June, 2020 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Churchill Has Issued Proposal for Derby Spectators, Waiting to Hear From Governor

After submitting its proposal to allow fans to attend this year’s GI Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs officials are expecting to hear back from Governor Andy Beshear this week.

At his press briefing Monday, Beshear said he is reviewing Churchill’s proposal and would announce a decision shortly. Alluding to the GI Belmont S., where fans were not allowed in the stands, Beshear said he envisioned that the Kentucky Derby will be “different” than the Belmont.

“I believe that Churchill Downs made a very good decision to move the race,” the governor said. “It certainly wouldn’t have been safe when it was. I think they are offering a lot of concessions and are looking at safety precautions. I hope to have some information on this this week.”

“We submitted a plan to the governor’s office and we have continued our ongoing discussions about having a Kentucky Derby with spectators,” said Darren Rogers, Churchill’s senior director of communications. “We have had good, careful collaboration with their office and they have asked some questions and we gave them our answers. We expect to hear some news this week.”

Churchill has not released details of its proposal and it is not clear if management is seeking to have a Derby with an unlimited amount of spectators or one where the number of people that can attend is capped.

“Our team has worked through a number of different scenarios based on whatever permissions are granted,” Rogers said. “We want to have as many people as we can while operating safely and responsibly.”

Because of the pandemic, the date of the Derby was shifted from May 2 to Sept. 5 in hopes that by Labor Day weekend the coronavirus situation would become more manageable. It appears that will be the case. Beshear said in his press briefing Monday that he had no new coronavirus deaths to report and said he could only recall two other days since the pandemic started that that was the case. Kentucky will move into its next phase of reopening Monday. When that happens, Beshear said, “just about everything in the commonwealth will be open in some capacity.”

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Breeders’ Cup Announces Winners Of Charitable T-Shirt Design Contest

The Breeders' Cup, one of Thoroughbred horse racing's most prestigious international events, today announces the winners of the Breeders' Cup T-Shirt Design Contest, a philanthropic art competition that tasked entrants to create original artwork to be printed and sold in support of backstretch communities and other industry stakeholders affected by COVID-19.

Alexa Zepp of Lawrence, Kan., and Amanda Crelin of Belford, N.J., were selected by the judging panel out of five finalists populated from an original pool of 93 entrants. The two winners will each receive two VIP tickets to the 2020 Breeders' Cup World Championships, scheduled to take place on November 6 and 7 at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky. Additionally, their winning designs are now available for purchase on BreedersCupShop.com for $25 and will be sold on-site at the two-day event in November, with all Breeders' Cup proceeds going to Breeders' Cup Charities, the organization's official charity outreach program, in support of COVID-19 relief efforts.

Crelin's winning design features a color scheme of purple and gold, the Breeders' Cup signature colors, while the vivid jockey silks surrounding the globe serve as a symbol of hope and unity. The colorful artwork will be printed on the back of white, grey, purple and green crew neck tees, while the front features a left chest 2020 Breeders' Cup World Championships logo. Zepp's winning artwork features a striking image of racing Thoroughbred horses and their jockeys. The design, reminiscent of a watercolor painting with hues of orange, pink and purple, will be reproduced on white, grey and purple V-neck tees.

“It has been extremely rewarding to see the passionate fan response to our first-ever T-Shirt Design Contest, especially given the important cause that the program supports,” said Justin McDonald, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Breeders' Cup. “We were incredibly impressed with our finalists' displays of artistry and are excited to showcase not one, but two designs in our shop this year. We extend our congratulations to the winners and thank all of the talented entrants who took part in this contest.”

The T-Shirt Design Contest is the most recent element in a string of Breeders' Cup initiatives launched to provide COVID-19 relief to those in need. Prior to the T-Shirt Design Contest, Breeders' Cup launched branded face masks to support efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19, raise funds for Breeders' Cup Charities and give fans a fun way to showcase their support of the horse racing industry. On Mother's Day (May 10), the organization distributed gift baskets to the working moms on Santa Anita Park's backstretch to express gratitude for their contributions to the sport.

In April, Breeders' Cup launched Cocktails & Conversation, a weekly virtual happy hour series created to raise donations for impacted backstretch communities. The series has since aired ten installments, with additional episodes planned to follow. Supplementing direct donations made by Breeders' Cup to the Race Track Chaplaincy of America and the Commonwealth of Kentucky, each of these initiatives helps provide funds and essential equipment to organizations and groups in need in the battle against COVID-19.

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TDN’s Amanda Crelin One of Two Winners of Breeders’ Cup T-Shirt Design Contest

TDN Advertising Designer Amanda Crelin has been selected as one of two winners of the Breeders’ Cup T-Shirt Design Contest, a philanthropic art competition that tasked entrants to create original artwork to be printed and sold in support of backstretch communities and other industry stakeholders affected by COVID-19. Crelin, a Belford, NJ resident was chosen along with Alexa Zapp of Lawrence, KS by the judging panel out of five finalists populated from an original pool of 93 entrants.

The two winners will each receive two VIP tickets to the 2020 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, scheduled to take place Nov. 6 and 7 at Keeneland. Additionally, their winning designs are now available for purchase on BreedersCupShop.com for $25 and will be sold on site at the two-day event in November, with all Breeders’ Cup proceeds going to Breeders’ Cup Charities, the organization’s official charity outreach program, in support of COVID-19 relief efforts.

“It has been extremely rewarding to see the passionate fan response to our first-ever T-Shirt Design Contest, especially given the important cause that the program supports,” said Justin McDonald, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Breeders’ Cup. “We were incredibly impressed with our finalists’ displays of artistry and are excited to showcase not one, but two designs in our shop this year. We extend our congratulations to the winners and thank all of the talented entrants who took part in this contest.”

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Champion Monomoy Girl Points To Grade 2 Ruffian Stakes On July 11

2018's Champion 3-Year-Old Filly Monomoy Girl will run next in the Grade 2 Ruffian Stakes on July 11 at Belmont Park, trainer Brad Cox told the Thoroughbred Daily News this week.

The 5-year-old daughter of Tapizar returned off nearly an 18-month layoff to win an allowance race at Churchill Downs on May 16, and was briefly under consideration for this Saturday's G2 Fleur De Lis Handicap over nine furlongs. Instead, Monomoy Girl will head to the one-turn mile of the Ruffian, and a meeting with last year's Champion Older Dirt Female Midnight Bisou will be delayed until later in the season.

“She's really training well and we feel like the one-turn mile at Belmont will really suit her well right now and it gives us plenty of time between races,” Cox told the TDN. “The race just make sense. She's coming off a very long layoff, and we have to keep that in mind. She was off a year and a half. It's not like this is her second race back after a three-month layoff.”

A winner of 10 of her 12 lifetime starts, Monomoy Girl's current earnings stand at just over $3 million. Her year-end goal is the Breeders' Cup Distaff, Cox said.

Read more at the Thoroughbred Daily News.

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