Downs After Dark

Elizabeth Tobin and Joseph Vaudo’s Musical Prodigy overtook the lead from pacesetter Kenny Lane in deep stretch and won the $49,284 Friday night feature for fillies and mares on the Matt Winn Turf Course at Churchill Downs by 1 ¼ lengths.

Trained by Phil Sims and ridden by Ben Creed, Musical Prodigy covered the five furlongs over the firm turf course in :57.72 before a "Downs After Dark" night racing crowd of 15,719.  It was the second Fall Meet night racing session since permanent lights were installed at the home of the Kentucky Derby and the attendance total reflected a slight increase from last year's autumn "Downs After Dark" crowd of 15,583.

Musical Prodigy broke alertly and rated a neck behind Kenny Lane through an opening quarter-mile in :22.78. Creed set Musical Prodigy down for the drive at the top of the stretch, gained the lead at the sixteenth-pole and continued to increase her advantage from there.

A 3-year-old daughter of Bernstein, Musical Prodigy broke from the gate at odds of 2-1 and returned mutuels of $6.40, $3.60 and $2.80. St. George Farm Racing LLC’s Kenny Lane held on for second and returned and $6 and $3.60 with favored Networking another half-length back in third returning $2.60.

The victory was worth $30,000 and increased Musical Prodigy’s bankroll to $66,072 with a record of 3-0-0 from seven lifetime starts.

Racing continues Saturday with a 10-race program highlighted by the 34th running of the $100,000-added River City Handicap (Grade III). The River City is scheduled to be run as race nine at 4:37 p.m. EDT with first post at 12:40 p.m.

Heuristic Stable’s Fortune Play outdueled Westrock Stables LLC’s Decelerator down the stretch to win the $77,270 Roxelana by a neck before a crowd of 27,787 on Friday night at Churchill Downs.

Trained by John Booker Jr. and ridden by Freddie Lenclud, Fortune Play covered the seven furlongs on a fast main track in 1:22.19.

Fortune Play, a 5-year-old daughter of Five Star Day, rated in fourth through fractions of :23.08 and :46.24 set by the early pace-setting duo of Alex G. Campbell Jr.’s The Underling and Decelerator. Lenclud moved for the leaders with three furlongs remaining, angled out for the drive entering the stretch, caught Decelerator with a sixteenth of a mile remaining and finally edged clear of that stubborn rival in the final yards.

Breaking from the gate as the 4-1 third-choice, Fortune Play returned mutuels of $10, $5 and $3.60. Decelerator finished second to return $6.40 and $4.60 with John Gunther’s Stage Magic another 3 ½-lengths back in third returning $7.40.

The victory was worth $46,560 and increased Fortune Play’s bankroll to $273,052 with a record of 5-7-5 from 27 starts.

Racing continues Saturday with a 13-race program highlighted by the 110^th running of the Grade III, $100,000-added Bashford Manor, which is scheduled to be run as Race 12 at 6:23 p.m. EDT. First post is at 12:45 p.m.

Marianne and Brandon Chase’s homebred Here Comes Ben powered down the historic Churchill Downs stretch Friday night to score a repeat victory in $76,445 Kelly’s Landing overnight stakes by 3 ¼ lengths before a “Downs After Dark” crowd of 25,523.

Here Comes Ben, a 5-year-old son of Street Cry, broke sharply under Jon Court to grab a brief early lead and then settled in third behind pace-setters Captain Cherokee and Cool Bullet through fractions of :24.29 and :47.39. The Charles Lopresti-trained veteran surged to the lead a few strides past the quarter-pole and increased his advantage in the run to the finish.  He completed seven furlongs over a fast track in 1:22.26.

Here Comes Ben broke from the gate as the 5-2 second choice and returned mutuels of $7, $3.40 and $2.80. Stonestreet Stables LLC’s Captain Cherokee finished second to return $2.60 and $2.10, while G. Watts Humphrey Jr.’s A Diehl, who finished another length back in third, paid $3 to show. Cool Bullet finished another 1 ¾ lengths back in fourth and was followed in order by The Program and Spicer.

The victory was worth $46,800 and increased the Kentucky-bred’s bankroll to $406,264 with a record of 7-1-3 from 16 starts. Here Comes Ben, who recorded his fourth career win beneath the Twin Spires, followed last year’s victory in the Kelly’s Landing with victory in the Grade I Forego at Saratoga.

Racing continues Saturday with an 11-race program highlighted by the 111^th running of the Grade III, $100,000-added Debutante. The six-furlong Debutante is the nation’s first graded stakes event for 2-year-old fillies and will be run as Race 10 at 5:25 p.m. (all times EDT). First post for the next-to-last Saturday program of the Spring Meet is 12:45 p.m. and the Pick 6, which has a carryover of $46,741, begins with Race 6 at 3:23 p.m.

Nearly 24 hours after a tornado tore through sections of the stable area at Churchill Downs, damage assessment and clean-up continued in the aftermath of the storm that hammered portions of the historic home of the Kentucky Derby.

Warning Coordination Meteorologist Joe Sullivan of the National Weather Service office in Louisville toured the storm-battered area of the Churchill Downs stables Thursday and confirmed that the damage was inflicted by a tornado that dipped out of the sky just after 8 p.m. (all times Eastern) on Wednesday, June 22.  Sullivan said the tornado packed top winds of 105 miles per hour as it roared through the Churchill Downs stable area and was rated as an F1 storm on the Fujita Scale, the official classification system for tornado damage.

As the clean-up and assessment efforts continued, Churchill Downs officials announced that racing would resume at the track with Friday’s “Downs After Dark” night racing program on Friday, June 24.  The first of “Downs After Dark” races is scheduled for 6 p.m., and admission gates will open at 4 p.m. Racing and training at the track had been cancelled on Thursday.

Entries for Friday’s races at Churchill Downs were taken on Sunday, days before Wednesday’s storm cut its destructive path through the stable area.  Racing Secretary Ben Huffman said owners and trainers – even those in the storm-battered barns – pledged their support for the track’s plane to resume its Spring Meet, which has eight racing days remaining following Thursday’s cancellation.

"So far every trainer that had barn damage and had horses in tomorrow (Friday) night has reported their horses are fine and they’re running,” Huffman said.  “That goes for Saturday as well. Our horsemen are resilient and they are supporting us 100 percent and we could not be more proud of our horsemen for stepping up during this adversity. It’s trying times, but they are absolutely with us in getting this together so that we can race Friday.”

While tornado damage to some barns on the track’s backside was substantial, no injuries were reported to humans or horses in the aftermath of the tornado.  The story was quite different in the track’s clubhouse and grandstand.  Vice President of Operations David Sweazy said those areas, and the track’s signature Twin Spires, were untouched.

“The frontside (of the track) has sustained no damage at all,” Sweazy said.  “We don’t have water damage…there isn’t a blade of grass bent over on the frontside. We have done a complete assessment… we’ve walked on the rooftops and through every area and tested everything and there is no damage.”

The number of barns left uninhabitable by the storm was reduced on Thursday from an original total of nine to six and half as two and a half barns were deemed safe by Louisville fire officials and an earlier evacuation order for horses housed in that barn was lifted.  Churchill Downs’ Steve Hargrave, the track’s superintendent of stalls, said the number of horses displaced by storm damage is now estimated at 75 to 100, and roughly 30 of those horses have been relocated to stalls at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky.

Structural engineers and architects were on hand to inspect the storm-damaged barns on Thursday as track officials worked to assess the total damage caused by the storm.  Members of the track maintenance team headed by Vice President and Track Superintendent Butch Lehr combed the dirt track and turf course for storm debris, and used magnetic devices to search for nails or other metal items that could have fallen on the track as the storm’s swirling winds passed through the track.

National Weather Service records indicate that Wednesday’s tornado was not the first to hit the home of the Kentucky Derby, which conducted its first racing meet in May of 1875.  NWS records of tornadoes recorded in Jefferson County, Ky. describe an unusual winter tornado that touched down around 7:20 a.m. on the morning of Jan. 19, 1928.  That storm damaged homes on Longfield and Dresden Avenues near the track before it crossed into what is now the stable area of Churchill Downs. The number of barns located on the property now is significantly large than in 1928, but an NWS map indicates the path of that larger storm was very similar to Wednesday’s tornado.

The curtain dropped on the Churchill Downs Fall Meet on Sunday, Nov. 28 with a farewell salute to 2009 Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird, who is heading home to New Mexico after retiring from his career on the track.  Fittingly, the meet’s last race was run in the glow of the historic track’s new permanent lights after a 21-day meet highlighted by the return of the Breeders’ Cup and its unforgettable under-the-lights Classic showdown between Blame and Zenyatta, a host of spectacular performances by equine and human athletes and the introduction of “Downs After Dark” night racing for the first time during a Fall Meet at the legendary home of the Kentucky Derby.

Co-owners Dr. Leonard Blach and Mark Allen were joined by trainer Chip Woolley and exercise rider Charlie Figueroa, who traveled from New Mexico for a ceremony in the regular winner’s circle following Sunday’s seventh race in which fans provided warm applause and affection for Mine That Bird, the tiny gelding who shocked the sports world when he won Derby 135 under jockey Calvin Borel at odds of 50-1 – the second-biggest upset in the history of America’s greatest race.  Churchill Downs presented Mine That Bird with a special blanket bearing the official event logo of his Kentucky Derby, and track President Kevin Flanery presented the Derby winner a basket filled with apples, peppermints and equine treats and toys for his van ride back to New Mexico and a post-racetrack life in retirement at Allen’s Double Eagle Ranch.

The visit by the Breeders’ Cup World Championships was the record seventh to Churchill Downs, but its first as a two-day affair on Nov. 5 and 6.  The result, in keeping with Breeders’ Cup tradition at Churchill Downs, resulted in record figures for both attendance and wagering for the Championships.  The attendance over the two days was 114,353 – an increase of 18.5% over the previous year’s attendance at Santa Anita.  The Championship Friday program, which included the first Breeders’ Cup races run under lights, attracted a crowd of 41,614 – an increase of nearly 11 percent over 2009.  Saturday’s 11-race card attracted 72,739 fans.  Two-day common-pool wagering on the Breeders’ Cup at Churchill Downs totaled $163,619,784, an increase of 13% over the $144,599,205 wagered in 2009.

Along with the race for the ages in the Classic in which Blame edged  previously unbeaten Zenyatta, the Breeders’ Cup also featured brilliant performance by French superstar Goldikova (IRE), who won her third consecutive running of the Breeders’ Cup Mile (GI), and a dominant victory in the Juvenile (GI) by Uncle Mo, who became the likely favorite for Kentucky Derby 137 with that win, and unbeaten Awesome Feather, who became an early contender for the 2011 Kentucky Oaks (GI) with her emphatic victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI).

But the heroics in the Breeders’ Cup had to share the Fall Meet spotlight with a memorable running of the $500,000-added Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare (GI) on Friday, Nov. 26 in which Morton Fink’s favored Successful Dan finished first by a head, but was disqualified to third as stewards awarded the win to the Virginia Tarra Trust’s Giant Oak.  The roughly run 136th renewal of the Clark, a race that is as old as the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks, resulted in three-day suspensions for jockeys Julien Leparoux, who rode Successful Dan, and Kent Desormeaux, who was aboard Demarcation, who was disqualified from fourth to 11th because of another incident in the race.  Third-place finisher Redding Colliery was elevated to the runner-up spot.

Other dazzling equine performances included dominant performances by 2-year-old fillies. John C. Oxley’s unbeaten Dancinginherdreams, trained by Kentucky Derby and Oaks winner John Ward Jr., overcame traffic problems to win the $150,000-added Pocahontas (GII) by 5 ¼ lengths on the meet’s opening day on Oct. 31, and the Ken McPeek-trained Kathmanblu, a troubled third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (GII), won the $150,000-added Golden Rod (GII) by a resounding 8 ½ lengths.  Her margin of victory was the largest since Silverbulletday capped a season that earned her an Eclipse Award as 2-year-old filly champion with a 10-length Golden Rod romp in 1998.

Tom Walters’ Santiva emerged as an early contender for the 2011 Kentucky Derby with a gritty victory in the $150,000-added Kentucky Jockey Club as the Eddie Kenneally trainee turned back challenges from Iroquois (GIII) winner Astrology and Major Gain.  The Kentucky Jockey Club was co-featured with the Golden Rod on the “Stars of Tomorrow II” racing program on Saturday, Nov. 27. That day also featured an impressive victory by WinStar Farm’s Brethren, a half-brother WinStar’s 2010 Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver, in a one-mile allowance race.  Super Saver used a victory in the Kentucky Jockey Club on the “Stars of Tomorrow II” session a year earlier as a springboard to his success at Churchill Downs in this spring’s “Run for the Roses.”

The Fall Meet’s human races saw familiar faces atop the standings as the meet wound to a close on Sunday.

Julien Leparoux won his fourth consecutive Fall Meet riding title, completing the 21-day season with 28 victories. It marked the seventh leading rider title for Leparoux, who now has 450 victories at Churchill Downs, 12th best all time.

Marcelino Pedroza Jr., a 17-year-old native of Panama City, Panama, was the meet’s leading apprentice with nine victories.

Steve Asmussen won his fourth consecutive leading trainer title. Asmussen, fifth all time in victories at Churchill Downs with 394, saddled 16 winners during the meet. It was Asmussen’s fifth Fall Meet title and ninth overall.

Ken and Sarah Ramsey notched their fourth consecutive Fall Meet leading owner title by sending out six winners. The Ramseys, who topped the 300-victory mark all time during the meet, have won 17 leading owner titles (nine Fall, eight Spring) with 16 of them being outright crowns.

Chicago-based trainer Chris Block enjoyed a notable achievement during the meet as he won three stakes races – including a sweep of the Thanksgiving Weekend Clark Handicap with Giant Oak and Falls City Handicap with the 3-year-old filly Dundalk Dust – and each winner was bred in Illinois.  Block also saddled Askbut I Won’ttell to win the Cardinal Handicap (GIII).

Racing throughout the 21-day session was marked by strong competitive fields, with overflow entries for many of the always popular Fall Meet races for 2-year-olds.  Average field size for the meet’s races stood at 9.91 horses-per-race, which was flat when compared with the average from the 2009 Fall Meet.

Night racing at Churchill Downs, a resounding success during the Spring Meet in each of the past two years, made its debut on a chilly Friday evening on Nov. 19 before 15,583 fans – many of whom were clad in outfits in keeping with the evening’s “Mad About Plaid” theme.  Continuing the pattern displayed by sessions of racing under the lights in the spring, attendance at the first Fall Meet “Downs After Dark” racing session reflected a 191 percent increase compared to the 5,363 fans who had been on hand for an afternoon program on the same day a year earlier.

"Our fans had many reasons to smile during our brief 21-day Fall Meet, thanks to memorable performances on the track and memorable moments during the return of Breeders’ Cup, our first look at ‘Downs After Dark’ night racing in the fall and longstanding traditions like our Thanksgiving Day celebration,” said Flanery.  “We were generally pleased with our racing product and solid field sizes during this compact 21-day meet, but we remain very concerned about the prospects for Churchill Downs and Kentucky racing in 2011 and beyond.  We’re facing growing pressure from race purses fed by slot machine revenues at tracks in neighboring states, especially Indiana.  Pennsylvania’s success with slots-fed purses continues to lure Kentucky horses and horsemen, and the anticipated introduction of slot revenues to purses at New York tracks sometime in 2011 looms as a major competitive threat.  So, while we’re pleased that horsemen found attractive races at Churchill Downs during this Fall Meet and that our purses could be increased briefly because of solid business levels, our concerns for the future of our track and Kentucky racing are in no way diminished because of those successes.  The coming year could be one of the most challenging ever for Churchill Downs and Kentucky racing.”

Racing returns to Churchill Downs on Saturday, April 30, 2011, the opening day of the Spring Meet and the week leading up to the 137th of the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks.  The April 30 session, highlighted by the $200,000-added The Cliff’s Edge Derby Trial (GIII) – the final prep race for the Kentucky Derby – will be the first conducted under the lights as a “Downs After Dark” event.

G. Watts Humphrey Jr. and the Louise Ireland Humphrey Revocable Trust-2008’s Veiled Prophet swept past dueling leaders Whitley and Ordination (IRE) inside the eighth pole and went on to win Friday’s $57,110 feature for 3-year-olds and up by three-quarters of a length before a “Downs After Dark” crowd of 15,583 at Churchill Downs.

The 15,583 attendance mark represented a 191 percent increase compared to the 5,363 on hand for an afternoon program on the same day a year ago.

In giving jockey Julien Leparoux his third victory of the night, Veiled Prophet raced at the back of the pack in the field of nine in the early going of the one-mile test on the Matt Winn Turf Course as Quite a Handful and Ordination battled for the lead through fractions of :24.15, :48.50 and 1:13.42.

Turning for home, Veiled Prophet had only one horse beat as Ordination took the lead. Approaching midstretch, Whitley moved to the inside to challenge Ordination while Veiled Prophet began to split horses and then surged past the leaders to complete the mile on a course labeled “good” in 1:38.59.

Trained by Rusty Arnold, Veiled Prophet is a 5-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Kingmambo. The victory was worth $34,776 and increased the winner’s earnings to $175,102 with a record of 4-2-1 in 22 races.

Veiled Prophet returned $12.20, $5.80 and $3.80. Whitley, also trained by Arnold and ridden by Miguel Mena, finished second and returned $6.80 and $3.60 while Ordination finished a nose back in third under Robby Albarado and paid $3 to show.

Racing resumes Saturday afternoon with a 10-race program beginning at 12:40 p.m. (all times Eastern).  Highlighting the card will be the 20th running of the $175,000-added Mrs. Revere (GII) for 3-year-old fillies going 1 1/16 miles on the Matt Winn Turf Course. Post time for the Mrs. Revere, which will go as the day’s ninth race, is 4:37 p.m. There’s a six-day carryover in the Pick 6 of $62,930, which will covers races 5-10. Additionally, there’s a Super Hi-5 carryover of $7,002 for the final race of the day.

The lone “Downs After Dark Presented by Budweiser Select” nighttime racing event of Churchill Downs’ 21-day Fall Meet is Friday, and the first of 11 live races under the lights at the historic home of the Kentucky Derby will be 4:30 p.m. (all times Eastern).

This will mark the first time that Churchill Downs has staged a “Downs After Dark” event during its Fall Meet. Track officials are preparing for a crowd up to 25,000 although it remains unclear as to how many people will attend the fall debut.

“Admittedly, we don’t really know,” said Kevin Flanery, president of Churchill Downs racetrack. “We averaged 27,000 people for ‘Downs After Dark’ this spring, but with this being the fall, it remains unclear as to how many people we’ll have on hand because this is a first-time event for all of us. There’s still a buzz within the community and indoor and outdoor seating areas are nearly sold out, so we’re guardedly optimistic. All the added amenities that make the evening programs special will be back.”

In keeping with the trend inaugurated this spring, Friday’s “Downs After Dark” program will be themed and this go around is “Mad About Plaid.” Fans are urged to “think plaid” – one of the top 2010 Fall/Winter fashion trends – as they make their wardrobe selections for this exciting night of dining, dancing and racing beneath the Twin Spires. Prizes will be awarded after Race 5 (6:28 p.m.) on the Paddock Stage for outfits deemed the “most plaid in one ensemble” and representing the “best use of plaid.”

The transformed paddock area will have the look and feel of an upscale night club, with special décor by Barry Wooley Designs and “plaid” lighting created by Sounds Unlimited Productions. The comfortable free-seating options, specialty bars and food stations, colorful buntings, mood lighting, spotlights and seasonal greenery will be back.

Churchill Downs admission gates will open Friday at 3 p.m. with members of the Cincinnati Circus, including jugglers, stilt-walkers, acrobats and magicians, on hand to greet and entertain patrons. Also, special Happy Hour food and drink pricing will be available in the Paddock Garden until 5 p.m. Among the featured items are 12-ounce Budweiser Select draft beers for $2, hot dogs for $2 and specially-served $3 drinks for the evening: Jimmy Margarita (El Jimador Blanco, Chambord Raspberry liquor, sweet and sour), El Jimador Sunset (El Jimador Blanco, Pineapple Juice, Cranberry Juice and a splash of Lemon-Lime soda poured over ice and garnished with a cherry) and the timely Woodford Reserve Hot Chocolate (Woodford Reserve, Peppermint Schnapps and hot chocolate garnished with a peppermint stick) (Note: the specialty drinks will sell for $6 after 5 p.m.).

Music at the track will be showcased throughout the evening, too. To set the tone for the party, high energy music will be provided between live races in the paddock area by regional favorite Endless Summer Band from 3-7 p.m. and will be followed by internationally renowned VJ 2ndNature, who’ll mix modern rock, pop and hip-hop tunes with accompanying video until closing time. Meanwhile, parties for VIP guests on the Clubhouse balconies will be treated to jazz sounds of the Dave Clark Band.

All the while, the Voice-Tribune’s Angie Fenton and Kentucky Derby 135 Chief Party Officer Nick “RiNickulous” Ferrara will serve as emcees for the night with special interviews and features on the infield video screens and television monitors between races.

Churchill Downs will stage 11 live races starting at 4:30 p.m., and there are two featured allowance races: a $54,300 second-level turf sprint for fillies and mares that goes as Race 2 (4:58 p.m.) and a $56,400 third-level turf route as Race 10 (9:08 p.m.). Sunset is 5:28 p.m., which means at least seven races will be held under the lights.

 Between races 6-9, the popular sweepstakes promotion “Bet or No Bet" Presented by Thorntons  will return in which four lucky on-track patrons will be randomly drawn and faced with a tough decision: to take $100 in cash or place a $1,000 win bet on a horse in the upcoming race.

The final race of the night is scheduled for 9:36 p.m., but the party will continue in the paddock area until 11 p.m.

 An added treat will be a special appearance by renowned artist Lesley Humphrey, who’ll be on hand between 6-8 p.m. in the Churchill Downs Gift Shop to sign prints of her official artwork for Kentucky Derby 137 and Kentucky Oaks 137.

The National Weather Service forecast for Friday calls for sunny skies with a high near 58 (a few degrees above the average of 54), followed by mostly clear skies and a low around 42 in the evening. Churchill Downs has added several portable outdoor heaters in select locations, such as the paddock area and Clubhouse and Jockey Club Suites balconies, to help keep outdoor patrons warm.

 Some “Date Night” dining packages in Millionaires Row remain available for $59.90 and include admission, a reserved seat, official program, scrumptious buffet dinner and live entertainment from 5:30-8:30 p.m. (plus appetizers served from 3-5:30 p.m.). Meanwhile, there are still some third-floor box seats in sections 314-321 for $20 and include general admission, a box seat in the third-floor clubhouse and an official program.

Cover charge (general admission) to all Downs After Dark events is $10. Holders of shareholders passes or horsemen licenses, as well as select Twin Spires Club members (Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze members only) and children age 12 and under (when accompanied by an adult) will be admitted free of charge.

All reserved ticket packages are available for purchase online at Tickets.ChurchillDowns.com – Churchill Downs’ convenient online box office platform. Customers also can call the Churchill Downs switchboard at (502) 636-4400.

As usual, Churchill Downs will be open early for simulcast wagering on the second floor of the clubhouse on Friday. General admission will be its regular price of $3 from 11:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. at Gate 17.

On-site parking at Churchill Downs – free in the Longfield Avenue lot and $3 in all other lots – will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. There is also select parking in the surrounding neighborhood with enterprising neighbors. Because of Friday’s state quarterfinals playoff football game between the Trinity Shamrocks and St. Xavier Tigers (kickoff is 8 p.m.), there will be no official satellite parking and shuttle service from Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium, although patrons can park and walk from there for $10.

“There’ll be a great atmosphere on Central Avenue on Friday night,” Flanery added. “We welcome the folks planning to attend the playoff football game to enjoy their pre-game festivities at Churchill Downs and catch a majority of our races before heading over to Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium. It’ll make for a great one-two punch for the area’s die-hard sports enthusiasts.”  

“Downs After Dark,” the perfect blend of an upscale night on the town with the excitement of thoroughbred racing, has been a spectacular success while showcasing live racing with ancillary entertainment such as food, fashion, music and parties. So far, more than 195,000 horseplayers and entertainment-seekers have attended the seven special nighttime programs since June 2009. Just less than 90,000 fans attended three “experimental” programs under temporary lights in 2009, and an average of 27,139 attended four night racing programs under permanent lights this spring. As a point of reference, a typical crowd for Friday afternoon racing at Churchill Downs is 7,500.

SPECIAL DOWNS AFTER DARK POST TIMES: Race 1 (start of early Pick 4), 4:30 p.m.; Race 2, 4:58 p.m.; Race 3, 5:27 p.m.; Race 4 (start of mid-card Pick 4), 5:57 p.m.; Race 5, 6:28 p.m.; Race 6 (start of Pick 6), 7 p.m.; Race 7, 7:32 p.m.; Race 8 (start of late Pick 4), 8:04 p.m.; Race 9, 8:36 p.m.; Race 10, 9:08 p.m.; and Race 11 (Super Hi-5), 9:36 p.m.

Fans hoping to purchase tickets to the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, “Downs After Dark” night racing and other Fall Meet events at Churchill Downs can do so in person as well as online.

The Churchill Downs Box Office at the historic track is now open for walk-up purchases on a regular Monday-through-Friday schedule and will be open daily throughout Breeders’ Cup Week, starting with the opening day of the Churchill Downs Fall Meet on Sunday, Oct. 31 and including both days of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, Friday, Nov. 5 and Saturday, Nov. 6.

The on-track box office is located at Churchill Downs’ Gate 1 entrance off Central Avenue and adjacent to the Kentucky Derby Museum.

A limited number of reserved seat tickets remain for the two-day Breeders’ Cup World Championships.  That seating is available for purchase by walk-up patrons at the on-track box office and can also be purchased around the clock through Churchill Downs’ online box office at tickets.churchilldowns.com.

Other seating currently available at both the on-track and online Churchill Downs box offices include:

• “Downs After Dark” dining on Millionaires Row;
• Thanksgiving Weekend seating and dining (Thursday, Nov. 25-Sunday, Nov. 28);
• Premium seating for all other Fall Meet racing days.

Regular hours of operation for the Churchill Downs on-track box office are Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (all times Eastern).  The same hours will be in place daily from Sunday, Oct. 31 through Tuesday, Nov. 2. Starting Wednesday, Nov. 3, the on-track box office will open at 8 a.m. on each of the following four days – including the Breeders’ Cup dates of Friday, Nov. 5 and Saturday, Nov. 6.

This year’s Fall Meet at Churchill Downs will break with recent tradition as it will run through Sunday, Nov. 28.  In recent years the meet has concluded on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, but an additional Sunday was added to this year’s schedule.

Summer Wind Farm’s Kiddari wore down Vertical Vision in the final eighth of a mile to win the $66,500-added Roxelana overnight stakes for fillies and mares by 1 ¾ lengths before a “Downs After Dark” crowd of 32,481 on Friday night at Churchill Downs.

Friday night’s attendance was the highest of the four “Downs After Dark” programs this meet and increased the average to 27,139. Two more “Downs After Dark” programs are scheduled for the Fall Meet: Opening day, Sunday Oct. 31 and Friday, Nov. 19.

Trained by Bill Mott and ridden by Shaun Bridgmohan, Kiddari ran the seven furlongs on a fast main track in 1:23.50.

Vertical Vision, ridden by Victor Lebron, led the field of seven through early fractions of :23.48 and :46.88 with Kiddari in closest pursuit. Vertical Vision maintained the advantage until the eighth pole when Kiddari drew alongside and then drew away for the victory.

The victory, the third in as many starts at Churchill Downs and fifth in 14 career outings, was worth $40,800 and increased Kiddari’s earnings to $181,992.

Kiddari, a 4-year-old homebred daughter of 2004 Kentucky Derby winner Smarty Jones, paid $17, $8 and $5. Vertical Vision returned $7.20 and $5.60 in finishing a neck ahead of Be Fair, who paid $3.80 to show under Calvin Borel.

Churchill Downs officials had earlier announced an attendance figure of 30,092 for the last of Spring Meet’s “Downs After Dark” racing sessions, but then discovered that a turnstile at one of its entrance gates had malfunctioned and failed to electronically report the number of fans that had passed through the device.  A manual recount of activity at that turnstile resulted in the addition of 2,389 fans to the evening’s previously announced attendance total.

Racing resumes Saturday with an 11-race program beginning at 12:45 p.m. (EDT) that features two Grade III stakes: The $100,000-added Locust Grove for fillies and mares going a mile on the Matt Winn Turf Course and the $100,000-added Bashford Manor Presented by Fasig-Tipton for 2-year-olds going six furlongs on the main track. There is a three-day Super Hi-5 carryover of $74,459 on the 11th race (5:56 p.m. post time) in which the first five finishers must be selected in order.

The 42-day Spring Meet concludes Sunday with an 11-race program beginning at 12:45 p.m. and the anticipated return to the races of 2009 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI) winner Mine That Bird in the Firecracker Handicap (GII) Presented by Thorntons.

Churchill Downs will kick-start an action-packed Fourth of July holiday weekend in style as the legendary home of the Kentucky Derby winds down its 42-day spring meet with the final “Downs After Dark Presented by Budweiser Select” on Friday at 6 p.m. (all times Eastern).

Only three racing dates will be left at the track’s 136th Spring Meet after the conclusion of Thursday’s nine-race card. Eleven-race programs are scheduled for Friday, Saturday and closing day Sunday, which doubles as the Fourth of July and Fan Appreciation Day.

Free Admission, $1 Beer & Hot Dogs, $500 Thorntons Gas Card Giveaway on Closing Day Sunday

As a special “thank you” to its fans for continued support of Churchill Downs, track officials have announced that general admission will be free for all patrons on Sunday, and beer and hot dogs will be sold for $1 all day (note: beer sales will begin at 1 p.m. on Sunday). Also, Churchill Downs and Thorntons have teamed to give away 11 $500 gas cards through prize drawings after each race.

2009 Kentucky Derby Winner Mine That Bird Entered in Sunday’s Firecracker Handicap

As a closing day bonus, Mine That Bird could become the first Kentucky Derby winner to race at Churchill Downs since 2005 champ Giacomo finished fourth in the ’06 Breeders’ Cup Classic beneath the Twin Spires. After two failed attempts to get into a dirt allowance race, the connections of the upset 2009 Kentucky Derby champ decided to enter the 4-year-old gelding in Sunday’s featured Grade II, $175,000-added Firecracker Handicap Presented by Thorntons at one mile on turf for his 2010 debut. Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who assumed training duties in May, has said that the Aug. 7 Whitney Handicap on dirt at Saratoga is Mine That Bird’s immediate goal.

“Downs After Dark” Kicks Off Fourth of July Weekend with Boots, Brew & BBQ Theme

The closing weekend extravaganza will begin in earnest Friday night with the fourth installment of the popular Downs After Dark series. Each of this year’s nighttime events is themed, and the Spring Meet finale will be “An American Party: Boots, Brew & BBQ” complete with a patriotic and Americana street party atmosphere. Attendees are encouraged to wear blue jeans and boots (traditional dress codes in premium seat areas will be relaxed).

The Churchill Downs facility will be adorned by patriotic red, white and blue bunting, and there will be two stages for live music from 4-8:30 p.m. Rising Nashville-based country artist Artie Dean Harris will perform on the paddock stage (with line dancing instruction at the top of every hour until 8 p.m.), while Raising Einstein will entertain next to a beer garden in the north paddock area adjacent to the Paddock Pavilion.

The new beer garden will showcase a selection of Anheuser-Busch microbrews and brand favorites such as Budweiser, Bud Light and Budweiser Select. Also, Smokey Joe’s Barbecue will be on hand with a giant pig on a spit to serve holiday favorites such as pulled pork, baby-back ribs, roasted corn on the cob and thick-sliced cold watermelon. Also, Woodford Reserve will be on hand with a variety of specialty bourbon drinks to whet the appetite.

The party will be elevated to new levels around the 9 o’clock hour when darkness falls and popular VJ 2ndNature mixes the sounds of modern rock, pop and hip-hop on his turntable in the paddock area until midnight.

Other “Downs After Dark” Fourth of July-themed Events & Offerings

 In addition to the traditional Downs After Dark ancillary entertainment, Churchill Downs will help celebrate America’s Independence with patriotic-themed events and offerings such as:

• A moving display of more than 1,000 U.S. flags inside the Gate 10 Jockey Garden in conjunction with Flags4Vets, whose primary goal is to place flags on every one of the graves of U.S. veterans buried in the 151 U.S. military cemeteries located in 11 countries;

• A giant 20 x 30 foot U.S. flag to be displayed for Gate 17 arrivals and an 8 x 12 foot U.S. flag to be viewed from the paddock;

• Prerace patriotic hymns by bugler Steve Buttleman; and

• Special seating in Sky Terrace 5 for members of military families through Operation Homefront, the nonprofit organization that provides support for the families of military service members deployed throughout the world (note: Operation Homefront will have an information tent located inside the Gate 10 entrance).

General Information: Gates Open at 4 p.m., First Race is 6 p.m.

The first of 11 live races Friday is 6 p.m. ET, and the featured 10th race is the $66,500-added Roxelana, an overnight seven-furlong stakes race for fillies and mares. Between races 4, 5, 8 and 9, the popular sweepstakes promotion “Bet or No Bet” will return to ask randomly drawn fans to take $100 in cash or place a free $1,000 win bet on a horse in the upcoming race. The final live race will be around 11:20 p.m.

Friday’s admission gates will open at 4 p.m. and Happy Hours will take place in the paddock area from 4-7 p.m. featuring $2 Anheuser Busch products and other discounted food and drink offerings.

“Date Night” dining packages in Millionaires Row and Skye Terrace remain available for $59.90 and include a scrumptious buffet dinner, live entertainment from 4-7 p.m., a reserved seat and an official program. Meanwhile, the outdoor third-floor box seats in sections 314-322 are nearly sold out. They are on sale for $20 and include general admission, a box seat in the third-floor clubhouse and an official program.

Cover charge (general admission) to all Downs After Dark events is $10. Holders of shareholders passes or horsemen licenses, as well as select Twin Spires Club members (Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze members only) and children age 12 and under (when accompanied by an adult) will be admitted free of charge.

All reserved ticket packages are available for purchase online at tickets.churchilldowns.com – Churchill Downs’ new and convenient online box office platform. Customers also can call the Churchill Downs switchboard at (502) 636-4400.

As usual, Churchill Downs will be open early for simulcast wagering on the second floor of the clubhouse on Friday. General admission will be its regular price of $3 from 11:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. at Gate 17.

Free Parking, Shuttles at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium

Those attending Friday’s Downs After Dark are encouraged to arrive early to secure on-site parking and avoid traffic delays. All on-property parking lots will open at 3 p.m. and space is available on a first-come, first-served basis (free in the Longfield Avenue lot). Last year, all lots were filled to capacity by post time for the second race.
 
Churchill Downs will offer free parking and shuttle service from Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium starting at 4 p.m. There will be free round-trip shuttle service throughout the evening with drop off and pick up at Gate 1.

Ideal Weather Conditions

After recording the hottest June in Louisville history including a lengthy stretch in the 90s, Friday’s National Weather Service area forecast calls for sunny skies with a high near 86 degrees and a low around 62.

Downs After Dark Lures Large Crowds

Downs After Dark, the perfect blend of an upscale night on the town with the excitement of thoroughbred racing, has showcased ancillary entertainment such as food, fashion, music and parties. So far, more than 76,000 horseplayers and entertainment-seekers have attended Downs After Dark in 2010, including an event-high 26,330 for last week’s festivities. One year ago this week, a modern day track record of 33,481 attended Downs After Dark on Thursday, July 2, which was the largest crowd for a Churchill Downs racing program other than a Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks or Breeders’ Cup. As a point of reference, a typical crowd for Friday afternoon racing at Churchill Downs is 7,500.

Stakes Doubleheader on Saturday: Locust Grove Handicap & Bashford Manor

While the first live race on Friday begins at 6 p.m., the 11-race Saturday and Sunday programs will begin at their usual start time of 12:45 p.m. Saturday’s card is highlighted by a Grade III, $100,000 stakes doubleheader. The Locust Grove Handicap for fillies and mares at one mile on the Matt Winn Turf Course will be run as Race 9 at approximately 4:54 p.m., and will be immediately followed by the Bashford Manor Presented by Fasig-Tipton, a six-furlong sprint for 2-year-olds at 5:26 p.m.

Prior to the start of Saturday’s racing action, Fasig-Tipton’s vice president of recruiting and selections Bill Graves and director of client services Max Hodge will be racing analyst Jill Byrne’s special guests during the free “Get in the Game” seminar in the paddock area at 11:45 a.m.

For more information, call (502) 636-4400 or log onto www.churchilldowns.com.

Churchill Downs, the world’s most legendary racetrack, has conducted Thoroughbred racing and presented America’s greatest race, the Kentucky Derby, continuously since 1875. Located in Louisville, the flagship racetrack of Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ Global Select Market: CHDN) also operates Trackside at Churchill Downs, which offers year-round simulcast wagering at the historic track. Churchill Downs will host the 137th running of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 7, 2011 and the Kentucky Oaks on Friday, May 6, 2011. The track’s 2010 Spring Meet continues through Sunday, July 4. Churchill Downs is scheduled to host the Breeders’ Cup World Championships for a record seventh time on Nov. 5 and 6, 2010. Churchill Downs tickets are available at Tickets.ChurchillDowns.com or by calling (502) 636-4400. Additional information about Churchill Downs can be found on the Internet at ChurchillDowns.com.

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