Michael Wrona

LEPAROUX'S RECORD DAY GOOD FOR THE DOUGHNUT BUSINESS - Agent Steve Bass was a busy and popular man as Churchill Downs' "doughnut king" on Wednesday, the morning after his rider, Julien Leparoux, produced a record-tying seven-victory day at the Louisville track.

"Eighteen dozen doughnuts," Bass said with a smile after his delivery to the Eddie Kenneally barn that sent out Leparoux's seventh win of the day, Runway West. "I got lucky. I had three stops in one at Mike Maker's barn."

Bass was asked if there was a big night of celebration after the banner day or just straight home for milk and cookies.

"It was a regular night for both us," Bass said. "Julien and I both went home and had dinner and that was it."

The seven victories matched a 24-year-old record held by Pat Day. Leparoux's milestone was achieved on seven consecutive mounts with only two aboard post time favorites. Day's feat on June 20, 1984 came with five favorites, three of which were odds-on, his victories were in the first three and last four races on an eight-race program.

"My goal each day is to win one or two and come home safe," Bass said. "Two or three is a good day and when he won the first four yesterday, I was like ‘Wow!' Usually when he starts the day good with some live horses, he finishes good. The day he won six last year (on June 27) was like that."

Leparoux was scheduled to ride eight horses on Wednesday's 10-race card.

The seven-win day allowed Leparoux to open a 12-winner lead over Robby Albarado in the chase for leading rider (31-19) after 12 days of the 26-day meet. Leparoux remains on pace to break Day's Fall Meet record of 55 victories during the 30-day session of 1985.

WRONA'S OPENING DAY AT DOWNS ONE FOR THE BOOKS - Australian-born announcer Michael Wrona has had some memorable days in the announcer's booth at racetracks across the country since his arrival in the United States in 1990.

Those career highlights include announcing Cigar's record-equaling 16th consecutive victory in the Citation Challenge in 1990 at Arlington Park; Laffit Pincay Jr.'s 8,834th victory, which broke the legendary Bill Shoemaker's record for career wins; and milestone victories Nos. 9,531 (which broke Pincay's record) and 10,000 by northern California riding legend Russell Baze.

And then came Tuesday at Churchill Downs, the first of six days on which Wrona is scheduled to serve as the 134-year-old track's guest announcer.

"... And then I walk into Churchill Downs and Julien Leparoux matches a record that has stood for 24 years," Wrona said. "My head was just exploding with all that was going on. It certainly was an eventful first day."

Wrona, one of five guest announcers to call races during the Fall Meet, never had called a race at Churchill Downs before Tuesday.

"The first live race I ever saw here was the first race I called Tuesday," said Wrona, 42, a native of Brisbane. "I was really getting pumped as the day went on."

Wrona's line of the day came after Leparoux's victory in the fourth race (his fourth out of seven consecutive wins): "I tell you, he'd win on a broomstick!"

Wrona, the current voice of racing at northern California's Golden Gate Fields, was preceded on the Fall Meet roster of guest announcers by Bobby Neuman, the announcer at Calder Race Course, and Travis Stone, who describes the racing action at Harrah's Louisiana Downs.

Larry Collmus, the voice of Gulfstream Park, Monmouth Park and Suffolk Downs, will serve as guest announcer next week. England's Mark Johnson will be in the Churchill Downs announcer's booth during the Fall Meet's final week.

ALBARADO FOUNDATION TO MAKE FIRST DONATION FRIDAY - The Louisville-based Coalition for the Homeless, a nonprofit organization established to assist homeless individuals and service providers in the area, will receive $18,000 on Friday from the Robby Albarado Foundation during a winner's circle presentation at Churchill Downs.

The check presentation will mark the first major contribution by the foundation, which was founded by the Churchill Downs-based jockey in 2007.

"When I was a young kid I grew up in a very poor area," said Albarado, the Fall Meet's second-leading rider. "I got a couple of chances from a few people who helped me in racing - and if I can make a chance like that in someone's life, then that's what I'm looking forward to."

The $18,000 check, proceeds raised from the foundation's inaugural Celebrity Golf Classic, will be presented after Friday's eighth race at Churchill Downs.

The goal of the Albarado Foundation is to assist the homeless, socially and economically disadvantaged, and less fortunate individuals in the Louisville area.

NOMINATIONS LIGHT FOR CLARK, FALLS CITY - Nov. 15 is the closing day for nominations for five Fall Meet stakes races, including four Grade II events slated for Thanksgiving Weekend.

The richest of the stakes is the $400,000-added Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare (GII) to be run at 1 1/8 miles on the main track on Friday, Nov. 28. On Thanksgiving Day, the fillies and mares will get their chance at the same distance in the $150,000-added Falls City Handicap (GII).

"Right now, the nominations are a little on the light side for both of those stakes," Racing Secretary Ben Huffman said.

Huffman said that four horses are under consideration for the Clark: Tracy Farmer's millionaire and two-time Whitney (GI) winner Commentator; Hobeau Farm's Delightful Kiss, fresh off a fourth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Marathon; Elisabeth Alexander's Magna Graduate, winner of the opening-day Ack Ack (GIII) and 2005 Clark winner; and The Big Stable's Brooklyn Handicap (GII) winner Delosvientos.

Among those under consideration for the Falls City are Mark Stanley's Swift Temper and Talley Racing's Initforthekandy, the third and fourth-place finishers, respectively, from the Nov. 2 Chilukki (GII).

Highlighting the closing-day "Stars of Tomorrow II" card that features all two-year-olds are the Golden Rod (GII) for the fillies and the open Kentucky Jockey Club (GII). Both races are 1 1/16 miles on the main track.

Also closing on Saturday is the Bet On Sunshine, a $61,000 overnight handicap for sprinters 3-year-olds and up going six furlongs on the main track. The Bet On Sunshine is set for Saturday, Nov. 22.

BARN TALK - Trainer Mike Maker and owners Ken and Sarah Ramsey moved closer to Fall Meet records Tuesday. Victories by Diva's Gold in the first and Majestic Feline in the seventh gave the Ramseys their 12th and 13th winners of the meet, two fewer than the Fall Meet record set in 1965 by T. Alie Grissom in a 23-day meet. In addition to Diva's Gold and Majestic Feline, Maker also saddled Variant to victory in the fifth race to raise his total to 17 for the meet, three fewer than the fall mark established by Dale Romans in the 27-day meet of 2003. It was the second three-victory day of the meet for Maker, who also produced a three-bagger on Oct. 26. Variant's victory was the fourth of the meet for Rose Barney's Scarlet Stable out of four starters.

WORK TAB - Silverton Hill Farm's Corlett, winner of the Mountaineer Juvenile Fillies and fourth in this spring's Debutante (GIII) worked six furlongs over a fast track in 1:19.20 for trainer Darrin Miller. ... Make A Hole Racing's Beer Pong, a convincing 2-year-old allowance winner on Nov. 1, worked a half-mile in :48 for trainer Tom Amoss. The move was the second fastest of 35 at the distance.

CHURCHILL'S INAUGURAL "RIDER CUP" SET FOR SATURDAY - Churchill Downs will stage its inaugural "Rider Cup" for charity on Saturday, Nov. 15.

The unique event will showcase American-born jockeys versus foreign-born jockeys in a competition for points in Races 4-8. Before each of the five designated races, celebrity team captains (Hall of Fame jockey Pat Day will captain Team USA and the Team World will be captained Hall of Fame jockey Angel Cordero Jr.) will choose one jockey to represent their respective team with hope of earning coveted points.

Points will be awarded on a 3-2-1 scale for first, second and third place finishes in each race. If neither jockey hits the board, the rider with the best finish will be awarded a half-point.

The team with the most points at the conclusion of Race 8 will be crowned the winner and a $10,000 donation will be made to the charity of the winning team's choice. The charity of the second place team will win a $5,000 donation.

Pre-race selections by the captains will be showcased on-track with Churchill Downs' John Asher serving as host.

HORSES AND HOPE ON SUNDAY - "Horses and Hope," a new initiative created by Kentucky First Lady Jane Beshear with the Kentucky Cancer Program, is scheduled at Churchill Downs on Sunday, Nov. 16. The event, centered on the women who work in the barn areas at Kentucky racetracks, is designed to increase breast cancer awareness and provide education, screening and treatment referral.

In conjunction with the event, the color of pink will be scattered throughout Churchill Downs on Sunday, including the saddle towels and caps for the featured fifth race that will honor "Horses and Hope." Pink will also be featured on jockey's arm bands, groom's vests, outriders, flags, bunting and trophies for winning horse owners. There also will be a special pink cosmopolitan drink on sale with proceeds going to "Horses and Hope."

More than 700 cancer survivors are expected to attend the races in Millionaire's Row Four on Sunday. After the fifth race, there will be a group picture near the Aristides statue in the paddock garden.

ROBBY ALBARADO GLASS GIVEAWAY ON SATURDAY - The week's promotional calendar is highlighted by the second of three collectable hurricane glass giveaways that salute popular Cajun jockeys who ride at Churchill Downs. A Robby Albarado glass, sponsored by GE, will be given away to the first 5,000 paid and pre-paid admissions on Saturday, Nov. 15.

Fans who receive the glass can come back to Churchill Downs on Sunday, Nov. 16 for an autograph session with Albarado on the second floor of the clubhouse between 11-11:30 a.m.

A glass depicting Calvin Borel, sponsored by Thorntons, was given away Nov. 8. A Kent Desormeaux glass, presented by Kentucky Derby Party, will be given away on Nov. 22.

FRIDAY HAPPY HOURS - New Orleans-themed "Friday Happy Hours" - featuring $2 Budweiser Select, $2 hurricanes, $2 Fischer's hot dogs and live jazz music - will be held Friday from 3-5 p.m. in the upper Jockey Club's paddock balcony area.

JUNIOR JOCKEY CLUB WEEKEND ACTIVITIES - A special appearance by the Louisville Metro Police Department Horse Patrol on Saturday, Nov. 15 will highlight this weekend's activities at Churchill Downs' Junior Jockey Club located near the Guest Services Booth inside Gate. 10.

Crafts, featuring embossed horse pictures, will also be featured Saturday for children age 4-10. Sunday's activities include the decoration of pine cones. Coloring books, crayons, individual games and reading material are available as well, and Churchill Downs' mascot Churchill Charlie will be on hand both days for photographs between 1-1:30 p.m.

- END -

The talents of a select group of five guest announcers will be showcased at Churchill Downs during the Louisville, Ky. racetrack's Fall Meet, which begins its 26-day run on Sunday, Oct. 26.

Larry Collmus (Gulfstream Park, Monmouth Park, Suffolk Downs and The Meadowlands), Mark Johnson (England), Bobby Neuman (Calder Race Course), Travis Stone (Harrah's Louisiana Downs) and Michael Wrona (Golden Gate Fields) will each spend one week behind the microphone during Churchill Downs' five-week stand as track officials continue their process to replace the late Luke Kruytbosch.

Kruytbosch, the voice of Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby since 1999, unexpectedly passed away on July 14 at age 47 from an apparent heart attack.

"Our worldwide search for a successor to the late Luke Kruytbosch as only the sixth voice in the history of Churchill Downs has been diligent and far-reaching," said Jim Gates, general manager of Churchill Downs. "Each of these five individuals is greatly respected and they are considered to be some of the top announcers anywhere in the world. They've generously agreed to assist us through this difficult situation, and we truly appreciate their cooperation and the support of their respective employers, including Magna Entertainment Corp. and Harrah's Louisiana Downs.

 "Our track announcer selection committee has conducted a thorough review and critique of material submitted by nearly two dozen applicants, and this select group is an exemplary sample of the many talented candidates - an international blend of veterans and rising stars."

 Neuman will call the opening week action at Churchill Downs (Oct. 26-Nov. 2) and will be followed by Stone (Nov. 5-9), Wrona (Nov. 12-16), Collmus (Nov. 19-23) and Johnson (Nov. 26-29).

 "This showcase of talent is a unique and mutually beneficial way for us to introduce some of the outstanding worldwide candidates to Churchill Downs, our horse racing fans and the city of Louisville," Gates said. "Our committee will reconvene at season's end and, based on positive reviews, I think there's a good chance that our next announcer will come from this group. I would expect a final decision before year's end."

 Only five individuals have held the coveted position as track announcer for Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby. Gene Schmidt was the first as he called races under the Twin Spires from 1940-60, and was succeeded by legendary announcer Chic Anderson through 1977. Mike Battaglia was the next to look down on Churchill Downs' one-mile oval from the announcer's booth as he called the Kentucky Derby and all of the track's races from 1978-96. Kurt Becker then handled the announcing duties for two years, and his departure opened the door for Kruytbosch's arrival in 1999.

Larry Collmus

Born Oct. 13, 1966 in Baltimore, Md., Collmus currently is the track announcer for Gulfstream Park, Monmouth Park, Suffolk Downs and The Meadowlands. The 41-year-old has also called races at Pimlico Race Course, Laurel Park, Bowie, Timonium, Birmingham Turf Club, Golden Gate Fields, Bay Meadows, Vallejo, Santa Rosa and Aqueduct. Career highlights behind the microphone include calling several Grade I races including the last 15 runnings of the Haskell Invitational and two editions of the Florida Derby, as well as two of Cigar's 16-straight victories. "Luke [Kruytbosch] was a great friend to me and every announcer I know," Collmus said. "We shared many laughs together. It will be a bit strange at first to call a race in the booth at Churchill Downs, but I'm excited about the opportunity and look forward to my week in Louisville." Collmus will describe Churchill Downs' racing action from Nov. 19-23.

Mark Johnson

Born Feb. 7, 1966 in Skegness, Lincolnshire, England, Johnson currently resides in East Twickenham, London, England. The 42-year-old is one of Britain's senior racecourse commentators and regularly describes the action at Sandown, Kempton Park, Cheltenham, Goodwood and Stratford. He called 11 straight renewals of the Group 1 St. Leger Stakes at Doncaster - the final leg of the British Triple Crown - and five consecutive Epsom Derbys. Career highlights also include calling the Grand National and one of Best Mate's triumphs in the Gold Cup during the Cheltenham Festival. "It is a huge honor to be calling at Churchill Downs and will be without doubt one of the highlights of my career," Johnson said. "The gap left by Luke [Kruytbosch] will be very difficult to fill. He was a great caller and not only had tremendous respect in America but was also a commentator greatly admired in Britain." Johnson will describe Churchill Downs' racing action from Nov. 26-29.

Bobby Neuman

Born March 1, 1969 in Los Angeles, Calif., Neuman currently resides in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. with his wife Rebecca and daughter Julie. The 39-year-old is the current track announcer at Churchill Downs sister racetrack Calder Race Course, and previously called races at Thistledown, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Sandy Downs and the Arizona fair circuit. Career highlights include calling Lost in the Fog's triumph in the 2005 Carry Back Stakes and jockey Eddie Castro's record-breaking nine-win performance at Calder in 2005. "Luke [Kruytbosch] was a good friend, and I followed Luke's lead for many years," Neuman said. "I attended the University of Arizona, got my racecalling career started on the Arizona fairs, then eventually onto Albuquerque and Santa Fe. It was actually Luke who called me one day while I was in New Mexico to let me know about a job opening at Thistledown, so I applied and got it, which eventually helped me to get hired at Calder where I've enjoyed the past 10 years. I guess you could say Luke basically steered my career, and I owe a lot to him. Not too many people get to call races at the world's most historic racetrack, so I'm going to have the time of my life!" Neuman will describe Churchill Downs' racing action from Oct. 26-Nov. 2.

Travis Stone

Born Jan. 23, 1984 in Glenn Falls, N.Y., Stone has been the track announcer for Harrah's Louisiana Downs in Bossier City, La. since 2006 - his first job behind the microphone at a racetrack. The 24-year-old, who greatly admired the work of legends Tom Durkin and Dave Johnson, also has made guest appearances at Suffolk Downs, Monmouth Park and even Churchill Downs when he was a participant in the 2006 All-Star Announcer's Day on the day prior to the 2006 Breeders' Cup World Championships. "Announcing for Churchill Downs and being a part of the fabric of horse racing in Kentucky realizes a dream I have had since I was 12 years old," Stone said. "Luke Kruytbosch has a legacy which will forever be unmatched and having the opportunity to potentially follow his tenure is a tremendous honor." Stone will describe Churchill Downs' racing action from Nov. 5-9.

Michael Wrona

Born Feb. 3, 1966 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, Wrona has been a track announcer in the United States since 1990 and is currently the track commentator for Golden Gate Fields. The 42-year-old - now a United States citizen - has also described the action at Hollywood Park, Bay Meadows, Players Bluegrass Downs, Retama Park, Arlington Park, Turf Paradise, Lone Star Park, Fair Grounds, SunRay Park and Fresno. Career highlights behind the microphone include Cigar's 16th consecutive victory when he equaled Citation's record in 1996 at Arlington Park; Laffit Pincay's breaking Bill Shoemaker's record for career wins in 1999 at Hollywood Park; and Russell Baze topping Pincay's record at Bay Meadows in 2006. "The thing I admired most about Luke [Kruytbosch] was how he worked his way up through the ranks of small tracks, and never forgot his humble beginnings." Wrona said. "Indeed, he remained a big supporter of small-time racing, and a friend to people at all levels of the industry." Wrona will describe Churchill Downs' racing action from Nov. 12-16.

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 2008 Fall Meet runs from October 26 through November 29. Churchill Downs has hosted the Breeders' Cup World Championships a record six times. Information about Churchill Downs can be found on the Internet at www.churchilldowns.com.