Churchill Downs unveils plans for new Winner's Circle Suites

Last updated: 10/29/14 1:51 PM

Churchill Downs unveils plans for new Winner’s Circle
Suites

(Renderings courtesy of Churchill Downs)

Churchill Downs Racetrack plans to enhance the experience
for owners that start horses in the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks through a $4.2 million capital improvement project
that includes the construction of 20 private, open-air, all-inclusive Winner’s
Circle Suites in a premium location under the Twin Spires between the sixteenth-pole and finish line.

The notable project also includes a remodeled Trackside
Winner’s Circle and the creation of a new Courtyard that will accommodate
temporary premium seating during Derby Week while providing a relaxed park-like
setting for everyday racing fans.

The new and exclusive Winner’s Circle Suites will be
conveniently located adjacent to the Trackside Winner’s Circle with easy access
to the racetrack and paddock runway with minimized congestion. The number of
complimentary tickets for all participating owners in the Derby and Oaks will be
tripled to 18 tickets for their respective race day.

The Winner’s Circle Suites
will feature comfortable undercover seating with in-venue wagering options and
full-service hospitality, including a premium open bar and gourmet food. Also,
guests will have access to an indoor, semi-private hospitality area and
restrooms exclusive to the venue. All areas of the project will be accessible
for persons with mobility disabilities.

In prior years, owners of Derby and Oaks horses received a
complimentary six-person box in Section 318, food and beverage hospitality in a
separate area overlooking the paddock, and the opportunity to purchase two
additional boxes in 318. Should owners require additional seating in 2015 beyond
the 18 complimentary tickets provided, they may still purchase an additional box
of six seats in Section 318.

“There are many wonderful seating options at Churchill
Downs for the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks but these new Winner’s Circle
Suites are where anyone who has ever owned or dreamed of owning a racehorse
wants to be,” Churchill Downs Racetrack President Kevin Flanery said. “We’re
thrilled to make this investment and truly thank our Derby and Oaks owners by
creating an exclusive area that will provide more complimentary tickets, food
and beverage and other extraordinary amenities than ever before.”

(Renderings courtesy of Churchill Downs)

The project is the latest investment by Churchill Downs to
upgrade and enhance its historic racing and entertainment facility. More than
$178 million has been devoted in the last decade to enrich the on-track
experience, including: a sweeping Clubhouse and Grandstand renovation (2005);
permanent lights (2010); the Plaza/Plaza Balcony (2012); the Mansion (2013); the
Parlay (2013); the Grandstand Terrace (2014); and the world’s largest 4K
ultra-high definition Big Board with an enhanced sound system (2014).

“Churchill Downs has proudly offered racing since 1875, and these substantial
investments in our iconic landmark signify that we’re committed to ensuring the
Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks and our everyday racing product remain viable and
one of the region’s major economic engines for many years to come,” Flanery said.

The new Winner’s Circle Suites and Courtyard will be
constructed in a premium location of the facility by converting what are now box
seats in Section 118 and 119 Clubhouse on the south side of the paddock runway,
and bleacher seats in Section 119 Grandstand and one-third of Section 120
Grandstand on the paddock runway’s north side. Total seating in the areas before
renovation was 3,345, and the new space will accommodate more than 1,800.

The Courtyard, a family-friendly green space that will
create a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere for everyday racing, will be a
spacious lawn area in front of the new Winner’s Circle Suites. For Derby Week,
more than 600 temporary premium seats will be configured in traditional rows and
aisles with padded chairs, and those guests will have access to an exclusive
hospitality space with an all-inclusive menu and restrooms. Seating in the
existing Sections 218-219 will have access to the hospitality space, as well.

The versatile Courtyard also will be utilized to enrich the
experience of big-event days throughout the rest of the year, including Downs
After Dark night racing and Family Adventure Days.

Select guests that are affected by the Winner’s Circle
Suites and Courtyard Project are in the process of being contacted personally by
track officials, and every effort will be made to relocate those guests to a
comparable area. Additionally, those guests can opt to upgrade their seating
packages with new inventory, including more availability in Section 318, or
premium areas that include food and beverage hospitality.

The new Courtyard seats for Derby Week will be offered to
existing customers first. Any remaining inventory will be sold to the general
public through an online sale in mid-November. The deadline to register for the
online sale at KentuckyDerby.com/Tickets has been extended to November 7.

(Renderings courtesy of Churchill Downs)

Guests seated in most sections, including the new Winner’s
Circle Suites and Courtyard, will have unobstructed views of the racetrack and
the Big Board, which is 171-feet wide, 90-feet tall and towers 80-feet above the
ground to top out at 170 feet high.

The Trackside Winner’s Circle will be remodeled and
repositioned directly next to the paddock runway on the south side to create
more space for winning horses, their connections and other dignitaries.

Construction on the $4.2 million project will begin in
December after the conclusion of the fall meet, and will be complete before the
start of the 2015 spring meet on April 25.

Churchill Downs is currently working with architectural firm Populous, headquartered in Kansas City, on the project
designs. Populous designed downtown Louisville’s innovative KFC Yum! Center, and
their other numerous projects include the new Yankee Stadium and the University
of Phoenix Stadium, home of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals.

Churchill Downs also has retained PC Sports, a division of
Texas-based Raba Kistner Inc., to assist in the project’s management. The firm,
which helped manage the expansion of Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium and
construction of the KFC Yum! Center, will serve as a consultant and third-party
advisor to ensure the project finishes on or ahead of schedule and on budget.

A general contractor for the project has not yet been
selected.

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