“We are excited to be included in such a powerhouse lineup of Thoroughbred racing offered during Derby Week,” said Eric Halstrom, Vice President and General Manager of Racing at Horseshoe Indianapolis. “We begin our racing program at approximately 2:30 p.m. both Tuesday and Wednesday and will feature our first six races on Fox Sports 2, which offers a daily program broadcasted nationally. To be linked with such prestigious racing dynasties as Churchill Downs is a real boost to our Indiana Thoroughbred racing program.”

The partnership with Fox Sports Network will continue during the 2022 racing season with more broadcasts of live Horseshoe Indianapolis racing coming up in June and July. More details on dates and times will be released at a later date.

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Churchill Downs Incorporated, which brought in over $1 billion in revenue last year, is refusing to agree to a fair contract that gives its valets at Churchill Downs Racetrack and Turfway Park a fair wage and basic workplace protections to ensure adequate staffing levels at the racetracks. The valets are highly skilled workers whose work is critical to the success and safety of the Kentucky Derby operation. They must saddle horses and make sure each horse is compliant with stringent racing regulations.

The valets have been working under expired contracts since last year and they say the company's refusal to agree to common-sense contracts could result in major disruptions during Kentucky Derby Week.

At 4 p.m. ET on Saturday, prior to opening night's 6 p.m. first post, the Louisville labor community – including members of Teamsters Local 89 and the Greater Louisville Central Labor Council – will be meeting outside of the track's main gate at 700 Central Avenue.

According to a notice distributed by the labor union, Churchill Downs Incorporated posted $1.054 billion in net revenue for 2020, and CEO Bill Carstanjen made $10.5 million. Meanwhile, its valets are currently paid about $16 an hour and are asking for modest increases to their pay and contributions to their retirement accounts to provide financial stability for themselves and their families. They are also asking for guaranteed valet staffing levels at live races to ensure consistency and safety. In order to make a living at racetracks that only provide work for 40-80 days per year, valets must travel throughout the country to different race tracks and are responsible for their own travel and housing costs.

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The second closing of the April 30 Longines Kentucky Oaks costs $1,500 while the Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic is a $1,000 payment. All stakes nominations can be made by contacting Churchill Downs assistant racing secretary and stakes coordinator Dan Bork at Dan.Bork@kyderby.com or call (502) 638-3806.

A total of 18 stakes events are scheduled to be run Kentucky Derby Week led by the $3 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) on Saturday, May 1. There are six graded stakes events on the undercard of the Derby: the Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic, the $500,000 Derby City Distaff presented by Kendall-Jackson Winery (G1), the $500,000 Churchill Downs presented by Ford (G1), the $500,000 Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile (G2), the $500,000 American Turf (G2) and the $500,000 Pat Day Mile presented by LG&E and KU (G2).

The Kentucky Oaks undercard is topped by the $500,000 La Troienne (G1). Also run on the undercard will be the $400,000 Alysheba presented by Sentient Jet (G2), the $300,000 Eight Belles presented by Smithfield (G2), the $300,000 Edgewood (G2) and the $250,000 Twin Spires Turf Sprint presented by Sysco (G2).

The stakes action begins Saturday, April 24, with opening night of the spring meet where the headlining race will be the $125,000 William Walker (Listed). Tuesday's Champions Day card is topped by the $120,000 Isaac Murphy Marathon Overnight Stakes presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance. Wednesday's card will feature the $125,000 Kentucky Juvenile and the “Thurby” program on Thursday will showcase a stakes duo of the $150,000 Unbridled Sydney and the $120,000 Opening Verse.

For more information, visit www.churchilldowns.com/horsemen.

The post Nominations For Derby Week Stakes At Churchill Downs Close Saturday appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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In addition, Kentucky Downs plans to expand its stakes program to include two new $1 million races in 2021, giving the venue a total of three stakes at that level. (Read more details here).

Ben Huffman, the director of racing at Churchill Downs, confirmed during a video meeting of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund (KTDF) advisory committee Apr. 6 that MSW purses during Derby week will be $106,000, then $91,000 for the balance of the meet that runs through June 26.

Churchill had closed out its pandemic-affected 2020 spring/summer season at the $79,000 level for MSW races and had boosted those purses to $97,000 for the rescheduled Derby week in September. The balance of September had $75,000 MSW purses; that level rose to $85,000 for the late-autumn meet that ended in November.

Ted Nicholson, the senior vice president and general manager at Kentucky Downs, told the KTDF board that his track's MSW level will be $125,000 for the six-day meet Sep. 5-12. That's up from $90,000 last year.

As for Ellis Park, racing secretary Dan Bork said that “our maidens will probably be just north of $50,000 this year.”

The MSW purse levels for the state's remaining 2021 meets beyond September will be discussed by the KTDF at a later date.

The KTDF is funded by three-quarters of 1% of all money wagered on both live Thoroughbred races and HHR gaming, plus 2% of all money wagered on Thoroughbred races via inter-track wagering and whole-card simulcasting. The board approved recommending allotments to Churchill, Ellis and Kentucky Downs on Tuesday.

The Dirt on Turfway: Not Any Time Soon

Turfway Park's general manager, Chip Bach, updated the KTDF board on the near-term maintenance for the new Tapeta track that was unveiled in December. He also responded to a KTDF board member's question about the timeline for a proposed inner dirt track by saying it wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

“The opinion of the Tapeta surface has continued to be very positive,” Bach said. “There are some plans to do a tune-up, a little remediation. You know, when you're working with a synthetic racetrack, if you do too much too soon you can't undo it. And so they're typically conservative of the elements that they introduce into the surface; see how it responds to weather, see how it responds to the horses.

Bach described that process as a “tweak,” adding that the work is likely to be done before July, when horses resume training at Turfway.

As for the additional dirt surface inside the Tapeta course that was proposed as part of the ongoing Turfway rebuild, Bach said this:

“The project that's going on right now will contemplate the ability to put an inner dirt track within the synthetic oval. But that's not intended to happen the first or the second year [of the Turfway rebuild]. We'll have the ability to add that if we decide to. It's being designed with that in mind. But there are no plans for a dirt track in the near future.”

HBPA 'Concerned' About Ellis Twilight Posts

Jeff Inman, the general manager at Ellis Entertainment LLC, said his track is in the midst of a three-phase capital improvement plan.

Phase 1 work that is now underway prior to the track's June 27 opening includes drainage and safety improvements to the main track, a backstretch rebuild of the manure pit (required by environmental officials), a new restaurant and an additional bar on the frontside, plus high-definition camera and communication upgrades.

Bill Landes III, the chair of the KTDF advisory committee, wanted to know more about the list of long-term improvements Ellis has slated for the future.

“When do you think that schedule may be fleshed out?” Landes asked. “I love everything [listed]—turf widening, track lighting, grandstand improvements, new tote board—all of them long overdue, and everybody knows it.”

Inman replied that the turf course widening is likely to happen first, but not until after the 2021 meet.

“If we regain capital funding, we will start work after the horses leave, [by] late October, early November,” Inman said.

Landes underscored what a positive it would be to upgrade the grass course and to add lights at Ellis, because it would allow the track to card some twilight racing in a less-crowded simulcast time slot and feature more grass racing, which is popular with bettors because of the generally larger fields. Racing later in the day could also aid horse health by avoiding running during the searing late-afternoon temperatures that are routine at Ellis in the summer.

Landes said he believed Kentucky Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association officials would agree with him that if “you get twilight racing at Ellis Park and some lights there, there ain't no telling” what might happen, handle-wise. “That would be super—I'm sorry we're not there yet,” he added.

KTDF member J. David Richardson concurred: “I do believe Ellis Park has enormous potential to do much, much better with at least some opportunity to run under lights and expand turf racing on a course that's not torn up because you have to overuse it.”

But when asked for his opinion, Rick Hiles, the president of the KHBPA (and also a KTDF advisory committee member), said he was “a little concerned” about the ramifications of moving to later post times at Ellis.

Hiles cited the long days that outfits shipping to Ellis from Lexington and Louisville would have to endure.

“Losing an hour in time zones, coming back late at night…I just don't know how [horsemen] are going to react to that,” Hiles said.

“Well, you have that issue to a certain extent at Turfway,” Landes replied, meaning the night racing. “And [at Ellis] it's either coming in at one or two o'clock in the morning or dealing with 108 or 110 degrees” while shipping before the sun goes down.

“I just don't know,” Hiles said. “School, for me, is still out on it.”

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“Kentucky Derby Week represents a time of fun and excitement and our team is working diligently to create and deliver the best customer experience possible as we do every year,” said Churchill Downs Racetrack President Mike Anderson. “We'll continue to rely on proven health and safety protocols and operate within the guidance of state health officials as well as the CDC.

“We previously reported that we are starting with the assumption that we will limit the number of reserved seats to 40 to 50 percent capacity and delay the sale of general admission tickets. If the circumstances surrounding COVID-19 continue to improve, then we will open more reserved seats and consider the sale of general admission tickets.”

Guests with contractual seating, such as personal seat licenses, memberships and annual tickets, and those who received refunds in 2020, will have rights to first refusal for the 147^th runnings of the $3 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve on Saturday, May 1, and the $1.25 million Longines Kentucky Oaks on Friday, April 30.

There is no online sale planned for first-party reserved seating at this time. However, contractual guests with tickets who are unable to attend the Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks or other events can utilize the Kentucky Derby Ticket Exchange, the official fan-to-fan resale marketplace and only authorized resale platform, to resell tickets. The Official Kentucky Derby Ticket Exchange allows guests to resell tickets, charge face value or above and guarantee authenticity through Ticketmaster verified tickets.

Notification of the availability of additional tickets to Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks will be made by way of email and social media. Fans are encouraged to subscribe to the Kentucky Derby's email distribution list online at https://www.kentuckyderby.com/tickets/newsletter-signup and follow @KentuckyDerby on social media to stay updated on if or when there are changes to ticket availability.

Those interested in attending Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks can also visit Derby Experiences, the Kentucky Derby's Official Experience Package Partner, to explore a variety of packages combining Derby and Oaks seats with access to exclusive lounges, VIP Fast Access passes, hotel and transportation accommodations and more. Information is available online at www.derbyexperiences.com/kentucky-derby-2021.

Churchill Downs ticket options are available for other popular Derby Week events: Opening Night presented by Budweiser (Saturday, April 24); Dawn at the Downs (Sunday, April 25 and Monday, April 26); Champions Day presented by TwinSpires (Tuesday, April 27); and Thurby presented by Old Forester (Thursday, April 29).

In addition to Kentucky Derby Week, tickets are on sale for the entire 2021 Spring Meet, which covers 38 dates from Saturday, April 24 through Saturday, June 26.

Notable Spring Meet events and dates include Twilight Thursdays (Thursdays, May 6-June 24); Mother's Day (Sunday, May 9); Preakness Stakes Simulcast (Saturday, May 15); Sunday Brunch (Sundays, May 16-June 20); Downs After Dark presented by Budweiser (Saturdays, May 22 and June 12); Stephen Foster Preview Day (Saturday, May 29); Memorial Day (Monday, May 31); Teacher Appreciation Day (Thursday, June 3); Belmont Stakes Simulcast (Saturday, June 5); Flag Day Observance (Sunday, June 13); Father's Day (Sunday, June 20); and Stephen Foster Day/Closing Day (Saturday, June 26).

Information regarding Churchill Downs' Health & Safety plan for Kentucky Derby 2021 can be found at www.kentuckyderby.com/tickets/ticket-options/updates.

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Since that time, there have been a total of 47 positive tests from the group for a 2.58% positivity rate.

Testing is on-going at Churchill Downs Racetrack. Any individual that is permitted entrance into the Stable Area will receive a one-time, FDA-approved PCR test. Those who do not pass the test or medical screening will be denied entry onto the premises and asked to isolate and/or quarantine per CDC and Louisville Public Health guidelines.

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