Santa Anita Derby

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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Two more contenders for the 135th running of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I) joined the scene at Churchill Downs Thursday afternoon when the 1-2 finishers in the Santa Anita Derby (GI) – Pioneerof the Nile and Chocolate Candy – arrived at Churchill Downs

    Zayat Stables, LLC’s Pioneerof the Nile and the Sid and Jenny Craig Trust’s Chocolate Candy arrived in Louisville following a flight from Southern California.  The two horses made the short journey form Louisville International Airport to Churchill Downs in separate vans and arrived at the home of the Kentucky Derby at approximately 12:30 p.m. (EDT).

    Pioneerof the Nile, who is bidding to give trainer Bob Baffert his fourth Kentucky Derby victory, is stabled in Barn 33.  Chocolate Candy, who is stabled in Barn 42, is trained by Northern California legend Jerry Hollendorfer, who is looking for his first victory in the “Run for the Roses.”

    The Santa Anita Derby victory for Pioneerof the Nile was his fourth straight stakes win and the son of 2003 Kentucky Derby runner-up Empire Maker brings a career record of 5-0-1 in eight races and earnings of $1,234,200 to Churchill Downs.

    Chocolate Candy, a homebred son of Candy Ride and winner of the El Camino Real Derby (GIII), has a record of 4-2-1 in nine races and earnings of $532,500.

    Neither Baffert nor Hollendorfer accompanied their horses to Churchill Downs.  Baffert is scheduled to arrive in Louisville on Friday and will be at the barn on Saturday.

    Meanwhile, trainer Charles “Scooter” Dickey said he still has Kentucky Derby hopes for Oxbow Racing’s Flat Out, winner of the $50,000 Smarty Jones at Oaklawn Park and sixth behind Papa Clem in last week’s Arkansas Derby.  The Florida-bred son of Flatter has a record of two wins in five races and total earnings of $87,700.

    Flat Out, who is stabled in Barn 48 for the Churchill Downs-based Dickey, galloped at Churchill Downs Thursday in his first trip to the track since the Arkansas Derby and his return to the Louisville track.

The colt missed valuable training time over the winter in Arkansas following a troubled fourth place finish behind Old Fashioned in the Southwest Stakes (GIII).  He suffered a bruised heel in that race and missed a scheduled start in the Rebel.  Flat Out raced in the Arkansas Derby off a break of almost two months.  Normally a stretch runner, Flat Out was second to pacesetter Old Fashioned with a half-mile to run in the Arkansas Derby and faded in the stretch to be beaten by 8 ¼ lengths.

    “He’s an awful good horse and he had a lot of bad luck when he got hurt in that other race,” Dickey said. “He’s just now coming back to himself.  He was just too fresh in the Arkansas Derby – he didn’t want to lay up that close.”  

    A lot of things would have to happen for Flat Out to make it in to a maximum field of 20 for the Derby.  The colt has graded stakes earnings of $32,500, which ranked 33rd on Churchill Downs’ latest list of graded stakes earnings by possible Derby starters.  The Kentucky Derby field is limited to 20 horses with preference based on total earnings in graded stakes races.

    “He’s doing fine now and we got that race in him down there,” Dickey said.  “We’re looking for better things.”

    Thursday’s arrival of the two West-Coast based Kentucky Derby contenders and the addition of Flat Out raised the roster of possible starters brings the number of Derby 135 horses on the grounds to 10.  Also in that group are Wood Memorial (GI) winner I Want Revenge; Toyota Blue Grass (GI) winner General Quarters; Arkansas Derby (GII) winner Papa Clem; Illinois Derby (GII) winner Musket Man; Wood Memorial (GI) runner-up West Side Bernie; and the Dubai-based duo of Regal Ransom and Desert Party, the 1-2 finishers in the $2 million UAE Derby (GII).

David Lanzman and IEAH Stable's I Want Revenge, winner of the Wood Memorial (Grade I) and one of the early favorites for the 135th running of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI), arrived at Churchill Downs early Tuesday, April 7 to continue his preparation for the May 2 "Run for the Roses."

    The Jeff Mullins-trained son of Stephen Got Even arrived at Churchill Downs around 5:45 a.m. following a van ride from New York.  I Want Revenge is stabled in Barn 24.

    I Want Revenge will attempt to become the second consecutive Kentucky Derby winner for IEAH Stable, which won last year's race with Big Brown.  The stable completed a deal last week to purchase half-interest in the colt from Lanzman.. Mullins is seeking his first Kentucky Derby victory in what will be his fifth attempt to win the race.

    With the arrival of I Want Revenge, two of the three horses that won major Kentucky Derby prep races last weekend are now on the grounds at Churchill Downs.  Illinois' Derby winner Musket Man arrived at the track on Sunday following a van ride from Chicago's Hawthorne Race Course.

    Santa Anita Derby (GI) winner Pioneerof the Nile is schedule to arrive at Churchill Downs on April 14.  Zayat Stables' son of Empire Maker will attempt to become the fourth Kentucky Derby winner trained by Bob Baffert.

After a successful debut in New York in the Gotham Stakes (Grade III) that bordered on effortless, David Lanzman and IEAH Stables' California invader I Want Revenge encountered nothing but trouble in last Saturday's Wood Memorial (GI).  But the result in each was the same: a victory that enhanced his status as one of the major contenders for the $2 million guaranteed Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI) at Churchill Downs on May 2.

In a performance that sent witnesses searching for superlatives, I Want Revenge and 18-year-old jockey Joe Talamo burst through an opening in the stretch on his way to a 1 ½-length victory over the stretch-running West Side Bernie.  The Jeff Mullins-trained son of Stephen Got Even, who won just one of six races on synthetic tracks in California, improved his record on traditional dirt to two-for-two in a dazzling effort that boosted the colt into the role of 9-2 favorite in the third and last pool of Churchill Downs' 2009 Kentucky Derby Future Wager, which ended its four-day run on Sunday evening.

"What he did today was really special," Mullins said after the Wood.  "He had every trouble you could have in a race and overcame it.  We've got one more show to go, and if he can win that one he's a pretty special animal."

I Want Revenge started from the rail post as the 1-2 favorite in the field of eight, but was flat-footed at the start and was last in the early stages of the 1 1/8-mile race.  He gradually worked his way through the field, but became trapped behind horses on the far turn and remained bottled up and looking for an opening through most of the stretch run.  A hole finally materialized and I Want Revenge accelerated quickly and drew clear.  He covered the distance over a "fast" track in 1:48.48.

"To be honest, he only ran an eighth of a mile, so I don't think it took too much out of him" Talamo said.  "That was the first time he got real dirt in his face, and he took it like he's had it before 100 times."

Just a Coincidence finished third.  Imperial Council, the Gotham runner-up and the 5-2 second choice, was prominent in the stretch but faded to finish fifth.

Mullins will waste no time in getting I Want Revenge to Churchill Downs.  The colt is scheduled to arrive at the Louisville track on Monday, April 5.

'Candyman' takes Bay Shore - Capt. Candyman Can, once considered a major contender for this year's Kentucky Derby, proved again that he is a major force at one-turn sprint distances when he rallied from just off the pace to score a 3 ½-length victory over Taqarub in the $200,000 Bay Shore (GII) at seven furlongs on the Wood Memorial undercard.

The Ian Wilkes-trained son of Candy Ride was ridden by Javier Castellano.

WEST/BAFFERT BACK WITH PIONEEROF THE NILE AFTER SANTA ANITA DERBY WIN - The Santa Anita Derby (GI) lost some of its luster when morning line favorite The Pamplemousse was scratched shortly before the race, but Zayat Stable's Pioneerof the Nile had no trouble grabbing the spotlight as he rolled to his fourth consecutive stakes victory in Southern California's major prep for the Kentucky Derby.

In a race that had little early speed in the absence of The Pamplemousse, Pioneerof the Nile - a stretch runner through most of his young career - pressed the pace under Garrett Gomez and cruised to a one-length victory over Chocolate Candy.  Mr. Hot Stuff finished third as Pioneerof the Nile covered the 1 1/8 mile distance over the synthetic Pro-Ride surface in 1:49.17.

It was a record fifth Santa Anita Derby win for Baffert, who will bring Pioneerof the Nile to Churchill Downs in search of the trainer's fourth Kentucky Derby win.  That would tie him with Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas for second on the all-time win list for trainers in the "Run for the Roses."  Calumet Farm legend Ben A. Jones leads all trainers with six Kentucky Derby wins.  Baffert has not saddled a Derby starter since 2006.

"I'm glad to be back in the show," said Baffert, who won his Kentucky Derbies with Silver Charm (1997), Real Quiet (1998) and War Emblem (2002).

The Pamplemousse Is Off Derby Trail - When morning line favorite The Pamplemousse was scratched before Saturday's Santa Anita Derby, co-owner Alex Solis II said the colt had suffered a tendon injury in his left front leg - but he did not rule out a Kentucky Derby bid.

That tune had changed by Sunday morning, when Solis announced that concern over the soft tissue injury had ended the Kentucky Derby dream pf the winner of the San Rafael (GII) and Sham (GIII).  Solis said Sunday that the colt would be sidelined indefinitely.

"He's going to run again," said Solis.   "He's not finished, but he will not run in the Kentucky Derby."

Wagering on The Pamplemousse in Pool 3 of he Kentucky Derby Future wager was suspended upon word on the colt's defection from the Kentucky Derby scene.

MIDWEST/ MUSKET MAN EARNS RESPECT, TRIP TO DERBY 135 - A victory in the recent Tampa Bay Derby (GIII) had turned some heads, but an emphatic victory by Eric Fein and Vic Carlson's Musket Man in Saturday's $500,000 Illinois Derby (GII) earned the son of Yonaguska some respect and a trip to Churchill Downs for the 135th running of the Kentucky Derby.

Musket Man, a late nominee to the Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown, rolled from off the pace under Eibar Coa to win the 1 1/8-mile race at Hawthorne Race Course by two lengths.  Giant Oak was second and His Greatness was third.  The winner covered the distance in 1:49.91 as he won for the fifth time in six career races for trainer Derek Ryan.

"He really ran a big race today," Ryan said. "Everybody has been questioning his ability to get the distance, but they don't know the horse like I do."

Musket Man arrived at Churchill Downs on Sunday following a van ride from Chicago.

TOYOTA BLUE GRASS, ARKANSAS DERBY LOOM - Two major Kentucky Derby preps loom on Saturday, April 11 when the $750,000 Toyota Blue Grass (GI) over Polytrack at Keeneland and the $1 million Arkansas Derby (GI) will be run over traditional dirt at Oaklawn Park.