will be permitted to start. Final entries and post positions will be determined Monday.  All but Akhenaten, Keeptheboatafloat, Markyg and Spring of Fame would be making their first start of the year.

Eleven of the 23 under consideration have already recorded a victory over a synthetic racing surface (Akhenaten, Close Alliance, Gitano Hernando, Grand Admiral, Haashed, Mafaaz, Markyg, Saint Arch, Shampagne; Spring of Fame; and Talking Hands) and Deposer-IRE was fourth over Keeneland’s Polytrack in the Grade I Lane’s End Breeders’ Futurity last fall behind runaway winner and stablemate Square Eddie.

Wednesday’s Kentucky Derby Challenge Stakes will be scheduled as Kempton’s third race at approximately 3:50 p.m. EDT. Mark Johnson, the colorful Englishman who was named Churchill Downs’ new track commentator in mid-January, will describe the action.

The entire six-race card from Kempton Park will be simulcast at select wagering outlets nationwide, including Trackside at Churchill Downs. First post is 2:50 p.m. EDT. Saftote (Phumelela) in South Africa serves as the international tote hub for British racing, commingling wagers back into the host track pools of the UK Tote.