Churchill Downs unveils plans for new Winner's Circle Suites

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 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.

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.