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Pari-Mutuel Clerks Say They Will Honor Derby Day Picket Line At Churchill Downs If Valets Go On Strike

The pari-mutuel clerks employed by Churchill Downs Incorporated in Louisville, Ky., announced they will honor the Churchill Downs valets' picket line, if they decide to strike on the day of the Kentucky Derby. The absence of 200 pari-mutuel clerks at the Derby would shut down hundreds of betting stations and disrupt the money-making engine of Churchill Downs Incorporated.

SEIU Local 541's Executive Board President Don Vest said: “The pari-mutuel clerks stand in full solidarity with valets who have been patiently waiting for a fair contract since last fall. They have informed the valets that they will honor the picket line if they choose to go on strike tomorrow.”

Valets employed by Churchill Downs Incorporated at Churchill Downs Racetrack have not had a contract since October. The parimutuel clerks' support comes as Churchill Downs refused to accept the offer by valets, represented by SEIU Local 541, to meet with a mediator this morning to resolve the open contracts at Churchill Downs Racetrack and Turfway Park. Turfway valets have not had a contract since April 2020.

Ronnie Shelton, an SEIU Local 541 member and veteran of the Kentucky Derby, criticized Churchill Downs' attempts to prolong a contract dispute that they delayed for months and ultimately risk disruptions to the Derby: “Churchill Downs' offer to meet next week without agreeing to use a mediator, and with no assurances that they will actually move on any of their proposals, is unacceptable and insulting, especially when they canceled our last meeting abruptly and refused to acknowledge our offer to finalize a deal. The biggest day of the year is tomorrow, and Churchill Downs is suggesting we work under a substandard contract so they can drive up their profits.

Shelton continued, “Our patience for excuses is wearing thin because we know Churchill Downs could pay us fairly in a second without feeling even the slightest pinch. There is no need to delay or threaten the Derby, and it's on Churchill Downs to stop the insulting delay tactics and agree to a fair contract.”

On Wednesday, the Greater Louisville Labor Council also pledged their support for Derby valets. President Todd Dunn said: “From the valets to the pari-mutuel clerks to the folks who put together the garland of roses, the Kentucky Derby is Union made. All of these workers are vital. With Derby just hours away, the Greater Louisville Central Labor Council is prepared to stand with these workers in any action. An injury to one is an injury to all.”

Churchill Downs Incorporated posted $1.054 billion in net revenue for 2020, and its CEO Bill Carstanjen made $10.5 million, yet the company is refusing to pay its valets at Churchill Downs Racetrack (CDRT) and Turfway Park a fair wage and provide basic workplace protections to ensure adequate staffing levels at the racetracks. The ratio of the CEO's compensation to the median salary of the other full-time employees in 2020 ($26,000) is 404:1. In the first few seconds of opening betting, the company easily makes the $27,000 it would cost to fully cover modest raises for its entire valet workforce.

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Kentucky Oaks Wagering Rebounds With Third-Highest Handle In History

The 147^thrunning of the $1.25 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (Grade 1) at Churchill Downs Racetrack in Louisville, Ky., saw Malathaat capture the Lillies in a field of 13 under sunny skies and fast track conditions in front of 41,472 spectators spread across the expansive and spacious grounds of the racetrack.

Wagering from all-sources on the full Kentucky Oaks race card totaled $54.3 million, up 76% compared to the 2020 Kentucky Oaks, which was held in September with only essential personnel in attendance. All-sources wagering on the Kentucky Oaks race was $17.4 million up 74% from last year's Kentucky Oaks race.

The total wagered on the 13-race card was almost 10% lower than the record Oaks day handle in 2019, when $60.2 million was wagered on 13 races. This year's handle was the third-highest in the history of the Oaks despite the limited on-track attendance due to COVID-19.

Malathaat, owned by Shadwell Stable and bred in Kentucky by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC, rallied from a stalking position and held off a determined filly, Search Results, to win the Longines Kentucky Oaks by a neck at odds of 5-2 in a final time of 1.48.99. This win marks the 4th Kentucky Oaks victory for trainer Todd Pletcher and the 2nd for jockey John Velazquez. Malathaat is a daughter of Curlin out of Dreaming of Julia and now has lifetime earnings of over $1.2 million.

“Today we celebrate Malathaat and her connections, but also the fans who joined us to enjoy this beautiful day of racing,” said Churchill Downs President Mike Anderson. “The success of the 147^th Kentucky Oaks is a tribute to the team at Churchill Downs, our community partners, sponsors and participants who worked tirelessly to ensure that we could safely and responsibly welcome back the fans that are an essential part of this great tradition.”

Churchill Downs Inc. continued the tradition of using Oaks day as a platform for the company's charitable initiatives. This year's virtual Kentucky Oaks Survivors Parade presented by Kroger with supporting partner Ford, honored survivors of breast and ovarian cancer along with honorees who are actively receiving treatment with a moving video montage accompanied by a live performance by vocalist Shea Leparoux, wife of seven-time Breeders Cup Championship jockey Julien Leparoux. The tribute was concluded with an honorary lap around the racetrack by the Norton Healthcare Mobile Prevention Unit. CDI has contributed over $1 million to charitable partnerships dedicated to the early detection and prevention of breast and ovarian cancer. The five-year charitable partnership with Louisville-based Norton Healthcare extended this year to also celebrate Norton employees who volunteered to staff a public vaccine clinic at Churchill Downs in late March and early April.

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Owner Placed On No-Entry List At Fair Grounds After Horse Turns Up In Bail Pen

Churchill Downs Inc. officials say they have placed an owner on the no-entry list at Fair Grounds after her horse appeared in a Texas bail lot while still in the entries at the New Orleans track.

Little Red Kid was advertised on social media Jan. 30 by a kill pen, but at that time was still supposed to be headed to the ninth race on Feb. 3.

After receiving an inquiry from the Paulick Report about the horse, Fair Grounds management consulted with the stewards, who interviewed both trainer Jacoby Landry and owner Kim Jackson, in addition to Jackson's veterinarian. After some detective work, Louisiana state steward Charlie Ashy Jr., said he learned the horse, who was well off the board in claiming contests Jan. 10 and Jan. 23 at Fair Grounds, worked the week before Feb. 3. Ashy said Landry told the stewards the horse had come out of the work poorly, and a veterinary exam revealed that “the horse was full of mucus.”

Landry contacted the owner about retiring the horse, who had not hit the board since finishing second in a claiming race in July 2019 at Louisiana Downs. The owner took possession of the horse, which was not stabled at Fair Grounds. Somehow, Ashy said wires were crossed in Landry's barn and the horse was placed on the entry list anyway.

From there, Ashy said the stewards established the horse was taken to a livestock auction in Opelousas, La.

“She said she was going to sell the horse in the Thoroughbred sale at a stockyard,” Ashy said. “It's a cattle stockyard and they have a cattle auction every week or every two weeks, and then maybe once a month they'll sell Thoroughbreds as well that people want to get rid of. People might buy the horse and train it for other things.”

Ashy's investigation revealed that was where Thompson Horse Lot purchased the horse. On Jan. 28, the Louisiana Department of Agriculture announced sanctions against the operators of Thompson Horse Lot stemming from its owners buying and selling livestock without licenses. The lot subsequently moved its sale operation to Texas.

“The owner and trainer had nothing to do with the horse ending up there other than she put the horse in the sale, but she didn't do anything wrong doing that,” said Ashy. “Normally we wouldn't even look into this, but because Jason [Boulet, Fair Grounds racing director] asked us to, we did. Nobody did anything wrong from the racing side.”

Landry was issued a fine of $500 on Feb. 19 by the stewards for “entering a horse no longer under his care.”

The decision to place the owner on the no-entry list came from Fair Grounds/CDI management.

“As you know, CDI and all of our tracks take slaughter of race horses very seriously,” said Dr. William Farmer, equine medical director for Churchill Downs Inc. “Fair Grounds remains vigilant to making sure those horse that race at our facility have productive second careers. To follow through with Fair Grounds commitment to prevent race horses from going to slaughter, the owner of this horse was placed on a no-entry list to deny future entries in races at Fair Grounds.”

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Turfway’s Winter Handle Up 36 Percent; Corrales, Ward Wrap Up Meet Titles

A stout 36.5 percent increase of all sources handle, along with a rise in starters per race, topped Turfway Park's 38-day Winter/Spring meet that opened Jan 1. and concluded Saturday.

Turfway Park's meet saw overall handle grow to $81.7 million, a $21.9 million increase from 2020. All sources handle per day was up 32.9 percent. The average field size topped 9.8 horses per race compared to 2020's 9.7 starters per race.

“We can't thank our owners, trainers, jockeys and horseplayers enough for supporting our meet,” Turfway Park's General Manager Chip Bach said. “Our team put together a competitive racing product that appealed to horseplayers nationwide. The positive feedback from the installation of our Tapeta surface was universal from trainers and jockeys. Through Churchill Downs Incorporated's continued investment to renovate Turfway Park, we are looking forward to the future of horse racing in Florence.”

Six live racing days were cancelled due to inclement weather at Turfway Park. However, five of those days were made up by adding an additional race day each week.

Jockey Gerardo Corrales (177-40-27-23—$655,831) had a 23 percent win clip during the meet and led all riders. He finished seven victories ahead of second place Rafael Bejarano, who had 33 wins. A graduate of the Laffit Pincay Jockey School, Corrales' meet was capped by a victory aboard Outadore in the $65,000 Animal Kingdom Stakes on the undercard of the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3).

Trainer Wesley Ward's victory with Like the King in the $250,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) were among his 21 wins at the meet. He had an outstanding 38 percent win clip with purse earnings of $410,997. Ward topped the trainer standings, 21-12, nine wins in front of Bill Morey, who relocated to Kentucky in 2019 from California.

“Kentucky is the epicenter for sales and racing,” Morey said. “We had a fantastic meet at Turfway and really enjoyed running over the Tapeta surface.”

Augustin Stable led the owner standings with eight wins through 20 starts. All eight victories were ridden by jockey Chris Landeros. They finished two wins in front of Small Town Paddock, who recorded six wins through nine starts. They were one win in front of Live Oak Plantation's five wins from eight starters.

A trio of horses recorded three wins at the meet: Richard Alderson's Till Then, who won two of his races under former owner Augustin Stable and Small Town Paddock's Floroplus and Kynance (IRE).

Like the King Stamps Ticket to Kentucky Derby with Victory in Jeff Ruby Steaks

M Racing Group's Like the King stamped his spot in the starting gate for the Grade 1, $3 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve with his victory in the 50th running of the $250,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks, the premiere race of Turfway Park's meet.

Trained by Ward, Like the King earned 100 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby for his one-length win in the Jeff Ruby Steaks. Jeff Ruby Steaks day also featured a victory by Godolphin's Adventuring in the $150,000 Bourbonette Oaks (Listed). She was awarded 50 points towards a spot in the April 30, $1.25 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1).

Racing in the Commonwealth of Kentucky will shift to Keeneland on Friday for their Spring Meet, which runs through April 23. Kentucky Derby Week at Churchill Downs will begin April 24 and their Spring Meet will run through June 26.

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