Churchill Downs unveils 2009 Kentucky Derby and Oaks logos

(Courtesy of Churchill Downs)

With the 2009 "Run for the Roses" only six months away, Churchill Downs on

Saturday unveiled the official logos for Kentucky Derby 135 and its companion

event, Kentucky Oaks 135. The Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks 135 event logos

will adorn all officially licensed merchandise, including apparel, gift items

and tickets.

The new Kentucky Derby 135 mark features two sides of a sleek, golden

horseshoe joined at the bottom by a stylized red rose. In the center of the

horseshoe are the words "Kentucky Derby" in gold and black font and the number

"135" to designate the event's 135th renewal. The words "Churchill Downs" and

the date "May 2, 2009," appear beneath the horseshoe.

A slender golden horseshoe also tops the official Kentucky Oaks 135 logo,

while a vibrant pink stargazer lily pops out from the horseshoe's center.

Emblazoned in bright pink and gold text beneath the primary artwork are the

words "Kentucky Oaks 135" and "Churchill Downs - May 1, 2009." The Kentucky Oaks

is traditionally held one day before the Kentucky Derby.

(Courtesy of Churchill Downs)

Churchill Downs also introduced non-dated versions of the Kentucky Derby and

Kentucky Oaks logos that are similar in color and design to the dated versions

for the 2009 events. Both non-dated marks feature a golden horseshoe with the

signature flowers associated with each event, a red rose for the Kentucky Derby

and a pink stargazer lily for the Kentucky Oaks, emerging from their respective

centers. Churchill Downs will use the non-dated marks for a variety of

applications, including its line of officially licensed merchandise and other

product offerings currently in development.

"Because we plan to incorporate our iconic Derby and Oaks marks into future

event logos, we wanted designs that were very simple in composition with clean

lines and distinct colors that are clearly linked to established Derby and Oaks

traditions," Koenig Loignon explained. "Our partners at SME Branding did a masterful job of combining design

elements that promote what's at the core of the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks

brands -- premium horse racing -- that can be used for a variety of applications

as we grow our brands and our entertainment offerings throughout Kentucky Derby

week the rest of the year."