Ramseys, Asmussen, Hernandez Earn Churchill Meet Titles

A Kentucky Derby week, which established records on several fronts and launched unbeaten Justify's run to a Triple Crown title, provided a strong start to Churchill Downs' 2018 Spring Meet that concluded its successful 38-day run June 30.  

The racing meet began with an "Opening Night" celebration April 28 and followed by the six days of Kentucky Derby week that generated record wagering and attendance despite historic rainfall on Kentucky Derby Day May 5. The meet also encountered challenges with the introduction and implementation of a new parking and transportation system created as part of an ongoing $32 million project and a run of unseasonably warm weather toward the end of the racing and entertainment session.

But the momentum of Derby week continued with a roster of special events headed by its three renewals of "Downs After Dark" night racing, Twilight Thursday racing, and the popular Family Fun Days Presented by Kroger. The track's horsemen benefited from enthusiastic wagering and attendance during Derby week that prompted a 10% boost to daily purses for overnight races during the final 19 racing days of the meet.

"Churchill Downs deeply appreciates all who contributed to a remarkable spring meet that succeeded despite major changes in our track's parking and transportation systems that were introduced during the biggest week in our industry, and hurdles from Mother Nature, which provided a rain-soaked Kentucky Derby day unlike any other in the 145-year history of the event and our historic track," said Kevin Flanery, president of Churchill Downs. "We are grateful the fans who visited Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby (Presented by Woodford Reserve, G1) and (Longines Kentucky) Oaks (G1) and throughout the meet, those who supported our racing product online via TwinSpires.com and other online wagering platforms, the horsemen and jockeys who competed in our high-quality daily racing program, the devoted members of our racetrack team and all in the community who contributed to the meet's success.

"The spring meet provided a memorable start on what will certainly be a remarkable year for Churchill Downs. We look forward to our upcoming September and Fall meets, the latter of which will include the return of the Breeders' Cup to Churchill Downs for the first time since our community hosted the event in 2010 and 2011."

The Breeders' Cup World Championships will be held at the Louisville track for a record-equaling ninth time Nov. 2-3. Racing will resume at Churchill for the Sept. 14-30 September meet. The fall meet, which will include the Breeders' Cup, is scheduled Oct. 28-Nov. 25. 

The Kentucky Derby victory by WinStar Farm, China Horse Club, Starlight Racing and Head of Plains Partners' Justify under two-time Derby-winning Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith was the highlight of the Spring Meet. It provided Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert with a fifth victory in the race on a Derby day unlike any other in the history of the race that was first run in 1875.

A record 3.15 inches of rain was recorded Saturday, May 5, by the National Weather Service at nearby Louisville International Airport—a total that surpassed the previous Kentucky Derby Day record of 2.31 inches set on May 11, 1918. Of this year's record rainfall, 1.83 inches fell from 3-4 p.m.—just hours before Justify won the Derby over a sloppy track.

Despite the unprecedented rainfall, on-track attendance for Kentucky Derby Day at Churchill Downs was 157,813—the eighth-largest crowd in track history—and record all-sources wagering totals were recorded for both the Kentucky Day program and the Kentucky Derby race. Wagering from all-sources on the Kentucky Derby Day program totaled $225.7 million, an increase of 8% over the 2017 total and previous record of $209.2 million. Wagering from all-sources on the Kentucky Derby race increased 8% to $149.9 million from the previous record of $139.2 million established in 2017.  

Wagering on the six racing days of Kentucky Derby week totaled $311.2 million—an increase of 9% from the previous record established in 2017. Attendance during the week was 375,346, an increase of 7% from 2017. The opening week attendance total included a record crowd of 48,134 that enjoyed the May 3 celebration of Thurby.

"Downs After Dark" racing under the lights remained a popular attraction during the spring meet with total attendance of 60,144 for the meet's trio of night racing celebrations. The largest of those events were opening night, which included the third annual "Awards in the Arts" celebration, and the June 16 program that included five stakes races topped by the Stephen Foster Handicap (G1) and the first on-track appearance by Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown winner Justify following his historic sweep of the Derby, Preakness Stakes (G1) and Belmont Stakes (Presented by NYRA Bets, GI). Owner Kenny Troutt of majority owner WinStar Farm and other partners accepted the engraved solid gold Kentucky Derby winner's trophies after Justify paraded before the fans and made stops in the paddock and Woodford Reserve winner's circle. Accepting engraved solid silver winner's trophies during the festivities were Baffert, Smith, and Tanya Gunther of Glennwood Farm, who accepted the winning breeder trophy for her father, John Gunther.  

Race purses paid during the spring meet totaled $22.2 million, which reflected an increase of 4.5% over the $21.3 million total from 2017. Average daily purses totaled $584,829 and the average race purse rose to $59,741. Both totals reflect a 4.5% increase from the previous year's spring meet.

The number of horses that competed in spring meet races and the average size of the daily race field dipped slightly in the just-completed session. A total of 2,894 horses competed in 372 races run during the meet's 38 days and the average size of a race field during the meet was 7.8 horses. The numbers reflect a 3.4% decrease from the 2017 average field size of 8.1 and 2,997 total starters for the same number of spring meet races.

Records were extended by the winners of the meet's races for leading trainer and leading owner, but the champion rider of the spring meet earned that honor for the first time.

Brian Hernandez Jr. guided 43 horses to the Woodford Reserve winner's circle to earn his first leading jockey title at Churchill Downs since he arrived at the Louisville track in 2004. Florent Geroux finished second among spring meet jockeys with 38 wins.

Edgar Morales was the meet's top apprentice jockey. The 20-year-old native of Puerto Rico earned 15 wins and tied for eighth in the overall standings.

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen extended his record total of leading trainer championships at Churchill Downs to 19 with 30 winners that included a record-equaling fifth win in the $100,000 Bashford Manor (GIII) with Whispering Oaks Farm's Sir Truebadour on closing day. The victory was one of 10 spring meet wins by 2-year-olds saddled by Asmussen.

Brad Cox finished second in the leading trainer race with 24 wins, including his Kentucky Oaks victory with Monomoy Girl.

          

Ken and Sarah Ramsey, the all-time leading owners at Churchill Downs, won nine races to earn their record-extending 31st leading owner title. The victory total by the Nicholasville, Ky., couple, who earned their first Churchill Downs title in 2000, was topped by a win by Backyard Heaven in the $400,000 Alysheba Presented by Sentient Jet (G2). 

Three owners, Whitham Thoroughbreds, Gary and Mary West, and Susan and Jim Hill, finished in a tie for second with four wins.