Spring Meet

Churchill Downs has been the scene of many historic races and special moments since its debut meet in 1875, but few of the track’s racing meets held each year since have seen as many historic ‘firsts’ – including an unusual blast from Mother Nature – as the 2011 Spring Meet concluded its 38-day run with an Independence Day program on Monday, July 4.

The venerable track’s record books underwent serious adjustment following a record-smashing 137^th running of the $2 million-guaranteed Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I) on Saturday, May 7 that established a new standard for attendance at America’s greatest race; a special Spring Meet “Opening Night” under the track’s permanent lights set an attendance mark of its own; a continuation of the success of the special “Downs After Dark” night racing programs; and the remarkable recovery by the track and its horsemen from a rare tornado that blasted sections of its stable area on Wednesday, June 22.

Spring Meet racing highlights included first-of-their-kind wins by Team Valor International’s Animal Kingdom in the Kentucky Derby and William Farish Jr.’s Pool Play in the $500,000-added Stephen Foster Handicap Presented by Abu Dhabi (GI), with each horse making history by becoming the first  to win their respective races in their first runs over traditional dirt; a victory by Peachtree Stable’s Plum Pretty in the richest running of the $1 million Kentucky Oaks (GI); a remarkable and ongoing streak of five consecutive victories in graded stakes races by horses trained by Ken McPeek; an historic win over males in the $100,000 Louisville Handicap (GIII) by Barbara Hunter’s homebred Keertana; a glimpse at racing’s future stars in victories by Barry L. King’s Flashy Lassie in the $100,000-added Debutante (GIII) for 2-year-old fillies and Stoneway Farm’s Exfactor in the $100,000-added Bashford Manor (GIII); and the first race for horses of the Arabian breed ever conducted beneath the track’s venerable Twin Spires.

The tornado that ripped through the Churchill Downs backside on June 22 resulted in the cancellation of racing the following day – a rare cancellation of an entire racing program at the track.  Despite damage that forced the evacuation of horses from six and a half barns for the rest of the meet and battered the track’s backside chapel, no humans or horses were injured in the storm that the National Weather Service said packed top winds of 105 miles per hour and was rated F1 on the Fujita scale.  Racing resumed at the track with a “Downs After Dark” night racing program on Friday, June 24, and the 6 p.m. (EDT) first race went off just shy of 48 hours after the storm hit the track.  National Weather Service records indicate it was the first tornado to hit Churchill Downs since an unusual January storm took a similar path through the property in 1928.

“This Spring Meet will long be memorable for milestones and memories highlighted by Derby Day attendance that surpassed a record that had had been untouched for nearly 40 years, but the response by our community, our horsemen and our team in the aftermath of the June 22 tornado was an unexpected example of what makes Churchill Downs so very special,” said Kevin Flanery, president of Churchill Downs.  “In the minutes and hours after the unexpected storm, people from every area of this track joined together to ensure the safety and well-being of every horse and individual touched by the storm.  The support offered by the many public service agencies, headed by the Louisville Fire Department, and people throughout our industry and community was incredibly gratifying.

“In terms of business, it was a very strong meet kicked off by the first ‘Opening Night’ celebration for the Spring Meet and Derby Week – a night so successful it became an instant part of Kentucky Derby tradition.  The continued strength and growth of the Kentucky Derby and Oaks, with the growing ‘Taste of Derby’ celebration and the continuing Kentucky Oaks fundraising partnership with Susan G. Komen for the Cure©, is tremendously exciting.  And ‘Downs After Dark’ night racing continues to be one of our industry’s shining success stories.  Churchill Downs continues to operate in competitive business climate and the playing field on which we face our top competitors is far from level, but our team continues to strive for innovative ways to attract fans and horses in an effort to keep our track at the forefront of American racing now and in the future.”

The brightest of the Spring Meet’s highlights came, as usual, on the first Saturday in May when 164,858 fans witnessed the Kentucky Derby victory by Animal Kingdom.  The attendance figure surpassed the previous standard of 163,628 established at the Centennial Derby in 1974.  The race provided the first victories in America’s greatest race for owner/breeder Team Valor International, trainer H. Graham Motion and jockey John Velazquez.   Wagering at Churchill Downs on the full Kentucky Derby Day race card, was $23.4 million, an increase of 9.0 percent over 2010's on-track wagering total of $21.5 million.  On-track wagering on the Derby race was $11.5 million, an increase of 4.2 percent over the $11.1 million wagered one year earlier.

All-sources wagering on the Kentucky Derby card was $165.2 million, the third-highest in Derby history and an increase of 1.5 percent over the prior year's $162.7 million. All-sources handle on the Derby race itself as $112.0 million, flat with 2010's $112.7 million.

The spectacular Kentucky Derby Day was preceded by another successful renewal of the Kentucky Oaks, which attracted a crowd of 110,122, the third-largest in history, that watched Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert earn his second victory in America’s premier race for 3-year-old fillies with Peachtree Stable’s Plum Pretty.  The Atlanta-based Peachtree Stable partnership and jockey Martin Garcia earned their first Oaks wins.

On-track Kentucky Oaks guests, many adorned in pink for the Oaks’ third annual “Pink Out” to support breast cancer awareness, wagered $12.1 million on the full Oaks Day race card, which was an increase of 2.1 percent over 2010's on-track total of $11.9 million. On-track wagering on the Oaks race was $3.0 million, an increase of 7.4 percent over the $2.8 million wagered one year earlier.  All-sources wagering on the Kentucky Oaks card set a record of $37.5 million, an increase of 4.2 percent over the prior year's 36.0 million. All-sources handle on the Oaks race itself was $11.4 million, up 8.2 percent over 2010's $10.6 million.

This spring’s Kentucky Derby and Oaks Week activities again provided a significant financial boost to national and local charities.

The third year of the Kentucky Oaks partnership with Susan G. Komen for the Cure raised $110,122 for the work of the world’s largest breast cancer outreach and funding organization.  Since the start of the partnership with Komen for the Cure in 2009, $328,468 has been raised for breast cancer research.

Another $30,000 was generated on Oaks Day for Horses and Hope, the breast cancer outreach initiative in Kentucky’s horse industry headed by First Lady Jane Beshear that has now received $90,000 over three years through its Oaks fundraising partnership.  And ‘Taste of Derby,’ the Derby Week celebration of racing life and food from racing cities held for the second consecutive year at the Mellwood Arts Center, generated $20,000 for Dare to Care, a Louisville food bank that has served needy residents since 1971.

The first ‘Opening Night’ under Churchill Downs’ permanent lights to kick off the Spring Meet and Derby Week proved an immediate and rousing success when 38,142 fans flocked to the track on Saturday, April 30.  The attendance was the highest in Churchill Downs’ three years of night racing and set an attendance record for a non-Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks or Breeders’ Cup World Championships racing program.

“Downs After Dark” racing on the meet’s final three Friday evening programs provided strong evidence that the region continues to embrace the unique night racing experience presented by Churchill Downs.  The first “Downs After Dark” session of 2011 on June 17 attracted 23,332, and attendance grew to 25,523 on June 24.  The meet’s final “Downs After Dark” program on July 1 was its largest at 27,787.

Churchill Downs continued to offer horses and patrons strong and competitive fields of horses in each age and gender division.  There were 3,265 starters in the meet’s 408 races for an average of 7.99 starters per race, which was an increase from the 2010 average of 7.75 horses in 439 races during a 42-day Spring Meet.

The strength of wagering over Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks weekend contributed to a pair of purse increases implemented during the meet.  The first was a 10 percent increase in overnight purses effective on Thursday June 9.  That increase was followed by a 15 jump in overnight purses for the final three weeks of the meet that went into effect on June 16.  Racing on Thursday, June 23 was cancelled because of tornado damage, but eight of that day’s scheduled nine races were made up during the meet’s closing weekend.

In the meet’s “human races,” jockey Julien Leparoux rode a torrid hot streak over the meet’s final three weeks to erase a large lead held by Corey Lanerie to earn the Spring Meet riding title.  It was the eighth Churchill Downs riding crown for the 27-year-old Leparoux and his fourth Spring Meet title for the 27-year-old native of Senlis France.  The final margin was 53-47 for Leparoux, who also collected his 500^th career victory at Churchill Downs during the meet’s final weekend, becoming just the 10^th rider to achieve that milestone.

Shaun Bridgmohan finished third in the jockey race with 36 wins and 2010 Spring Meet win leader Calvin Borel was next with 33.

The race for the leading trainer of the meet came down its final furlong of the last of the meet’s 408 races.  Steve Asmussen held off McPeek and Eddie Kenneally by an 18-17 margin to earn his fifth consecutive training title and his tenth overall. Peter Callaghan’s Ballyclough, trained by McPeek, led with an eighth of a mile remaining in the meet finale, but finished third to Richard, Bertram and Elaine Klein’s Windswept.

Athough McPeek fell short in his bid a title, he ended the meet on one of the most notable streaks in Churchill Downs history.  McPeek has saddled the winner in his last five graded stakes races at the track, a streak that will carry over to the Fall Meet that begins Oct. 30.  His winners included the Dogwood (GIII) with Salty Strike, the Aristides (GIII) with Noble’s Promise, the Early Times Mint Julep Handicap (GIII) with My Baby Baby, the Matt Winn (GIII) with Scotus and the Regret (GIII) with Bizzy Caroline.

The victory by the appropriately-named Windswept in the meet’s last race was a fitting finale for trainer Steve Margolis, whose barn 23 was the structure most severely damaged by the tornado 2 ½ weeks earlier.  Margolis ended the meet with 11 wins, good for seventh in the overall standings.

While familiar faces swept the leading rider and trainer titles, newcomer Midwest Thoroughbreds, Inc., owned by Richard and Karen Papiese, sent out eight winners to collect its first “leading owner” title at Churchill Downs.  Seventeen-time leading owners Ken and Sarah Ramsey tied with Jay Em Ess Stable of Mace and Samantha Siegel for the runner-up spot with six wins, while the partnership of trainer Merrill Scherer, Dan Lynch and Ken Sentel won five races.

Along with the record attendance for the Kentucky Derby and the Spring Meet “Opening Night” celebration, and the first-on-dirt wins in the Derby by Animal Kingdom and the Stephen Foster, other Spring Meet “firsts” in the meet included:

• Keertana’s victory in the 74^th running Louisville Handicap, which had been run over various surfaces and distances since its initial running in 1895.  The Tom Proctor-trained 5-year-old mare became to the first of her gender to win the Louisville in any of its previous forms and earned the win in a dramatic three-horse photo-finish over Bearpath and Guys Reward.
• Morton Fink’s homebred Wise Dan won the $175,000-added Firecracker Handicap Presented by GE (GII) on the meet’s closing day.  It was his first race on grass in 10 career starts. The one-mile race has been run on grass in 19 of its 21 runnings and the Charles Lopresti-trained Wise Dan became the first horse to win the Firecracker without a previous race on turf.
• Sam Vasquez’s T M Fred Texas became the first winner of an Arabian race at Churchill Downs when when he won Grade I, $52,500 President of the United Arab Emirates Cup by 9 ¼ lengths June 18.  The race was part of a one-year partnership with Abu Dhabi and the Emirates Equestrian Federation. The Arabian race was one of five stakes events offered on Stephen Foster Day presented by Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.        

 Racing returns to Churchill Downs on Sunday, Oct. 30 for the 122^nd Fall Meet, a 21-day stand that will be highlighted by the return of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships to the track on Nov. 4 and 5

Memorable renewals of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I), won by WinStar Farm’s homebred Super Saver, and the Kentucky Oaks (GIII), won by a nose by Blind Luck: brilliant performances by reigning Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra and rising star Blame; and four exciting evenings of “Downs After Dark” night racing were among the most magical moments of the 42-day Spring Meet at Churchill downs that concluded on Sunday, July 4.

The central human figure in many of the meet’s brightest moments moments was jockey Calvin Borel, who not only achieved his 1,000th career victory beneath the Twin Spires during the meet, but also won his first Spring Meet riding title.  He piloted Super Saver to victory in the Run for the Roses, an unprecedented third Kentucky Derby victory in four years, and was aboard for Rachel Alexandra’s return to form as the 2009 Kentucky Oaks (GI) winner took the Fleur de Lis Handicap (GII) by 10 ½ lengths for her first victory of the year.

“Our renewals of the Kentucky Derby and Oaks, run under vastly different weather conditions, were among the most successful in history and American racing’s greatest weekend continues to display the best of the sports and entertainment aspects our industry offers,” said Kevin Flanery, president of Churchill Downs. “Our ‘Downs After Dark’ night racing is now clearly established as an entertainment option that is attractive to a wide range of age groups and all segments of the population in our city and region.  We were disappointed that overall field sizes during the meet were not as large as our fans would prefer, but that is an industry-wide concern and we thank our horsemen who worked hard to participate in our Spring Meet.  We look ahead to our Fall Meet and the return of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships to our track for the next two years.”

Borel guided Super Saver to a 2 ½-length victory over Ice Box over a sloppy track in the 136th running of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI) before a crowd of 155,804, sixth-largest in Derby history and easily the largest attendance for a renewal of the Derby run over a wet track. The huge crowd that endured nearly day-long rains was rewarded when the clouds parted as the field stepped onto the track for the Kentucky Derby post parade and the sun was shining for both for the traditional singing of “My Old Kentucky Home” and the famed race itself.

Super Saver provided trainer Todd Pletcher with his first victory in the Kentucky Derby. Pletcher, who sent four runners in this year’s Run for the Roses, started his first Kentucky Derby runner in 1990 and prior to this year had saddled 24 starters without getting a sniff of the roses.

On the sun-splashed day before the Derby, Blind Luck rallied to defeat Evening Jewel by a nose in the 136th running of the Kentucky Oaks (GI) before a record crowd of 116,046. Ridden by Rafael Bejarano, Blind Luck gave trainer Jerry Hollendorfer his third victory in America’s premier race for 3-year-old fillies.    Wagering on the 2010 renewal of the Kentucky Derby race totaled $112.7 million, a 7.8 percent gain on all-sources betting from the 104.6 million wagered on the 2009 Derby.   Total betting on the 13-race Kentucky Derby Day card rose to $162.7 million, a 4.3 percent increase from the $158.0 million wagered on all Kentucky Derby Day races in 2009.

The 2010 renewal of the Kentucky Oaks was the most successful in history.  A record crowd of 116,046 watched the race and all-sources wagering on the Kentucky Oaks race was $10.6 million, an increase of 55 percent over 2009.  Total wagering on entire 12-race Kentucky Oaks Day racing program reached a record $36.0 million, an increase of 20 percent over the previous year.

The success of Kentucky Derby and Oaks Days allowed Churchill Downs to raise purses for its overnight races for the final three weeks of the Spring Meet by 10 percent.  It was the first in-meet increase in purses at Churchill Downs since a similar 10 percent purse hike in June, 2003.  This increase raised purses by about $3,000 per race.

But continued competitive pressure from tracks in racing states that supplement purses with casino and slot machine revenues or other purse subsidies contributed to a decline in average field size for the meet’s races.  The average field in the 439 races run during the 42-day Spring Meet consisted of 7.75 horses, down from 7.85 in 2009.

“Downs After Dark” night racing continued to be an immensely popular product as this year’s four sessions were conducted under Churchill Downs’ new permanent lights, which were installed over the winter at a cost of approximately $4 million.  The 2009 experiment with night race included three sessions under temporary lights.

An average of 27,139 patrons attended the evening programs, ranging from 24,625 to June 18 to 32,481 on July 2. Two more night programs are scheduled for the Fall Meet: Sunday, Oct. 31 and Friday, Nov. 19.   There was added luster to the June 11 launch of “Downs After Dark” racing under permanent lights retired U.S. Army General Tommy Franks, the one-time Commander of the United States Central Command, visited the track and turned on those lights to usher in the new era at Churchill Downs.

The 2010 renewal of the Kentucky Oaks marked it second year as part of a fundraising partnership with Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer in the world.  Because of that partnership Komen for the Cure later received a check for $118,346 to help fund the search for a cure for breast cancer.  Another Kentucky Oaks fundraising partnership resulted in a check for $30,000 to benefit Kentucky First Lady Jane Beshear’s Horses and Hope breast cancer outreach initiative in Kentucky’s horse industry.

Stonestreet Farm and Harold McCormick’s Rachel Alexandra, the Churchill Downs-based Horse of the Year during her 3-year-old season that included a record-smashing 20 ¼-length victory in the 2009 Kentucky Oaks, made two appearances during the Spring Meet.  The first was a narrow loss to Unrivaled Belle in the La Troienne (GII) on the 2010 Kentucky Oaks undercard, but the champion followed that effort on June 12 with her dominant victory in the Fleur de Lis.

Four races after Rachel Alexandra’s return to the winner’s circle, Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider’s Blame established himself as a major player in the handicap ranks and a contender for this fall’s Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI) at Churchill Downs by erasing a four-length deficit in midstretch to defeat Battle Plan by three-quarters of a length in the $600,000 Stephen Foster Handicap (GI).

Other Grade I winners during the meet were owner-trainer Tom McCarthy’s General Quarters, who captured the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic under Bejarano, and Mona de Momma, who defeated eight rivals including Eclipse Award winner Informed Decision, in the Humana Distaff.

Borel, who won the 1999 Fall Meet riding title outright and shared titles in the 2006 and 2009 Fall Meets, rode 52 winners during the Spring Meet to easily outdistance Corey Lanerie for his first Spring Meet title. One of those winners was Gray Hart’s Girl on June 4 to give the 43-year-old Borel his 1,000th Churchill Downs victory. Only Hall of Famer Pat Day (2,482) has ridden more winners at Churchill Downs.

Borel was reunited during the Spring Meet with his 2009 Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird, who returned to the races on July 4 in the Firecracker Handicap Presented by Thorntons (GII). Owned by Double Eagle Ranch and Buena Suerte Equine, Mine That Bird became the first Kentucky Derby winner to race at Churchill Downs since 2005 winner Giacomo returned to run fourth in the 2006 Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI).  Mine That Bird finished a disappointing eighth in his 2010 debut, but new trainer D. Wayne Lukas continues to hope that the 2009 Derby winner will progress in the coming months and return to Churchill Downs in the fall for the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Steve Asmussen won his third consecutive training title, saddling 24 winners. It was the fourth Spring Meet title for the two-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer, who also has won leading trainer honors four times during the Fall Meet. Asmussen’s roster of winner’s included Stonestreet Stable’s Kantharos, an impressive 9 ½-length winner of the 109th running of the $100,000-added Bashford Manor Stakes (GIII) for 2-year-olds on Saturday, July 3.  The victory by the unbeaten colt stamped him as an early contender for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (GI) in November and the 137th Kentucky Derby (GI) next May.

Trainer Dale Romans, who finished second in the trainers’ race with 19 victories, hit the 500-victory milestone at Churchill Downs when Skipadate won the eighth race on June 17. Romans, a 43-year-old Louisville native, saddled his first winner at Churchill Downs on Nov. 12, 1987.

Maggi Moss earned her second leading owner title as she collected nine winners to edge Ken and Sarah Ramsey.  Moss’ other Churchill Downs title came in the 2007 Spring Meet.

Churchill Downs raises the curtain on Kentucky Derby Week and its 2010 Spring Meet on Saturday, April 24 with  the revitalized $200,000-added The Cliff’s Edge Derby Trial (Grade III) set as the featured event on an 11-program kicks off what bids to be a memorable 42-day racing session that will includes four “Downs After Dark” night racing sessions under permanent lights and a compelling schedule of special events.

Along with the outstanding racing on the opening day of the spring racing session, the first 5,000 patrons through the Churchill Downs admission gates will receive a voucher redeemable for an Opening Day T-Shirt sponsored by Fifth Third Bank.  The T-Shirt can be used to gain free admission to the track every weekday throughout the meet, starting Thursday, May 6.  Opening Day fans may also register to win the Kentucky Garland Escort Package, which includes tickets to the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks and the opportunity to escort famed Garland of Roses that goes to the Kentucky Derby winner to the Derby Winner’s Circle, also compliments of Fifth Third Bank.

Admission to Churchill Downs during the Spring Meet is $3 and $1 for seniors and Twin Spires Club members.  Exceptions include April 29-30, May 1 and “Downs After Dark” racing on June 11, 18 & 25 and July 2.  “Downs After Dark” admission is $10.  Children 12 and under are admitted free when accompanied by a parent.

Post time for Saturday’s opening racing session is 12:45 p.m. (all times EST) and admission gates open at 11:00 a.m.  The 12:45 p.m. will continue through most of Kentucky Derby Week – there will be no racing on Monday or Tuesday – and for most of the Spring Meet.  There is a special 10:30 a.m. post time on both Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby Days, then there will be no racing beneath the historic Twin Spires until Thursday, May 6.  Daily post time after Kentucky Derby Week will remain at 12:45 p.m., with the exception of:

• Fridays after Derby Week except June 11, 18, 25 and July 2: 2:45 p.m. ET.
• Special 6 p.m. “Downs After Dark” night racing under the track’s new permanent light system on Fridays, June 11, 18, 25 and July 2.

The track’s 136th Spring Meet is headed by the $2 million guaranteed Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI) on Saturday, May 1 and the $500,000-added Kentucky Oaks (GI) on Friday, April 30.  Those  races headline a stakes schedule for the April 24-July 4 Spring Meet with total purses of  $7.1 million.

The Cliff’s Derby Trial on Saturday, April 24 gets the stakes schedule off to a spectacular start as the 86th running of the last of the spring’s Kentucky Derby prep races has a new sponsor in Thoroughbred owner and breeder Robert LaPenta and the race is named in honor of his star The Cliff’s Edge, who finished fifth in the 2004 Kentucky Derby.  The Grade III race carries a record purse of $200,000-added, has been restored to its traditional one-mile distance and looms as an important Kentucky Derby prep for the first time in years.

The Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks and Stephen Foster Handicap on June 12+`, respectively, head three special event days that consist of five or more stakes races with total purses in excess of $1 million.  The biggest of those days is Kentucky Derby Day, which includes six stakes races with total purses of $3.35 million.  Kentucky Oaks Day features the main event and five other stakes races with total purses of $1.325 million.  And five stakes races set for Stephen Foster Handicap Day carry total purses of $1.15 million.

The Stephen Foster Handicap racing program on Saturday, June 12 shares the spotlight with the return of Kentucky Derby Alumni Day, which will feature appearances by Derby stars from the illustrious decade of the 1970’s that produced three Triple Crown winners.

Popular recurring events during the 2010 Spring Meet include:

• Dress to Impress Friday Happy Hours sponsored by Budweiser Select (beginning Friday, May 7);
• "Get in the Game” Seminars with Jill Byrne beginning May 8;
• “Who’s the Champ?” Handicapping Tournament on Sundays May 16, 23 & 30 and June 6 & 13;
• Senior Days on Thursday June 10, 17 & 24.

The 135th Spring Meet at Churchill Downs came to a close Sunday afternoon with the lasting images of a longshot winner of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I), the coronation of racing royalty in the Kentucky Oaks (GI) and a dazzling start for racing under the stars with the debut of “Downs After Dark” night racing beneath the Twin Spires.

    It was a meet in which the winners of the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks, Mine That Bird and Rachel Alexandra, became household names both inside and out of the racing world, and nights under the lights at Churchill Downs became the place both to be and be seen.

    Around midnight on April 21, trainer Bennie “Chip” Woolley Jr. – who never had started a Thoroughbred in a Grade I race – much less the biggest race of them all – pulled into Churchill Downs’ Gate 5 hauling behind his Ford F-450 Lariat a trailer containing a small gelding named Mine That Bird. Expectations for Mine That Bird in the Derby were not high after a fourth-place finish in the Sunland Park Derby.

    In the late afternoon of May 2, things changed in the blink of an eye in front of a crowd of 153,563, the seventh-largest crowd in Kentucky Derby history.

    Ridden by Calvin Borel, who had only picked up the mount the week before, Mime That Bird trailed 18 horses after three-quarters of a mile. Riding next to the rail as he had done in the 2007 Kentucky Derby with Street Sense, Borel and Mine That Bird began passing horses in a blur.

    At the top of the stretch, Mine That Bird moved around Atomic Rain and darted back to the rail. At the eighth pole, Mine That Bird squeezed through a narrow opening between the rail and Join in the Dance and drew off a 6 ¾-length victory over Pioneerof the Nile. Mine That Bird covered the 1 ¼ miles in 2:02.66 over a track rated as “sloppy.”

    Sent off as the third-longest price in the field of 19, Mine That Bird paid $103.20 to win, the second-largest payoff in Kentucky Derby history. The 6 ¾-length margin of victory was the largest in the Derby since 1946 when Assault won by eight lengths.

    Despite the near-historic victory margin posted by Mine that Bird, it paled in comparison to what had transpired in the Kentucky Oaks the day before.

    L and M Partners’ (Dolphus Morrison and Michael Lauffer) Rachel Alexandra dazzled a crowd of 104,867 by winning the 135th running of the Kentucky Oaks by 20 ¼ lengths. Borel sat motionless on the filly’s back as she effortlessly expanded her advantage in completing the 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.87 over a fast track.

    Borel became the first jockey since 1993 and seventh in history to sweep the Oaks and the Derby in the same year.

    The 135th running of the Kentucky Oaks marked the first year of a fundraising partnership with Susan G. Komen for the Cure©, the world’s largest breast cancer fundraising and outreach organization.  The crowd was encouraged to “Think Pink” and wear Komen’s signature color as 104,867 witnessed the race, which was televised for the first time on the cable network Bravo.  The 2009 Kentucky Oaks marked the 11th time in 12 years that attendance had topped the 100,000 mark.

    As part of that fundraising partnership, Churchill Downs presented Susan G. Komen for the Cure with a donation of $100,000 for breast cancer research, and another $30,000 was presented to “Horses and Hope,” a breast cancer outreach initiative launched by Kentucky First Lady Jane Beshear that is focused on providing breast cancer education and screening to workers in Kentucky’s horse industry.  

   History of another kind was made during the Spring Meet on Friday, June 19, when Churchill Downs conducted its first night racing program. The 11-race program began with a first post of 6 p.m. (EDT) and attracted a crowd of 28,011. Two other “Downs After Dark” programs were offered with the June 26 card drawing 27,623 to Churchill Downs and the Thursday, July 2 program drawing 34,481 for a three-night total of 89,115 under the temporary lights at the historic home of the Kentucky Derby.

    In addition to Mine That Bird and Rachel Alexandra, other Grade I winners at the meet were Augustin Stable’s Informed Decision in the Humana Distaff, Midnight Cry Stable’s Einstein (BRZ) in the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic and West Point Thoroughbreds’ Macho Again in the Stephen Foster.

    Julien Leparoux, who won his third Spring Meet riding title with 62 victories, was aboard Informed Decision and Einstein and Robby Albarado won his third consecutive Stephen Foster when he rallied Macho Again from last to deny Einstein’s bid to become the first horse to win three consecutive Grade I races on different surfaces (dirt, turf and synthetic).

    Leparoux edged Borel by a single victory as the latter rode three winners on the meet’s final day but fell just short of catching the absent Leparoux.  It marked the second time in three years that Leparoux edged Borel by a single win for the Spring Meet title.

    Borel and Albarado reached riding milestones during the meet.

    On May 14, Borel became the fourth rider to reach 900 victories at Churchill Downs with his win aboard War Eagle Lady. On June 12, Borel got Churchill Downs victory No. 926 aboard Smoke Trail to move him past Don Brumfield into second place all time behind Pat Day’s record 2,482.

    Albarado became the sixth rider to reach 800 victories at Churchill Downs when he won aboard La Mousse (ARG) on April 30. A month later, his victory aboard Keertana was the 4,000th of his career making him the 57th North American-based rider to reach that plateau.

    Steve Asmussen won his sixth leading trainer title with 29 victories. Asmussen’s title was his third in the spring to go with 2004 and 2007. He also won fall titles in 2001, 2004 and 2007.  Mike Maker, the leading trainer of the 2008 Fall Meet finished second with 18 wins, one more than Greg Foley and two more than 2008 Spring Meet training champion Tom Amoss.

    Four trainers achieved their 300th career victories at Churchill Downs to boost the number to 12 at that plateau in track history.

    McGlamery Road gave Tom Amoss his 300th on May 14, Action Seeker accounted for No. 300 for Lynn Whiting on May 29, Citizen John on June 12 was Dave Vance’s 300th winner and Izzy Ali’s triumph on June 25 was No. 300 for Greg Foley.

    Ken and Sarah Ramsey won their record 15th leading owner title and fourth in a row as their stable posted 18 victories. The Ramseys have won eight spring titles and seven in the fall. 

   The Churchill Downs Fall Meet begins Sunday, Nov. 1 and runs through Saturday, Nov. 28.

Although there will be no live racing on Wednesday, May 20 at Churchill Downs, the historic track will offer wagering on tracks from around North America at its Trackside at Churchill simulcast center.. Admission gates open at 11:30 a.m. (all times EDT) and patrons will enjoy free admission throughout the day.  

    Post time for the first of the day’s simulcast signals is 12:30 p.m. for Freehold Raceway’s harness program and 12:40 p.m. for Thoroughbreds at Calder Race Course.  Others on the simulcast menu include Belmont Park, Delaware Park and evening racing at Evangeline Downs.  Evening simulcast wagering will continue through 9 p.m.

    Wednesday, May 20 was one of the seven live racing dates dropped from the track’s Spring Meet racing calendar when the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission approved the track’s request to reduce its spring schedule from 52 to 45 days.  The remaining dates that had been designated for live racing on which Trackside at Churchill will continue to offer simulcast wagering include Thursday, May 28; each Wednesday in June (3, 10, 17 & 24) and Wednesday, July 1.  Admission is free to each session.

    Live racing resumes at Churchill Downs on Thursday, May 21, which will be the first of five consecutive days of racing that will include a Memorial Day holiday program on Monday, May 26.  Post time for Thursday-Monday live racing programs is 12:45 p.m., with the exception the “Friday Happy Hours” program on Friday, May 22 that begins with its first race at 2:45 p.m.

Fans who are still recovering from the 135th Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands and the surprise victory by 50-1 shot Mine That Bird will have added motivation to return to the track when the Spring Meet resumes on Wednesday as huge carryover pools will be available in both the Pick 6 and Super HI-5 wagers.

The Pick 6, a $2 minimum wager that requires bettors to correctly select the winners of six consecutive races, has a carryover pool of $781,146 as Spring Meet racing resumes following a three-day post-Derby break. The Super HI-5, a $1 minimum wager that requires the bettor to correctly select the first five horses in the correct order-of-finish in a selected race, has a carryover pool of $251,856.
    
    Post time for the first of nine races on Wednesday’s Churchill Downs program is 12:45 p.m. (all times EDT).  Admission gates open at 11:30 a.m.  General admission to Churchill Downs is $3 and $1 for members of the Twin Spires Club and seniors 60 and older.  Admission is free for children 12 and under.

    Saturday’s Kentucky Derby Day racing card marked the fourth consecutive program in which no perfect tickets were purchased in the Pick 6.  Wednesday’s $781,146 Pick 6 carryover pool is the third largest at Churchill Downs since the wager was introduced in 1984.

    Wednesday’s Pick 6 sequence begins in the fourth race, which has a scheduled post time of 2:21 p.m.

    Wednesday’s Super Hi-5 wager is scheduled for the day’s ninth and final race.  Post time for the ninth race is 4:59 p.m.

    Churchill Downs racing in the week after Kentucky Derby 135 will continue through Sunday.  Post time for racing on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday is 12:45 p.m.  Racing on Friday, May 8 will include the Spring Meet’s “Friday Happy Hours Kickoff.” Post time for Friday’s program is 2:45 p.m.  Admission gates open at 1:30 p.m.
    “Friday Happy Hours,” sponsored by Budweiser Select, features live music, beer and cocktail specials each week from 4-7 p.m.  Each week, one lucky lady who enjoys “Friday Happy Hours” will be chosen “Most Stylish” and will win a $250 shopping spree in a Louisville boutique.

    The first of the Spring Meet’s “Get in the Game” handicapping seminars with Churchill Downs racing analyst Jill Byrne is set for Saturday, May 9 in the Paddock.   Join Jill and a special guest each week for the seminars, which will begin at noon.  If weather is poor, the “Get in the Game” seminars will be held in the Trackside ITW area in the second floor of the Clubhouse.

    Spring Meet racing at Churchill Downs continues through July 5.  More information about Churchill Downs racing is available on the Web at www.churchilldowns.com or your can follow Churchill Downs racing on Twitter at @churchilldowns.

Churchill Downs announced today that advance-deposit wagering (“ADW”) companies TwinSpires.com and Youbet.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: UBET) will offer the Churchill Downs signal for the racetrack’s 2009 spring meet, which begins on Friday, April 25.  TwinSpires.com is owned by Churchill Downs Incorporated (“Company” or “CDI”) (NASDAQ: CHDN).

“Taking care of our customers and making it convenient for them to access our content are among the top priorities of Churchill Downs,” said Kevin Flanery, senior vice president of Churchill Downs Incorporated.  “Today’s announcement brings us closer to those goals.  We are pleased that our fans will have easy access to Churchill Downs content from some of the nation’s most popular ADW platforms, including our own TwinSpires.com, which offers innovations such as Twinspires.tv and superior wagering tools through BRIS.  We hope our customers join us for an outstanding season of racing under the Twin Spires and enjoy wagering on the quality product that we will provide.”

“We are very excited to offer the first leg of the Triple Crown – the most prestigious event in all of horse racing – as content for our customers,” said Youbet.com Chief Executive Officer Michael Brodsky.  “The Churchill Downs Spring Meet, and especially the Kentucky Derby, is a perfect complement to the abundance of global content Youbet has added this year alone.”

Further details of the agreements were not disclosed.  Wagering will be available beginning on opening day and continuing through the close of the Churchill Downs spring meet on July 5, 2009.

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

Historic Churchill Downs will raise the curtain on Saturday, April 25 on its historic 52-day Spring Meet that begins with the 135th renewals of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I) and the Kentucky Oaks (Grade I), but will also be marked by first sessions of night racing in the legendary track’s history and the introduction of Mark Johnson as track announcer and the first international voice to provide the on-track call of the “Run for the Roses.”

Johnson, the British commentator who succeeds the late Luke Kruytbosch as announcer, will welcome racing fans who gather beneath the track’s historic Twin Spires on Saturday for an 11-race program opening day program that get underway with its first race at 12:45 p.m. (all times EDT).  The racing program is topped by the 85th running of the $100,000-added Derby Trial (Grade III), a 7 ½-furlong race for 3-year-olds that is the final significant prep race for the May 2 Kentucky Derby.

Racing during Kentucky Derby Week will be held daily, with the exception of Monday, through the running of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 2.  First race post time for each of those programs – with the exception of Oaks and Derby Days – will be 12:45 p.m. First post on Kentucky Derby and Oaks Days will be 10:30 a.m. – a half-hour earlier than last year.  Admission to the track for Derby Week, with the exception of Derby and Oaks Days, and most of the rest of the meet will be $3 for adults, $1 for Twin Spires Club members, $1 for seniors 60 and over, and free to children 12 and under.

The three-day celebration of Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks Weekend kicks of with the increasingly popular Thursday program that features 10 races and is headed by the $100,000-added, Grade III Kentucky Juvenile.  That race for 2-year-olds at five furlongs is the first graded stakes event of the year for that age group.

Fans visiting the track on Thursday, April 30 will have the first opportunity to enjoy the new Infield Club as part of the “Crown Royal Festival in the Infield Club.”   The Infield Club offers the energy and excitement of the infield in a more comfortable sports-bar atmosphere.  The private section of the infield includes a 430-foot horseshoe bar, first-come first-served shaded seating, food and music.

The Infield Club will be the only infield activity at Churchill Downs on Thursday of Kentucky Derby Week.

Admission to the track for the Thursday program is $5, $1 for Twin Spires Club members and seniors 60 and over, and free to children under 12.  Admission to the Infield Club on Thursday will cost an additional $10 and will be available for purchase on that day, but advance sale of those tickets will be offered at Gate 17 each day leading up to that program.

Advance tickets for the Infield Club experience on Kentucky Oaks and Derby Days will also be offered on track at Gate 17 and will continue through Thursday.  Infield Club tickets for Kentucky Oaks Day are available for $50 and for $150 for Kentucky Derby Day.  A ticket for both of those big days can be purchased for $175.

A race has been added to both the Kentucky Oaks program on Friday, May 1 and the Kentucky Derby racing card on Saturday, May 2.  Post time for the first race on each day is 10:30 a.m. – 30 minutes earlier than last year – and admission gates open at 8 a.m.  General admission tickets will be available for both days at a cost of $25 on Oaks Day and $40 for Derby Day.

After next week’s Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby Weekend, the April 25-July 5 Spring Meet will resume on Wednesday, May 6.  The meet will feature its regular schedule of stakes races that include the Grade I, $750,000-added Stephen Foster Handicap on June 13.  But the first sessions of night racing conducted beneath the historic Twin Spires figure to be highlights of the Spring Meet.  Temporary lighting will illuminate the historic track during those sessions of racing under the stars at Churchill Downs.

The first racing sessions in the history of the home of the Kentucky Derby are scheduled for June 19 and 26, which are Friday nights, and Thursday, July 2, an evening of racing under the lights which will serve as the kick-off for Independence Day Weekend festivities.  Post time for the three night racing sessions is set for 6 p.m.  Details of those special programs will be announced after the Kentucky Derby.

Along with the Derby Trial, Saturday’s opening day program will also feature a T-shirt Giveaway sponsored by Fifth Third Bank.  Those shirts will be given away to the first 5,000 patrons through the admission gates, which open on Saturday at 11 a.m.  And all opening day fans will have the opportunity to register for a chance to escort the famed Garland of Roses that goes to the winning horse in the Kentucky Derby to the Winner’s Circle prior to the running of America’s greatest race.  Each patron will receive a voucher at the admission gates that they can fill out and deposit at any active Fifth Third Bank ATM location at the track.

The winner will be selected in a drawing from those vouchers and that person will receive two tickets to both the Kentucky Derby and the May 1 Kentucky Oaks (GI), and the winner and a guest will help escort the prized Derby roses to the winner’s circle for the post-race salute to the winner following the “Run for the Roses.”

Sunday’s second day of the Spring Meet features a 10-race program at 12:45 p.m. that will be preceded by the unveiling of an extraordinary sculpture of Barbaro, the winner of the 2006 Kentucky Derby.  The statue was commissioned by Roy and Gretchen Jackson, who bred and owned Barbaro, and was created by Wisconsin sculptor Alexa King.  The bronze also marks the final resting place for Barbaro, who died in early 2007 following a courageous battle for life that captured the attention of the nation.  Barbaro was cremated following his passing and his remains are interred at the site, which is located at the Gate 1 entrance to Churchill Downs.

2009 Churchill Downs Spring Meet At A Glance

DATES
Saturday, April 25 through Sunday, July 5 (52 days). No racing on April 27, May 3-4-5. After Derby Week, dark on Mondays and Tuesdays except for Memorial Day week, with racing Monday, May 25 and dark days May 26-27.

LOCATION
700 Central Avenue.

GATES OPEN
Derby Week, 11 a.m., except for Kentucky Oaks/Derby Days (May 1-2), 8 a.m.
After Derby Week: 11:30 a.m. except for Fridays (1:30 p.m.)
Special Night Racing: 4 p.m. on Friday, June 19; Friday, June 26 and Thursday, July 2

POST TIMES
Derby Week, 12:45 p.m., except for Kentucky Oaks/Derby Days (May 1-2), 10:30 a.m.
After Derby Week, 12:45 p.m. except for Fridays (2:45 p.m.)
Special Night Racing: 6 p.m. on Friday, June 19; Friday, June 26 and Thursday, July 2

RACE CARD
Nine races on Wednesdays and Thursdays after Derby and July 3
10 races April 26, 28-29-30 and Sundays after Derby
11 races on opening day, Fridays and Saturdays after Derby, July 2 and July 5
12 races on Oaks Day (May 1)
13 races on Derby Day (May 2)

ADMISSION
Derby Day general admission: $40
Oaks Day general admission: $25
Thursday, April 30 general admission: $5
Night Racing Debut on Friday, June 19: $10, $1 senior citizens and Twin Spires Club members
Night Racing on Friday, June 26 and Thursday, July 2: $6, $1 senior citizens and Twin Spires Club members
All other days: $3 clubhouse and grandstand, $1 senior citizens and Twin Spires Club members; children 12 and under free when accompanied by adult.

PARKING
Free in Longfield lot (Gates 10, 12).
$3 in all other lots; $5 valet.
No on-site parking on Kentucky Oaks or Kentucky Derby Day.

PROGRAMS
$2 on-track, $2.50 off-track.
Oaks and Derby programs $5 each on-track; $5.50 each off-track.
Simulcast program $4 on-track, $4.50 off-track.

WHOLECARD WAGERING
Schedule will vary but will include Aqueduct, Arlington, Belmont, Calder, Colonial Downs, Evangeline, Golden Gate, Hawthorne, Hollywood, Hoosier, Lone Star, Louisiana Downs, Meadowlands, Monmouth, Mountaineer, Penn, Pimlico, Prairie Meadows, River Downs, Suffolk, Thistledown and Woodbine.

WAGERING FORMAT
Daily Doubles and rolling Pick 3 every race.
Exactas every race; trifectas, superfectas & over/under every race that qualifies on field size.
Super Hi-5 on the last race daily (except a special Derby Hi-5 on Derby Day).
Pick 6 on the last six races of each race card (except Oaks Day and Derby Day - races 6-11).
New 50-cent Pick 4 on races 1-4 & final four races (except Oaks Day – races 2-5, 4-7 and 8-11 – and Derby Day – races 2-5, 4-7, 8-11 and 10-13).

TELEVISION
All races except Derby live on HRTV on Insight-564 in Louisville and DISH network channel 404.

RADIO
On WHAS-840: Results and a live call of the feature race.

WEB SITE
www.churchilldowns.com

SCRATCH LINE
(502) 636-4404 or (502) 58-DOWNS

RESULTS LINE
(502) 636-4403 or (502) 58-DOWNS

TRACKSIDE OTB
4520 Poplar Level Road (962-2200)
Open at 9 a.m. Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby Day. Admission $10.
Open Sunday, May 3, noon-7:30 p.m. Simulcast wagering on tracks around the nation. Admission free.
All simulcast wagering after May 3 will be held at Churchill Downs.

Click here for the full 2009 Spring Meet stakes schedule.

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

Jockey Robby Albarado, a finalist for last year's Eclipse Award as America's leading jockey who ranks seventh among the all-time riding leaders at Churchill Downs, earned his first "leading rider" title under the historic Twin Spires as the home of the Kentucky Derby wrapped up its 52-day Spring Meet on Sunday, July 6. 

Trainer Tom Amoss won two races on the meet's closing day to nail down his second title of leading trainer, and Ken and Sarah Ramsey continued their assault on the Churchill Downs record book as the Nicholasville, Ky., couple won a record 13th "leading owner" crown. 

Albarado, 34, ended the meet with 73 victories. The highlight was clearly his victory aboard reigning "Horse of the Year" Curlin in the $1 million Stephen Foster Handicap (GI) on June 14, but Albarado said earning his first "leading rider" crown since his arrival at Churchill Downs in 1996 was special. 

"It means a lot," Albarado said. "I know I'm at a point in my career where ‘leading rider' titles probably won't make a difference in my business that I've established, but it was one of my own personal goals, and I'm glad I got it accomplished here at Churchill." 

Albarado won his meet-leading 73 races from 287 mounts, a significantly smaller total than those of runner-up Miguel Mena, who won 65 races from 364 mounts. He is generally considered to be more selective in regard to the quality of the mounts he selects, but Albarado said his first championship meet belies that assumption. 

"I've been injured quite a few times, so I've got to be a little more selective," he said. "A lot of trainers think I don't give 100 percent on all of the horses, but I do. I've won $5,000 claiming races here this meet - I've won them all in all different areas of it. So it kind of instills a little confidence in the trainers also that I can ride seven or eight a day and make it happen." 

Albarado now has 753 career victories at Churchill Downs. Julien Leparoux, the riding leader in the 2007 Spring Meet, finished third with 56 victories and was followed by Calvin Borel (52), Jamie Theriot (48) and Shaun Bridgmohan (44). Six of Albarado's victories came in stakes competition, including a victory aboard Einstein in the $500,000-added Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (GI) on Kentucky Derby Day.

The New Orleans-born Amoss opened the meet on a hot streak and closed with a rush to collect his second "leading trainer" crown - and his first outright title. He had previously tied with Dale Romans for the Spring Meet title in 2002. Amoss' stable collected 35 victories from 87 starts - a 40 percent win rate for a barn in which 72 percent of its starters finished in the top three in their races. 

"We caught fire and we were able to keep it going all meet, which is truly a credit to everybody in the barn," Amoss said by telephone. "I've got probably five managerial people that have been with me for more than 15 years each, and this is a proud moment for all of us." 

Amoss wrapped up the meet with victories by Alfred Kent ($4) in the fifth race and Our Dancer ($7) in the 10th. The highlight of the Spring Meet for Amoss was a victory in the $125,000 Aristides (GIII) with Maggi Moss' Indian Chant. 

"This is a special feeling," said Amoss. "This is a prestigious meet. Not to take anything away from any of the other titles we've won, but this is big. It's really important to us and there's a great deal of satisfaction amongst everybody." 

The strong closing day performance by Amoss allowed him to pull away from runner-up Steve Asmussen, the 2007 Spring Meet leader who finished with 30 victories. Ken McPeek was next with 26 wins. 

The "leading owners" title for Ken and Sarah Ramsey was their record 13th overall and their seventh Spring Meet crown. They earned their first Churchill Downs Spring Meet title in 2000 and have taken seven of the nine spring titles since. The latest title allowed the Ramseys to tie legendary Calumet Farm's record for the most Spring Meet "leading owner" crowns. 

"Did you notice how long we're delaying leaving the winner's circle?" asked a beaming Ken Ramsey in special winner's circle ceremony. "It never gets old." 

Sarah Ramsey accompanied her husband to the winner's circle ceremony. Mrs. Ramsey was in a wheelchair as she made her first appearance at Churchill Downs since she suffered a stroke early last year. "She told me that if we won another ‘leading owner' title that she'd come to the track with me," Ken Ramsey said. 

The Ramseys horses finished with a record of 20-11-17 in 75 starts, which reflects a winning rate of 27 percent and 64 percent of their horses recorded top-three finishes. Maggi Moss, the leading owner in the 2007 Spring Meet, finished second with 15 wins while Richard, Elaine and Bert Klein were third with 10 victories. 

The 2008 Spring Meet got off of to a memorable, if bittersweet, start with a dominant 4 ¾-length victory by IEAH Stable and Paul Pompa Jr.'s Big Brown in the 134th running of the $2 million-guaranteed Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI). The Derby victory was the third for jockey Kent Desormeaux and the first for trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. But the day was marred by a fatal injury suffered by Fox Hill Farm's filly Eight Belles well past the finish of the "Run for the Roses." A crowd of 157,770 witnessed the Derby - the second-largest attendance in the history of the race. 

One day earlier Brereton C. Jones' Proud Spell scored an emphatic five-length victory in the 134th running of the $500,000-added Kentucky Oaks. Kentucky native J. Larry Jones scored his first Oaks victory with the daughter of Proud Citizen, who was ridden by Gabriel Saez. Despite heavy rain that fell throughout the afternoon, a crowd of 100,046 attended the Oaks, which marked the 10th time in 11 years that Kentucky Oaks attendance had topped the 100,000 mark. 

Competing with those spectacular races for the honor of meet highlight was the 27th and richest running of the $1 million Stephen Foster Handicap (GI) for 3-year-olds and up. Reigning "Horse of the Year" Curlin cruised to an easy 4 ¼-length victory under Albarado in his first race since a victory in the $6 million Dubai World Cup (GI) in March. Einstein finished second on the dirt in the Stephen Foster, and returned to finish second to Thorn Song in the $200,000-added Firecracker Handicap (GII) on July 4. Other notable stakes efforts included wins in the Crown Royal American Turf (GIII) and Jefferson Cup (GII) by the 3-year-old turf start Tizdejavu, the meet's only two-time stakes winner; Intangaroo, who notched an upset in the Grade I Humana Distaff on Kentucky Derby Day; Pure Clan in the Regret (GIII); Dreaming of Anna in the Early Times Mint Julep (GIII); Pyro in the Northern Dancer (GIII); Hystericalady in the Fleur de Lis (GII); Ginger Punch in the Louisville Stakes (GII); Elite Squadron in the Louisville Stakes (GII); Lattice in the Louisville Handicap (GIII); Acoma in the Dogwood; Say You Will in the Locust Grove (GIII); Garden District in the Debutante (GIII); and Screen Your Friend in the Bashford Manor (GIII).

Churchill Downs' 26-day Fall Meet is scheduled for Oct, 26-November 29.

Churchill Downs will provide its fans an ideal way to ease into the three-day Independence Day holiday weekend and the closing weekend of its 52-day Spring Meet as it offers special “Holiday Happy Hours” during a pre-holiday weekend twilight racing program on Thursday, July 3.

Like the popular “Friday Happy Hours” celebrations conducted during the meet, “Holiday Happy Hours” on Thursday, July 3 is sponsored by Budweiser Select and Fischer’s and offers special $2 beer, $2 frozen drinks and $2 hot dogs and music in the paddock garden from 4-7 p.m. (all times EDT). The track will offer 11 live races on Thursday’s pre-holiday program and first race post time is scheduled for 2:45 p.m.

The 4th of July holiday weekend coincides with the final three days of racing in Churchill Downs’ 52-day Spring Meet. Major stakes races are scheduled on each of those days of racing and post time on Friday, Saturday and Sunday is 1:15 p.m.

Racing on Friday, July 4 is headed by the $200,000-added Firecracker Handicap, a Grade II race for 3-year-olds and up on the turf course, and the infield will be the scene that day of the “World’s Largest Free Picnic.” The celebration of music, food and fun is sponsored by Louisville’s WAKY 103.5 and features music by Louisville’s legendary Monarchs and others, a classic car show and inflatables for the kids.

Saturday’s racing program features the $150,000-added, Grade III Bashford Manor Stakes for 2-year-olds and Sunday’s closing day program is headed by the $150,000-added Locust Grove Handicap (GIII) for fillies and mares on the turf.