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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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Maryland: Laurel Horsemen Will Vacate Property After Preakness As Track Undergoes Major Overhaul

Track surface woes at Laurel Park continue, and horsemen there will soon be asked to vacate the property temporarily. Track officials identified issues with the dirt surface at Laurel two weeks ago and subsequently cancelled several race cards and ceased timed workouts. Initially, they had hoped that they could simply pull back the cushion and repair the base while horses continued with a modified training schedule. This week, however, ground penetrating radar and heavy machinery to bore holes into the sub-base revealed additional, more serious problems.

Representatives from The Stronach Group and the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association said Friday the removal of horses will allow crews to work through more of the day to get the necessary repairs done more quickly. They also had concerns that if a horse got loose during modified training and began bolting around the track, the horse could suffer an injury if they went through an area that was under construction. The sub-base will need to be replaced, as will the base material. Reconstruction of the dirt course should not negate the ability of the track to add a synthetic surface between the dirt and turf courses, which still may be on the horizon for Laurel.

Aidan Butler, chief operating officer of 1/ST RACING, also said that analysis had revealed a small underground stream that ran under the track around the 5/8 pole. A French drain system will be installed to avoid that water flow impacting the track. The drain should also reduce waterlogging issues on the track's backstretch and in the turf course.

Additionally, Laurel has evidently been suffering from a serious rat infestation which the track has been unable to address. Vacating all the barns will make it easier for track employees to eliminate the problem, rather than simply shifting it from one area to another.

Horses stabled at Laurel will have the option to move to Pimlico Race Course, where at least 140 temporary stalls will be erected beginning the day after Preakness, or to Timonium at the Maryland State Fairgrounds, where as many as 580 stalls may be available after the upcoming Fasig-Tipton sale.

Horsemen on a video conference call Friday were assured that if they chose to send their horses out of state while Laurel was closed they would face no penalties or loss of stall space when they returned.

Racing dates that would normally take place at Laurel through the summer will also likely be shifted to Pimlico, but Butler said The Stronach Group is still discussing logistics. Turf racing may be particularly impacted, since the turf course at Pimlico is usually in rough condition after Preakness weekend.

The hope is that horsemen could return to Laurel by July 1, but that will depend on the progress of renovations.

“Our hope is that not only will this be safer for everybody, but it'll get done in a more expedited fashion,” said Tim Keefe, board member of the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association. “Doing it like we're doing it now is just going to drag it out and make it take longer.”

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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.

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