Kentucky Oaks 141 attracts record crowd, on-track wagering

A record crowd of 123,763 attended a picture-perfect Oaks Day under the Twin Spires (Bob Newell/Horsephotos.com) It was a record-breaking 141st running of the $1 million Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs on Friday which culminated as 123,763 fans, the highest attendance of all time, watched a memorable win by Lovely Maria (Majesticperfection). The prior attendance record was 116,046, set in 2010, during the 136th running of the Kentucky Oaks. Wagering from all-sources was the highest all-time on both the full 12-race Kentucky Oaks Day card and on the Kentucky Oaks race. On-track wagering on the Kentucky Oaks race also set a record. Wagering from all-sources on the full 12-race Kentucky Oaks Day race card totaled $46.1 million, an increase of 7 percent from the 2014 total of $43.2 million, and a 1 percent increase over the prior record set in 2013. All-sources wagering on the Kentucky Oaks race rose 8 percent to $15.2 million from 2014’s $14.1 million, and a 6 percent increase over the prior record set in 2013.

On-track wagering on the Kentucky Oaks Day race card was
$12.0 million, a 2 percent increase from 2014’s $11.8 million. On-track wagering on the
Kentucky Oaks race set a new record of $3.1 million, a 5 percent increase from 2014’s
$3.0 million and a 2 percent increase over the previous record in 2013.

“Our congratulations to the connections of our newest
Kentucky Oaks champion, Lovely Maria, and to all of the horse owners, trainers
and jockeys who participated in today’s race,” said Kevin Flanery, president of
Churchill Downs Racetrack. “The Kentucky Oaks has grown to become one of the
most prominent horseraces in America attracting a high-quality field with gifted
equine and human athletes. With today’s attendance, the Kentucky Oaks now ranks
as the second-highest attended racing event in America, only behind the Kentucky
Derby.”

For the seventh year running, Churchill Downs continued its
“Pink Out” tradition in support of two cancer-related charities — Bright Pink
and Horses & Hope — during the celebration of the Oaks.

CDI’s Foundation donated $50,000 to benefit Bright Pink, a
national non-profit focused on the prevention and early detection of breast and
ovarian cancer in young women. Churchill Downs also continued a seven-year
fundraising partnership with Horses and Hope, a breast cancer outreach program
in Kentucky’s horse industry championed by Kentucky First Lady Jane Beshear.
Churchill Downs will donate $1 from each Friday sale of the Grey Goose Oaks
Lily, the official drink of the Kentucky Oaks, to Horses and Hope.

141 cancer survivors participated in the Kentucky Oaks
Survivors Parade with a march along Churchill Downs’ historic homestretch immediately prior to
the running of the Kentucky Oaks.

Marylou Whitney, whose accomplishments and generosity in
the worlds of Thoroughbred racing and philanthropy have garnered national
acclaim and admiration for decades, served as the “First Lady of the Oaks,” a
tradition of the Kentucky Oaks since 2009. The honoree is a special individual
who has celebrated women’s causes through professional and personal experiences.

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