Churchill Downs | Horse Racing Free Tips

Churchill Employees Union Threatening Derby Day Strike

Local 541, the racetrack employees union that includes Churchill Downs valets, has threatened this week to strike over a wage and contract dispute.

A press release sent on behalf of the group Friday said that, “With less than 24 hours until the 147th Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs Incorporated failed to attend a meeting early this morning to, once and for all, finalize a contract with its valets and avoid major disruptions at the Derby. The governor and mediator were notified of the meeting last night; even still, the valets were once [again] met with radio silence by their employer.”

The Greater Louisville Central Labor Council was expected to take part in a leafleting action Friday afternoon to “preview a potential Derby with valets and parimutuels on strike.”

A statement attributed to valet Ron Shelton was issued later in the day Friday: “Churchill Downs' offer to meet next week 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.

Churchill Downs made over a billion dollars last year and paid its CEO over $10 million–it is the poster child for corporate greed. Since November, we have been waiting patiently for Churchill Downs to meet our request for a fair contract that allows us to take care of ourselves and our families. 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.”

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Churchill Fails To Show Up At Contract Meeting With Valets; Strike On Derby Day A Possibility

With less than 24 hours until the 147th Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs Incorporated failed to attend a meeting early this morning to, once and for all, finalize a contract with its valets and avoid major disruptions at the Derby. The governor and mediator were notified of the meeting last night; even still, the valets were once met with radio silence by their employer.

Today's informational leafleting action by the Greater Louisville Central Labour Council — which represents 50 unions and 50,000 workers in the area — will preview a potential Derby with valets and parimutuels on strike. The action will take place TODAY until 3pm ET at Churchill Downs.

Churchill Downs valets' efforts to secure a fair contract with living wages and benefits has gotten the attention of national media:

“We put out a lot of hard work here and we risk our physical bodies. We make this product that they sell to people for millions of dollars all over the world,” Ron Shelton, a Churchill Downs valet, told New York Magazine.

Shelton told Huffington Post, “The valets just want a damn slice of the pie. We're not asking for anything out of the ordinary, or an inordinate amount.”

A key priority for valets is ensuring that Churchill Downs maintains current staffing levels, which the company has refused. For valets like Josh Foster, who's been at the racetrack for less than five years and lacks the seniority that would protect him from staffing cuts, a contract would help win job security.

He told New York Magazine: “If they call and tell two of us to stay home, I have no job.”

The CEO of Churchill Downs, Willian Castanjen, made over $10.5 million dollars, over 400 times the salary of the median worker at the racetrack.

The post Churchill Fails To Show Up At Contract Meeting With Valets; Strike On Derby Day A Possibility appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Jackie’s Warrior Faces ‘Rising Star’ Challenge in Pat Day Mile

J. Kirk and Judy Robison's Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music) returns to one turn for the first time since winning the GI Champagne S. last October as the likely favorite in Saturday's GII Pat Day Mile beneath the Twin Spires.

A $95,000 Keeneland September purchase, Jackie's Warrior is perfect in four starts up to a mile, having stamped himself as the leader of his generation with powerful front-running victories in the GII Saratoga Special S. and GI Hopeful S. ahead of a 5 1/2-length tally in the Champagne that made him the one to beat in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. In close attendance to a very demanding pace on Breeders' Cup Friday, the scopey bay colt poked a head in front between calls in the final stages, but weakened last to finish fourth, beaten just over three lengths behind champion Essential Quality (Tapit), in an effort better than it looks on paper. Connections understandably gave him one more chance to board the Triple Crown train in the GIII Southwest S. over a sloppy Oaklawn strip Feb. 27, but he tired after getting things very much his own way up front and checked in a distant eighth.

Godolphin's 'TDN Rising Star' Prevalence (Medaglia d'Oro) defeated next-out Keeneland maiden romper and Justify (Scat Daddy)'s 'Rising Star' half-brother Stage Raider (Pioneerof the Nile) by 8 1/2 lengths to graduate first time out over seven furlongs at Gulfstream Park Jan. 23. The homebred validated 1-10 favoritism in a one-mile allowance in Hallandale Mar. 11, but he wasn't quite ready for prime time when sixth, beaten five lengths, behind the Todd Pletcher-trained, Derby-bound duo of Bourbonic (Bernardini) and Dynamic One (Union Rags) in the GII Wood Memorial S. at Aqueduct Apr. 3. Prevalence worked a bullet three furlongs in :35 2/5 (1/5) over the Churchill main track Apr. 24.

Dream Shake (Twirling Candy) caused a bit of a dust-up in his career debut, winning by 4 3/4 lengths at 20-1 and earning a 96 Beyer Speed Figure in a 'Rising Star'-worthy performance. Third to fellow 'Rising Star' Life Is Good (Into Mischief) in the GII San Felipe S. and to Derby second choice Rock Your World (Candy Ride {Arg}) in the GI Santa Anita Derby, he, too, can benefit from this cutback in distance.

This race has been known to toss up the occasional long-priced winner and Sittin On Go (Brody's Cause) could be a live outsider. A debut graduate sprinting at Ellis Park last August, he defeated Derby entrants Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow) and Super Stock (Dialed In) to upset the GIII Iroquois S. over course and distance on the Derby undercard last September. Beaten nearly 50 lengths combined in his last three tries around two turns, the chestnut will try to make a run from out of it in a race that appears to be loaded with speed.

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Saturday Insights: Klaravich, Brown Debut Pricey Street Boss Filly

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency

8th-BEL, $80K, Msw, 3yo/up, f/m, 6fT, post time: 4:19 p.m. ET
CROWDING OUT (Street Boss), a $55K in utero purchase at Keeneland November in 2017, fetched $37K as a KEESEP yearling in 2019, but blossomed into a $230K OBS April breezer after working an eighth of a mile in a slick :9 4/5. That price was the second most expensive of this sire's 20 juveniles sold last year. The chestnut's dam Pride of Place (A.P. Indy)–who sadly passed away in 2020–is a daughter of French Group 3 winner Morning Pride (Ire) (Machiavellian), who accounted for two-time Grade I winner Flashing (A.P. Indy), the dam of French SW & MGSP Floodlight (Medaglia d'Oro). The filly's fourth dam Kamar (Key to the Mint) was champion 3-year-old filly in Canada in 1979 and U.S. Broodmare of the Year in 1990, having produced the likes of Canadian champion and MGSW Key to the Moon (Wajima), MGISW Gorgeous (Slew o'Gold) and 1990 GI Kentucky Oaks winner Seaside Attraction (Seattle Slew). TJCIS PPs

Jones Homebred 'Flying' Into Debut…
2nd-CD, $115K, Msw, 3yo/up, f/m, 1mT, post time: 11:01 a.m ET
FLYING GEM (Mineshaft) gets her career underway for breeder and part-owner Frank Jones and trainer Dale Romans, who conditioned half-sister Tapitsfly (Tapit) to a victory in the 2009 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies' Turf before she added Grade I turf victories in the Just A Game S. and in the First Lady S. Tapitsfly is the dam of Japanese champion and MG1SW Gran Alegria (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), while another half-sister Flying Tipat (Tapit) was stakes-placed. Joe Allen homebred Texas Shuffle (War Front) is out of French Group 2 winner Homebound (Dixie Union), a half-sister to Hong Kong champion stayer and G1SW Helene Super Star (ex Lines of Battle), GISW War Flag (War Front), SW & GSP Blue Exit (Pulpit) and G1SP Battle Paint (Tale of the Cat). TJCIS PPs

Curlin Firster Closes Out Derby Day Card…
14th-CD, $115K, Msw, 3yo/up, 6f, post time: 8:30 p.m. ET
CURLIN LANE (Curlin), a $500K KEESEP acquisition by Albaugh Family Stable in 2019, is the latest foal to the races from SW & GSP Harriett Lane (Giant's Causeway), the dam of SW & GSP Street of Gold (Street Sense) and SW Heiko (Mr. Greeley). Harriett Lane is herself a half-sister to Grade III-winning juvenile Cactus Ridge (Hennessy) and his SW & GSP full-brother Sebastian County. Bagboss (Speightstown), out of GI Kentucky Oaks winner Blind Luck (Pollard's Vision)'s half-sister Successful Luck (Successful Appeal), looks to improve on a debut second at Gulfstream Mar. 20. TJCIS PPs

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