Record Purses, Double-Digit Handle Growth at Churchill

In the face of a fiercely debated Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserves (G1) outcome that resulted in the classic's first-ever disqualification and triggered national conversation for weeks, Churchill Downs delivered all-around positive results during its 145th Spring Meet that concluded June 29.

Robust business from state-of-the-art historical racing machines at nearby Derby City Gaming bolstered purses during the meet to a record $32.2 million for the 38-day stand that opened April 27. The purses paid increased 44.7% or $9.9 million, up from $22.2 million paid during last year's Spring Meet.

The $65 million Derby City Gaming facility opened last year in mid-September and features nearly 1,000 historical racing machines, two restaurants, a center bar and multiple entertainment options.

"As promised, our investment into Derby City Gaming is paying immediate dividends and directly benefiting the city of Louisville and Commonwealth of Kentucky," said Kevin Flanery, president of Churchill Downs Racetrack. "We've improved our state's valuable horse racing and agriculture industry with lucrative rewards for horsemen. The result was a thriving and ultra-competitive racing product with more entries and high-quality horses that appealed to bettors and horseplayers nationwide.

"This year's Spring Meet was fantastic on all fronts. The horse owners, jockeys and trainers provided outstanding competition on the racetrack, and passionate members of our invaluable Churchill Downs Racetrack team were committed to delivering the best guest experience in entertainment. We express our sincerest gratitude to all horseplayers and the greater Louisville community who made the 2019 Spring Meet one of the most enjoyable and successful meets in Churchill Downs history."

Spring Meet prize money for horsemen averaged $846,393 daily compared to $584,796 in 2018, according to statistics released by the racetrack. Excluding Kentucky Derby week purse offerings, $601,408 was paid daily over the final eight weeks of the meet versus $408,796 last year. The average purse per race was $86,459 compared to last season's $59,737.

Higher purses led to an increase in average field size, which rose 8.8% to 8.5 horses per race from 7.8 starters per race a year ago.

All-sources wagering on Churchill Downs' Spring races increased, too, rising $51 million to $499.8 million compared with 2018 spring all-sources handle of $448.8 million. The 11.4% increase marked the fifth straight annual gain in Spring Meet betting from the prior year.

Wagering on the 14-race Kentucky Derby Day program totaled a North American record $250.9 million. The Kentucky Derby alone attracted $165.5 million in handle, including $4.1 million from bettors in Japan, who were able to bet on the Derby for the first time thanks to the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby participation of Master Fencer.

A day-long threat of rain limited the on-track crowd to 150,729 but TV viewership on NBC peaked at an impressive 18.5 million viewers and the NBC Sports app and NBCSports.com delivered a record Average Minute Audience of 130,400 viewers.

All-sources Derby Week handle rose to a record $343.0 million for the six-day stretch from April 27-May 4 and total attendance was 360,237, including a record "Thurby" crowd of 48,212.

Oaks Day wagering also reached record levels as $60.2 million was bet on the 12-race Friday afternoon card with 105,719 in attendance.

Titles for the meet went to jockey Corey Lanerie, who earned his 17th Churchill Downs riding title with 43 trips to the winner's circle; and, trainer Steve Asmussen, who topped the leaderboard for a record-extending 21st time, with 704 wins and led all other trainers with five stakes wins.

The leading owner race produced a triple dead heat with Ken and Sarah Ramsey, Brad Kelley's Calumet Farm, and Maggi Moss, who all garnered six wins during the meet. For the Ramseys (34-6-5-3; $242,040), it was their record-extending 31st crown at Churchill Downs, and they increased their all-time local win total to 496—just four victories shy of the 500-win milestone. Legendary Calumet Farm (46-6-4-5; $420,407) notched its 10th Churchill Downs title as top owners and second under Kelley's ownership. Moss (19-6-1-3; $127,545) collected her sixth trophy from Churchill Downs.