Churchill Downs adjusts first post to 6:30 p.m. for
remainder of meet
Churchill Downs officials will adjust their post times and race exclusively
in the evening for the final three days of its 138th spring meet due to looming
near-record triple-digit heat in the forecast for Louisville, Kentucky. The
first race on Friday, Saturday and Sunday will be 6:30 p.m. (EDT).
On Tuesday evening it was decided that Thursday’s nine-race program would be
canceled because National Weather Service forecasters were calling for a high of
103 with a southwest wind of 5-15 mph and gusts up to 26 mph.
Revised closing week schedule at Churchill Downs (June 28-July 1):
| Day | First Race | Last Race | Races | |||
| Thursday | Canceled (originally 12:45 p.m.) | Canceled (originally 4:54 p.m.) | Canceled (9 races) | |||
| Friday | 6:30 p.m. (originally 2:45 p.m.) | 11:30 p.m. (originally 7:54 p.m.) | 11 races | |||
| Saturday | 6:30 p.m. (originally 6 p.m.) | 11:40 p.m. (originally 11:10 p.m.) | 11 races | |||
| Sunday | 6:30 p.m. (originally 12:45 p.m.) | 11:00 p.m. (originally 5:20 p.m.) | 10 races |
Track officials made the decision to adjust its closing weekend schedule
following a meeting with National Weather Service forecasters on Wednesday
afternoon.
“Given the record-setting heat expected throughout the closing weekend of our
spring meet, we hope the shift of our Friday ‘Twilight Racing’ program and
Sunday’s closing day racing program to nighttime programs is a solution that,
given the forecast for extreme heat, is one that works for our horsemen and our
racing fans,” Churchill Downs Racetrack President Kevin Flanery said.
“The installation of our permanent lights three years ago has allowed the
flexibility to adapt to the extreme heat and develop a schedule that eases our
most serious concerns about the safety of our equine and human athletes, meets
the needs of our horsemen by preserving races scheduled for the meet’s final
three days, and provides fans who wish to enjoy Churchill Downs racing — either
on-track, online or at satellite wagering centers — the opportunity to do so.
“We regret that we will not be able to make up the races lost through the
cancellation of Thursday’s racing during the final days of the spring meet, but
our weather scenario deteriorated rapidly early in the week and we had to make a
swift decision on the status of Thursday’s racing. Our team had a bit more time
to focus on the meet’s final three days and we consulted with the National
Weather Service to determine, as closely as possible, the hour-by-hour
temperature scenario for the weekend.
“We will continue to take every possible precaution to guard against
heat-related health issues over those three days, but we believe the night
racing programs on Friday and Sunday will ease the threat of weather-related
issues.”
The cancellation of races at Churchill Downs is extremely rare. Thursday’s
cancellation was only the 18th documented weather-related cancellation in track
history and the first related to extreme heat.
Admission gates for Friday, Saturday and Sunday will open at 4 p.m. (although
Gate 17 will be open for simulcast wagering each day at 11:30 a.m.). Buffets in
the dining rooms will open at 5 p.m. General admission is $3 on Friday and
Sunday, and $10 on Saturday for Downs After Dark ($3 before 4 p.m.).
Friday’s Happy Hours in the paddock area, featuring 16-ounce Stella Artois
for $3 and music by Edgewood, will switch to 6:30-9:30 p.m.
The spring finale of “Downs After Dark” is Saturday and the 11-race card is
billed as the second annual “White Party,” in which on-track guests are
encouraged to wear an all-white wardrobe. Paddock entertainment will be provided
by Trinity, a Miami-based trio that uniquely mixes the sounds of a DJ and drums,
and popular Nashville band, Burning Las Vegas.
Another special treat will be an appearance by Doug O’Neill, the trainer of
I’ll Have Another who’ll be on hand to accept the engraved Kentucky Derby 138
trophies on behalf of the winning connections.
Sunday’s Junior Jockey Club activities will go on as scheduled but the
one-day “Who’s the Champ? Handicapping Contest” scheduled that day has been
postponed because of timing conflicts. Pre-registered contestants will be
contacted in the next few days by track officials.
Although live racing was canceled for Thursday, Churchill Downs will be open
at 11:30 a.m., as usual, for simulcast wagering on racetracks throughout North
America in the track’s Clubhouse. Those groups and individual patrons who
purchased seating for Thursday are being contacted by Churchill Downs to
reschedule their visit.
Weather has been a topic of discussion on multiple occasions this season at
Churchill Downs. The track’s 11-race opening night program on April 28 was
delayed for 48 minutes when a monstrous hailstorm pounded the facility and
surrounding area after the 4TH race. Six days later on Kentucky Oaks Day, a
mid-afternoon threat of severe weather prompted track officials to order the
first known temporary evacuation of the Churchill Downs’ infield with three
races, including the Oaks, remaining on the 12-race card. The heaviest of the
storms missed the track and racing resumed after a 52-minute weather delay.
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