FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Joe Kristufek
Racing Analyst/Media Relations
[email protected]

 

Risen Star, Rachel Alexandra Launch the “Championship Series” on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and Oaks

First 50-20-10-5 points races on tap at Fair Grounds on Sat., Feb. 15

 

New Orleans (February 6, 2020) – On Saturday, February 15, Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots will host “Louisiana Derby Preview Day presented by Lamarque Ford-Lincoln”, featuring a pair of key three-year-old stakes — the Grade $400,000 Risen Star (G2) presented by Lamarque Ford-Lincoln and the $300,000 Rachel Alexandra (G2) presented by Fasig-Tipton. ]
The Risen Star will be run at 1 1/8 miles for the first time. The Rachel Alexandra for the girls received a $100,000 purse bump for this year’s renewal. The race will be contested over 1 1/16 miles.
The first races designated as part of the “Championship Series” portion of the schedule, the top four finishers in the Risen Star and Rachel Alexandra will receive 50-20-10-5 points respectively on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and Oaks, with the winner all but assuring themselves a spot in the starting gate.
With Saturday’s draw looming, interest in this year’s Risen Star is high. According to racing secretary Scott Jones, roughly 20 horses are currently on the “possible” list, and there is a distinct chance the race could split into two divisions. According to Jones, were the race to split, the purse of $400,000 and the full available Kentucky Derby points (50-20-10-5), would be offered in each division.
“I would need at least 20 solid candidates,” Jones said of the potential to split the Risen Star into two divisions. “I’m not going to split just for the sake of it.”
Led by race winner Enforceable, the top seven finishers from the Lecomte (G3) could all return for the Risen Star. In addition, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) runner-up Anneau d’Oro is expected to make his 3-year-old debut in the race.
The 2019 edition of the Risen Star (G2) proved to be a very key race. Five of the 14 participants went on to become Grade I winners, and two others won multiple Grade III events and were Grade I placed.

Winner — War of Will won the Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico.
Runner-up — Country House was the adjudicated winner of the Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs.
4th — Hog Creek Hustle won the Woody Stevens (G1) at Belmont.
7th — Mr. Money rattled off four consecutive Grade III victories prior to finishing second in the Pennsylvania Derby (G1) at Parx.
8th – Owendale won a trio of Grade III races and also finished third in the Preakness (G1).
10th — Henley’s Joy won the Belmont Derby Invitational (G1) on turf.
13th – Plus Que Parfait won the UAE Derby (G1) at Meydan.

Led by race winner Finite, the top five finishers from the Silverbulletday are expected to contest the Rachel Alexandra (G2). Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G3) winner and Eclipse Award 2-year-old Filly Champion British Idiom is expected to make her sophomore debut in the race.
The last two years, the Rachel Alexandra has produced the top two finishers in the Kentucky Oaks (G1). In 2018 it was the winner Monomoy Girl and third place finisher Wonder Gadot comprising the Kentucky Oaks exacta, and last year Serengeti Empress and Liora were 1-2 in both races. In 2014, Untapable completed the Rachel Alexandra/Kentucky Oaks double.
Fourth in last year’s Rachel Alexandra, Street Band would later win the Twinspires.com Fair Grounds Oaks (G2), the Indiana Oaks (G3) at Indiana Grand and the Cotillion (G1) at Parx.

Four stakes for older horses will also be presented on the February 15 “Louisiana Derby Preview Day” program (post time will be at noon CT).

• The $200,000 Mineshaft Stakes (G3) at 1 1/16 miles, led by multiple graded stakes winner Silver Dust.
• The $150,000 Fair Grounds Stakes (G3) at nine furlongs on turf, featuring two-time defending champion Synchrony.
• The $100,000 Colonel Power Stakes at 5½ furlongs on turf, where Blind Ambition and Chaos Theory could via for favoritism in a contentious race.
• The $100,000 Albert M. Stall Memorial Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on turf, featuring Zofelle, Quebec and Notapradaprice, all stakes winners at the current Fair Grounds stand.

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About Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots: Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, one of the nation’s oldest racetracks, has been in operation since 1872. Located in New Orleans, LA, Fair Grounds is owned by Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ Global
Select Market: CHDN); it also operates a slot-machine gaming facility and 13 off-track betting parlors throughout southeast Louisiana. The 148th Thoroughbred Racing Season – highlighted by the 107 th running of the Louisiana Derby – will run from November 28, 2019 through March 29, 2020. More information can be found online at www.FairGroundsRaceCourse.com.
Information set forth in this press release contains various “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the “Act”) provides certain “safe harbor” provisions for forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements made in this press release are made pursuant to the Act. The reader is cautioned that such forward-looking statements are based on information available at the time and/or management’s good faith belief with respect to future events, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in the statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date the statement was made. We assume no obligation to update forward-looking information to reflect actual results, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by the use of terms such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “will,” and similar words, although some forward-looking statements are expressed differently.
Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations include the following: the effect of economic conditions on our consumers’ confidence and discretionary spending or our access to credit; additional or increased taxes and fees; public perceptions or lack of confidence in the integrity of our business; loss of key or highly skilled personnel; restrictions in our debt facilities limiting our flexibility to operate our business; general risks related to real estate ownership, including fluctuations in market values and environmental regulations; catastrophic events and system failures disrupting our operations, including the impact of natural and other disasters on our operations and our ability to obtain insurance recoveries in respect of such losses; inability to identify and complete acquisition, expansion or divestiture projects, on time, on budget or as planned; difficulty in integrating recent or future acquisitions into our operations; legalization of online real money gaming and sports wagering in the United States, and our ability to capitalize on and predict such legalization; the number of people attending and wagering on live horse races; inability to respond to rapid technological changes in a timely manner; inadvertent infringement of the intellectual property of others; inability to protect our own intellectual property rights; security breaches and other security risks related to our technology, personal information, source code and other proprietary information, including failure to comply with regulations and other legal obligations relating to receiving, processing, storing and using personal information; payment- related risks, such as chargebacks for fraudulent credit card use; compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act or applicable money-laundering regulations; compliance with payment processing and payment transmission regulations; work stoppages and labor issues; difficulty in attracting a sufficient number of horses and trainers for full field horseraces; inability to negotiate agreements with industry constituents, including horsemen and other racetracks; personal injury litigation related to injuries occurring at our racetracks; the inability of our totalisator company, United Tote, to maintain its processes accurately, keep its technology current or maintain its significant customers; weather conditions affecting our ability to conduct live racing; increased competition in the horseracing business; changes in the regulatory environment of our racing operations; declining popularity in horseracing; seasonal fluctuations in our horseracing business due to geographic concentration of our operations; increased competition in our casino business; changes in regulatory environment of our casino business; the cost and possibility for delay, cost overruns and other uncertainties associated with the develop.m.ent and expansion of casinos; concentration and evolution of slot machine manufacturing and other technology conditions that could impose additional costs; impact of further legislation prohibiting tobacco smoking; geographic concentration of our casino business; changes in regulatory environment for our advanced deposit wagering, sports wagering, or online gaming businesses; increase in competition in the advanced deposit wagering, sports wagering, or online gaming businesses; inability to retain current customers or attract new customers to our advanced deposit wagering, sports wagering, or online gaming businesses; uncertainty and changes in the legal landscape relating to our advanced deposit wagering, sports wagering, or online gaming businesses; and failure to comply with laws requiring us to block access to certain individuals could result in penalties or impairment in our ability to offer advanced deposit wagering, sports wagering, or online gaming.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

 

Racing Media Relations Coordinator

[email protected]

ALMS PUTS PERFECT RECORD TO TEST
IN SHANTEL LANERIE MEMORIAL STAKES

 Pass the Plate eyes upset as she returns to the turf course

 Perfect from three starts (all on grass), Godolphin LLC’s Alms will put her undefeated record on the line as she faces six other three-year-old fillies as the 6-5 morning line favorite in Saturday’s $60,000 Shantel Lanerie Memorial Stakes to be run over the “about” one mile turf distance at Fair Grounds Racecourse (Race 6, 2:59 p.m. CT).

An impressive debut winner sprinting on the Belmont turf for trainer Mike Stidham in September, the daughter of City Zip followed up with consecutive graded stakes wins. She sprinted to victory in the Matron (G3) at Belmont and returned with a highly successful two-turn debut in the Jimmy Durante (G3) at Del Mar, a race in which she defeated ten rivals.

“We wanted to give her a little of a freshening after that win,” Stidham said. “Being here at Fair Grounds with this turf course, we felt like this would be a good spot to get her three-year-old campaign kicked off. As long as she comes out of this race well, we’ll look to point her to the Florida Oaks (G3) at Tampa (March 7). The timing was good with this race and we’re looking forward to getting her started again. She’s trained well and I expect a good run Saturday.”

Alms, who has been working at Fair Grounds consistently for over a month, recently posted a bullet five furlong workout going 1:00.00 on February 3.

“She’s a very willing filly in the morning,” Stidham said. “We work her in company where she sits off another horse and she finishes well. She’s very straightforward and does anything you ask of her. That’s the way she’s always been and we’ve had high hopes for her since early on.”

Paco Lopez will be aboard as the pair break from post five.

Among the six others Alms is set to face is Silverton Hill LLC’s Pass the Plate. Following a maiden breaking score at second asking over the Keeneland green for trainer Paul McGee in October, the daughter of Temple City closed with a rush to defeat a first-level allowance crew on the Churchill Downs’ turf course the following month.

Switched over to dirt for the first time in the Silverbulletday on January 18 at Fair Grounds, Pass the Plate failed to pass the test, finishing a non-threatening sixth. She will break from post four (5-1 ML) on Saturday with jockey Corey Lanerie, the husband of the late Chantel Lanerie for whom the race is named, named to ride.

 

For full entries, click here: http://www.equibase.com/static/entry/FG020820USA6-EQB.html

The Shantel Lanerie Breast Cancer Foundation Fundraiser will be held Saturday, February 29, 2020 at Fair Grounds in the Big White grandstand tent. There will be a silent and live auction, a 50/50 raffle, sale of SLBCF hats and t-shirts, a donation table and Rick Mocklin and his Southern Voice Band will play live. For more information call 504-382-9787.

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About Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots: Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, one of the nation’s oldest racetracks, has been in operation since 1872. Located in New Orleans, LA, Fair Grounds is owned by Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ Global

Select Market: CHDN); it also operates a slot-machine gaming facility and 13 off-track betting parlors throughout southeast Louisiana. The 148th Thoroughbred Racing Season – highlighted by the 107 th running of the Louisiana Derby – will run from November 28, 2019 through March 29, 2020. More information can be found online at www.FairGroundsRaceCourse.com.

Information set forth in this press release contains various “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the “Act”) provides certain “safe harbor” provisions for forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements made in this press release are made pursuant to the Act. The reader is cautioned that such forward-looking statements are based on information available at the time and/or management’s good faith belief with respect to future events, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in the statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date the statement was made. We assume no obligation to update forward-looking information to reflect actual results, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by the use of terms such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “will,” and similar words, although some forward-looking statements are expressed differently.

Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations include the following: the effect of economic conditions on our consumers’ confidence and discretionary spending or our access to credit; additional or increased taxes and fees; public perceptions or lack of confidence in the integrity of our business; loss of key or highly skilled personnel; restrictions in our debt facilities limiting our flexibility to operate our business; general risks related to real estate ownership, including fluctuations in market values and environmental regulations; catastrophic events and system failures disrupting our operations, including the impact of natural and other disasters on our operations and our ability to obtain insurance recoveries in respect of such losses; inability to identify and complete acquisition, expansion or divestiture projects, on time, on budget or as planned; difficulty in integrating recent or future acquisitions into our operations; legalization of online real money gaming and sports wagering in the United States, and our ability to capitalize on and predict such legalization; the number of people attending and wagering on live horse races; inability to respond to rapid technological changes in a timely manner; inadvertent infringement of the intellectual property of others; inability to protect our own intellectual property rights; security breaches and other security risks related to our technology, personal information, source code and other proprietary information, including failure to comply with regulations and other legal obligations relating to receiving, processing, storing and using personal information; payment- related risks, such as chargebacks for fraudulent credit card use; compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act or applicable money-laundering regulations; compliance with payment processing and payment transmission regulations; work stoppages and labor issues; difficulty in attracting a sufficient number of horses and trainers for full field horseraces; inability to negotiate agreements with industry constituents, including horsemen and other racetracks; personal injury litigation related to injuries occurring at our racetracks; the inability of our totalisator company, United Tote, to maintain its processes accurately, keep its technology current or maintain its significant customers; weather conditions affecting our ability to conduct live racing; increased competition in the horseracing business; changes in the regulatory environment of our racing operations; declining popularity in horseracing; seasonal fluctuations in our horseracing business due to geographic concentration of our operations; increased competition in our casino business; changes in regulatory environment of our casino business; the cost and possibility for delay, cost overruns and other uncertainties associated with the develop.m.ent and expansion of casinos; concentration and evolution of slot machine manufacturing and other technology conditions that could impose additional costs; impact of further legislation prohibiting tobacco smoking; geographic concentration of our casino business; changes in regulatory environment for our advanced deposit wagering, sports wagering, or online gaming businesses; increase in competition in the advanced deposit wagering, sports wagering, or online gaming businesses; inability to retain current customers or attract new customers to our advanced deposit wagering, sports wagering, or online gaming businesses; uncertainty and changes in the legal landscape relating to our advanced deposit wagering, sports wagering, or online gaming businesses; and failure to comply with laws requiring us to block access to certain individuals could result in penalties or impairment in our ability to offer advanced deposit wagering, sports wagering, or online gaming.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact: Grant LaGrange

Racing Media Relations Coordinator

[email protected]

 

CALHOUN SOPHMORES PAVING
THEIR PATHS TO STAKES COMPANY

Mailman Money aiming for Risen Star (G2), Digital with options going forward

 

New Orleans (January 31, 2020) – Last year at this time, trainer Bret Calhoun had a pair of promising three-year-olds in the barn in By My Standards and Mr. Money, both for Allied Racing Stable LLC. The former upset the Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (G2), while the later would go on to take down a quartet of graded stakes.

Only time will tell what the future holds, but fast forward twelve months and Calhoun has another pair of potential aces housed under his New Orleans shedrow in Allied Racing Stable LLC’s Mailman Money and Tom Durant’s Digital.

Following a 24-1 upset win in his career debut at Churchill Downs in November, a race in which he upset his more highly touted stablemate and even-money favorite Digital, Mailman Money stretched out successfully at Fair Grounds in a first level allowance race over 1 mile and 70 yards on January 12. Bumped at the break and forced wide around both turns, the 3-year-old son of Goldencents sat third early, took control off the turn for home and opened up to win by a convincing 5 ¾ lengths, stamping himself worthy of joining the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

In his first serious move since that local route win, Mailman Money breezed a half mile in 49.60 on January 24 and according to Calhoun, the plan is for him to return to the work tab this weekend. If all goes well, he will make his stakes debut in the Risen Star (G2) on February 15, which is part of Louisiana Derby Preview Day presented by Lamarque Ford-Lincoln.

“He’s always been solid in the mornings,” Calhoun said of Mailman Money. “I think he’s along the same lines as By My Standards was in the fact that they were both physically and mentally immature early on. They got better as they grew up a little bit. This horse has surprised us being two for two. Physically and mentally he’s not where I know he will be soon. That gives us a lot of confidence and optimism going forward into the Risen Star.”

Once again odds-on in his second career start on December 28 at Fair Grounds, Digital was not to be denied. Sitting fourth of nine early on behind hot fractions on a muddy track, he made a bold move in the stretch and ran by Steely Danza to win by 1 ¾ lengths. Asked to tackle a route of ground for the first time in a January 18 allowance, Digital was in a position to win at the top of the stretch, only to be held at bay by the pacesetter and likely Risen Star participant Blackberry Wine. The final time of 1:43.22 was slightly faster than the featured Lecomte (G3) later in the day.

“We thought he ran a really good race,” Calhoun continued. “It was his first try going two turns and the horse that won had some experience going two turns already as well as just more race experience in general. That race was faster than the Lecomte so we were really pleased with how he ran. We don’t have a plan going forward yet. We’d like to keep him local and not have to travel too much, and we also want time between his races. We’re just taking everything into consideration.”

Calhoun indicated that Digital should have his first work back this weekend.

“He’s a horse that is a little lighter physically,” said trainer Bret Calhoun. “He needs a little more time between works and races. He came out of the race good. The first couple of days afterwards you could tell he was a little tired. He’s bounced back well though.”

 

IN OTHER NEWS:

 

On Tuesday at the Hillcrest building at Baylor, Scott and White Medical Center in Waco, Texas, jockey Aubrie Green underwent successful surgery to repair ligament damage in her left ankle. Green originally sustained the injury on Sunday, January 5, when her mount Stang’s Galaxy flipped in the gate and was scratched. Originally diagnosed as a sprained left ankle, she returned to ride four horses January 11, before coming to the realization that the injury was more serious than originally thought.

“When the horse flipped and pinned my ankle, she actually tore a major ligament that holds the tendons in place,” Green explained. “Because of that, my tendons were dislocating. I had the surgery done by a foot and ankle specialist that the Baylor athletes use.”

Green has five wins from 92 mounts at the current Fair Grounds’ stand, including a stakes score with Pound for Pound in the Louisiana Champions Day Classic. She expects to miss three months of action.

 

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About Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots: Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, one of the nation’s oldest racetracks, has been in operation since 1872. Located in New Orleans, LA, Fair Grounds is owned by Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ Global

Select Market: CHDN); it also operates a slot-machine gaming facility and 13 off-track betting parlors throughout southeast Louisiana. The 148th Thoroughbred Racing Season – highlighted by the 107 th running of the Louisiana Derby – will run from November 28, 2019 through March 29, 2020. More information can be found online at www.FairGroundsRaceCourse.com.

Information set forth in this press release contains various “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the “Act”) provides certain “safe harbor” provisions for forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements made in this press release are made pursuant to the Act. The reader is cautioned that such forward-looking statements are based on information available at the time and/or management’s good faith belief with respect to future events, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in the statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date the statement was made. We assume no obligation to update forward-looking information to reflect actual results, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by the use of terms such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “will,” and similar words, although some forward-looking statements are expressed differently.

Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations include the following: the effect of economic conditions on our consumers’ confidence and discretionary spending or our access to credit; additional or increased taxes and fees; public perceptions or lack of confidence in the integrity of our business; loss of key or highly skilled personnel; restrictions in our debt facilities limiting our flexibility to operate our business; general risks related to real estate ownership, including fluctuations in market values and environmental regulations; catastrophic events and system failures disrupting our operations, including the impact of natural and other disasters on our operations and our ability to obtain insurance recoveries in respect of such losses; inability to identify and complete acquisition, expansion or divestiture projects, on time, on budget or as planned; difficulty in integrating recent or future acquisitions into our operations; legalization of online real money gaming and sports wagering in the United States, and our ability to capitalize on and predict such legalization; the number of people attending and wagering on live horse races; inability to respond to rapid technological changes in a timely manner; inadvertent infringement of the intellectual property of others; inability to protect our own intellectual property rights; security breaches and other security risks related to our technology, personal information, source code and other proprietary information, including failure to comply with regulations and other legal obligations relating to receiving, processing, storing and using personal information; payment- related risks, such as chargebacks for fraudulent credit card use; compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act or applicable money-laundering regulations; compliance with payment processing and payment transmission regulations; work stoppages and labor issues; difficulty in attracting a sufficient number of horses and trainers for full field horseraces; inability to negotiate agreements with industry constituents, including horsemen and other racetracks; personal injury litigation related to injuries occurring at our racetracks; the inability of our totalisator company, United Tote, to maintain its processes accurately, keep its technology current or maintain its significant customers; weather conditions affecting our ability to conduct live racing; increased competition in the horseracing business; changes in the regulatory environment of our racing operations; declining popularity in horseracing; seasonal fluctuations in our horseracing business due to geographic concentration of our operations; increased competition in our casino business; changes in regulatory environment of our casino business; the cost and possibility for delay, cost overruns and other uncertainties associated with the develop.m.ent and expansion of casinos; concentration and evolution of slot machine manufacturing and other technology conditions that could impose additional costs; impact of further legislation prohibiting tobacco smoking; geographic concentration of our casino business; changes in regulatory environment for our advanced deposit wagering, sports wagering, or online gaming businesses; increase in competition in the advanced deposit wagering, sports wagering, or online gaming businesses; inability to retain current customers or attract new customers to our advanced deposit wagering, sports wagering, or online gaming businesses; uncertainty and changes in the legal landscape relating to our advanced deposit wagering, sports wagering, or online gaming businesses; and failure to comply with laws requiring us to block access to certain individuals could result in penalties or impairment in our ability to offer advanced deposit wagering, sports wagering, or online gaming.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Joe Kristufek
Racing Analyst/Media Relations
[email protected]

ENFORCEABLE LIKELY FOR RISEN STAR;
FINITE TARGETS RACHEL ALEXANDRA

New Orleans (January 19, 2020) – On Saturday, February 15, Fair Grounds will play host to “Louisiana Derby Preview Day presented by Lamarque Ford-Lincoln”. Highlighted by a pair of key races for the three-year-olds on the Road to the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve and the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1), the six stakes events will offer combined purses of $1.25 million.
According to assistant trainers David Carroll (Mark Casse) and Scott Blasi (Steve Asmussen), both Lecomte (G3) winner Enforceable and Silverbulletday victress Finite came back out of their performances in good shape and will be pointed to the $400,000 Risen Star (G2) and $300,000 Rachel Alexandra (G2) respectively.

Quotes > Notes

David Carroll, assistant trainer (Mark Casse) of Lecomte winner Enforceable, who closed into an honest pace from far back to score.

“He came out of the race great, a little bit tired, as you would expect,” Carroll said. “He cleaned up his feed, jogged sound this morning. Very proud of his effort. He trained beautifully going in, so we were expecting a big race and then to win it was a bonus. Mark (trainer Casse) and Mr. Oxley (owner John) will talk about it, but all things being equal, the Risen Star (G2) will more than likely be his next target.”

“I feel he’ll relish an increase in distance,” Carroll continued. “He’s got a beautiful, efficient stride and he really reaches out. He ran deceptively well in the Jockey Club. There wasn’t a whole lot of pace in the race over a sloppy track and he kind of got checked turning for home and yet he was still closing. Yesterday was a truly run race, it set up beautifully for him, he had to come wide and he still had to finish and nobody passed him on the gallop out.”

Brad Cox, trainer of Mr. Monomoy, who enjoyed a ground-saving trip while racing close to an honest pace before settling for third in the Lecomte.

“He came back fantastic,” Cox said. “I thought he had a good, ground saving trip. He took some dirt and passed horses in the Keeneland race (career debut), so we were confident he would do it again. He got held up a little bit, lost some momentum, and the winner got the jump on us. He galloped out with him (Enforceable), so that was encouraging. Overall it was a positive effort, and his speed figures keep improving, which I like to see. He’s going to need to keep getting better, which I think he can.”

Cox termed the Risen Star is “an option”.

Brad Cox, trainer of Portrait, who made a bold move while wide before flattening out to finish a close fourth in the Silverbulletday

“She ran well,” Cox said. “She was in a good position, but was forced to go wide and that may have affected her late. We are hoping she was just a little short and will take a step forward for the next one.”

Cox indicated that both Portrait and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) winner and likely Eclipse Award Champion British Idiom are pointed to the Rachel Alexandra (G2) on February 15.

Mike Stidham, trainer of Ursula, who made the lead and battled on gamely to finish second in the Silverbulletday.

“She came out of the race great,” Stidham said. “We were delighted with the performance. We were asking a lot of her coming out of sprints first time going long against that type of field. The favorite (and winner Finite) is a graded stakes winner.”

“We talked about it (race strategy) in the paddock and I said to Mitchell (jockey Murrill) look, if you break sharp and find yourself on the lead, that’s beautiful. He took it from there and I was very happy with the ride. She showed that extra gear, turn of foot that good horses need to have. It looked like they were going to just swallow her up and she really met the challenge when they came to her. If she’s doing well we’d absolutely love to follow through with the Rachel and hopefully the Oaks.”

Dallas Stewart, trainer of Tempers Rising, who closed into moderate fractions to finish a close third in the Silverbulletday.

“She came back good,” Stewart said. “She ran into some traffic trouble in her previous races and still ran well,” Stewart said. “She trained really well here (at Fair Grounds) and she was free and clear yesterday. She really finishes off her races well. I like that in a young horse. She’s got the potential to be just what we want. She proved yesterday that she belongs with this kind. The best thing about her is she’s got a good mind, she likes to run, she never gets tired and she can go all day. We are looking forward to the Rachel Alexandra.”

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About Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots: Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, one of the nation’s oldest racetracks, has been in operation since 1872. Located in New Orleans, LA, Fair Grounds is owned by Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ Global
Select Market: CHDN); it also operates a slot-machine gaming facility and 13 off-track betting parlors throughout southeast Louisiana. The 148th Thoroughbred Racing Season – highlighted by the 107 th running of the Louisiana Derby – will run from November 28, 2019 through March 29, 2020. More information can be found online at www.FairGroundsRaceCourse.com.
Information set forth in this press release contains various “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the “Act”) provides certain “safe harbor” provisions for forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements made in this press release are made pursuant to the Act. The reader is cautioned that such forward-looking statements are based on information available at the time and/or management’s good faith belief with respect to future events, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in the statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date the statement was made. We assume no obligation to update forward-looking information to reflect actual results, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by the use of terms such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “will,” and similar words, although some forward-looking statements are expressed differently.
Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations include the following: the effect of economic conditions on our consumers’ confidence and discretionary spending or our access to credit; additional or increased taxes and fees; public perceptions or lack of confidence in the integrity of our business; loss of key or highly skilled personnel; restrictions in our debt facilities limiting our flexibility to operate our business; general risks related to real estate ownership, including fluctuations in market values and environmental regulations; catastrophic events and system failures disrupting our operations, including the impact of natural and other disasters on our operations and our ability to obtain insurance recoveries in respect of such losses; inability to identify and complete acquisition, expansion or divestiture projects, on time, on budget or as planned; difficulty in integrating recent or future acquisitions into our operations; legalization of online real money gaming and sports wagering in the United States, and our ability to capitalize on and predict such legalization; the number of people attending and wagering on live horse races; inability to respond to rapid technological changes in a timely manner; inadvertent infringement of the intellectual property of others; inability to protect our own intellectual property rights; security breaches and other security risks related to our technology, personal information, source code and other proprietary information, including failure to comply with regulations and other legal obligations relating to receiving, processing, storing and using personal information; payment- related risks, such as chargebacks for fraudulent credit card use; compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act or applicable money-laundering regulations; compliance with payment processing and payment transmission regulations; work stoppages and labor issues; difficulty in attracting a sufficient number of horses and trainers for full field horseraces; inability to negotiate agreements with industry constituents, including horsemen and other racetracks; personal injury litigation related to injuries occurring at our racetracks; the inability of our totalisator company, United Tote, to maintain its processes accurately, keep its technology current or maintain its significant customers; weather conditions affecting our ability to conduct live racing; increased competition in the horseracing business; changes in the regulatory environment of our racing operations; declining popularity in horseracing; seasonal fluctuations in our horseracing business due to geographic concentration of our operations; increased competition in our casino business; changes in regulatory environment of our casino business; the cost and possibility for delay, cost overruns and other uncertainties associated with the develop.m.ent and expansion of casinos; concentration and evolution of slot machine manufacturing and other technology conditions that could impose additional costs; impact of further legislation prohibiting tobacco smoking; geographic concentration of our casino business; changes in regulatory environment for our advanced deposit wagering, sports wagering, or online gaming businesses; increase in competition in the advanced deposit wagering, sports wagering, or online gaming businesses; inability to retain current customers or attract new customers to our advanced deposit wagering, sports wagering, or online gaming businesses; uncertainty and changes in the legal landscape relating to our advanced deposit wagering, sports wagering, or online gaming businesses; and failure to comply with laws requiring us to block access to certain individuals could result in penalties or impairment in our ability to offer advanced deposit wagering, sports wagering, or online gaming.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Grant LaGrange

Racing Media Relations Coordinator

Work: (504) 948-1255

[email protected]

 

Barn Notes:  Friday, January 10, 2020

• SEEKING THE SOUL AIMING FOR PEGASUS WORLD CUP
• GO GOOGLE YOURSELF LOOKING TO KEEP THE MOMENUTM GOING IN 2020
• ALSO ON THE WORKTAB FOR FRIDAY, JANUARY 10
   

 

 

“SEEKING” A RETURN TO FORM IN PEGASUS WORLD CUP

Still plugging along at age seven, Fipke homebred looks to rediscover his class

 

New Orleans (Friday, January 10, 2020) – In what was his fourth local breeze since finishing sixth in the Clark Stakes presented by Norton Healthcare (G1) at Churchill Downs on November 29, Charles Fipke’s 7-year-old homebred Seeking the Soul stopped the timer in 1:12.60 for six furlongs over a fast track Friday morning at Fair Grounds. He continues preparation for a return run in the Pegasus World Cup (G1) at Gulfstream Park on January 25, a race in which he ran second last year behind City of Light.

The son of Perfect Soul would win just once from eight tries in 2019, but he made it count, taking the Stephen Foster (G2) at Churchill Downs in June. Since that time, he has finished no better than a distant fourth in a quartet of Grade One races. The winner of the 2017 of the Clark (G1) at Churchill, he was third in the same race last year, but in this season’s edition he managed only to pass tired horses in a sixth place effort. Despite his recent form, trainer Dallas Stewart is confident in a bounce back performance.

“He’s a really remarkable racehorse” Stewart said. “He bounces back year after year, race after race. He worked really well this morning. Visually he still does it so easily. He’s prepping for the Pegasus again and looks just as good as he did last year. He likes that track and he’s feeling good. I’m really happy with him. He’s trained consistently at Fair Grounds so just hoping for the best. We will see what happens in the race.”

According to Stewart, there is no stallion deal in place for Seeking the Soul. With over $3.4 million in the bank, he is far and away the most productive racehorse sired by Perfect Soul, who was pensioned at Darby Dan Farm in the spring of 2019.

“We are just taking it one race at a time,” Stewart said.

 

GO GOOGLE YOURSELF LOOKING TO KEEP THE MOMENTUM GOING IN 2020

A graded stakes win was always the goal for Jay Em Ess Stable’s Go Google Yourself, but now that the 5-year-old mare has one on the resume, the connections are hungry for more.

A three-time winner from six starts in 2019, the Paul McGee-trained daughter of Into Mischief, scored the most important victory of her 18-race career two starts back in the Locust Grove (G3) at Churchill. She followed that up with a second place outing in the Falls City (G2) and entering 2020, one could argue that she’s never been better.

She’s posted three works since arriving at Fair Grounds in mid-December, most recently firing a five furlong bullet breeze in 1:00 3/5 (best of 26) on January 7.

“She had that nice bullet work the other day,” McGee said. “She’s likely to go to Oaklawn for the Bayakoa (G3) (February 17, 4yo and up f&m, 1 1/16th miles). She had a really good year last year. I think we’re going to try to follow the same path this year as last. We’ll go Oaklawn to Keenland and then to Churchill and try to get another graded stakes win.”

 

 ALSO ON THE WORKAB ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 10 (track fast).

Bobby’s Wicked One (Stall, Jr.) – Four furlongs in :48 3/5 B. Graded stakes winning sprinter who captured the Thanksgiving Day Classic last out. Probable for the Duncan F. Kenner on January 18 at Fair Grounds.

Do Share (N. Casse) – Four furlongs in :50 4/5 B. Graded stakes winning sprinter. Second last out in a Churchill Downs allowance race. Probable for the Duncan F. Kenner Stakes on January 18 at Fair Grounds breezed five furlongs in 1:00 2/5.

Enforceable (M. Casse) – Four furlongs in :48 3/5 B. Third in the Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland (G2). Most recently fourth in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) at Churchill. Probable for the Lecomte (G3) at Fair Grounds on January 19.

Lynn’s Map (M. Casse) – Four furlongs in: 51.80 B. Impressive maiden winner and winner of two-turn allowance race at Fair Grounds December, 21, defeating Mr. Monomoy. Probable for the Lecomte (G3) at Fair Grounds on January 18.

Out for a Spin (D. Stewart) – Four furlongs in: 50.00 B. Winner of Ashland Stakes (G1) at Keenland in April. 10th in the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs. Second in the Bob Fortis Memorial at Fair Grounds last time out.

Skygaze (M. Casse) – Four furlongs in :49.40 B. 3-year old daughter of American Pharoah. Third in Mazarine Stakes (G3) at Woodbine.

Arklow (Cox) – Five furlongs 1:01.40 B. Multiple graded stakes winner, including the 2019 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1) at Belmont. Most recently 8th in the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) at Santa Anita. Pointing towards Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1) at Gulfstream Park on January 25.

Blended Citizen (Cox) – Five furlongs 1:00.20 B. Graded stakes winner (Peter Pan Stakes (G3) in 2018) and multiple graded stakes placed. Second in Tenacious Stakes last out at Fair Grounds and listed as probable for the Louisiana Stakes at Fair Grounds on January 18.

Chocolate Kisses (M. Casse) – Five furlongs 1:00.08 B. Winner of Honeybee Stakes (G3) at Oaklawn Park. Seventh in 2019 Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs. Third last out in Indiana Oaks (G3) at Indiana Downs

Mr. Misunderstood (Cox) – Five furlongs 1:01.40 B. Winner of River City Handicap (G3) at Churchill Downs. Multiple graded stakes placed. Probable for the Colonel E. R. Bradley at Fair Grounds on January 18.

Mr. Monomoy (Cox) – Five furlongs 1:01. Half-brother to champion Monomoy Girl. Second in allowance last out. Probable for the Lecomte (G3) on January 18 at Fair Grounds.

Portrait (Cox) – Five furlongs 1:01 B. Third in Pocahontas Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs. Probable for the Silverbulletday on January 18 at Fair Grounds.

Shedaresthedevil (Callaghan) – Five furlongs 1:01.40 B. Third in the Sorrento Stakes (G2) at Del Mar. Second in the Anoakia Stakes at Santa Anita in October.

 

-30-

About Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots: Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, one of the nation’s oldest racetracks, has been in operation since 1872. Located in New Orleans, LA, Fair Grounds is owned by Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ Global

Select Market: CHDN); it also operates a slot-machine gaming facility and 13 off-track betting parlors throughout southeast Louisiana. The 148th Thoroughbred Racing Season – highlighted by the 107 th running of the Louisiana Derby – will run from November 28, 2019 through March 29, 2020. More information can be found online at www.FairGroundsRaceCourse.com.

Information set forth in this press release contains various “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the “Act”) provides certain “safe harbor” provisions for forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements made in this press release are made pursuant to the Act. The reader is cautioned that such forward-looking statements are based on information available at the time and/or management’s good faith belief with respect to future events, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in the statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date the statement was made. We assume no obligation to update forward-looking information to reflect actual results, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by the use of terms such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “will,” and similar words, although some forward-looking statements are expressed differently.

Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations include the following: the effect of economic conditions on our consumers’ confidence and discretionary spending or our access to credit; additional or increased taxes and fees; public perceptions or lack of confidence in the integrity of our business; loss of key or highly skilled personnel; restrictions in our debt facilities limiting our flexibility to operate our business; general risks related to real estate ownership, including fluctuations in market values and environmental regulations; catastrophic events and system failures disrupting our operations, including the impact of natural and other disasters on our operations and our ability to obtain insurance recoveries in respect of such losses; inability to identify and complete acquisition, expansion or divestiture projects, on time, on budget or as planned; difficulty in integrating recent or future acquisitions into our operations; legalization of online real money gaming and sports wagering in the United States, and our ability to capitalize on and predict such legalization; the number of people attending and wagering on live horse races; inability to respond to rapid technological changes in a timely manner; inadvertent infringement of the intellectual property of others; inability to protect our own intellectual property rights; security breaches and other security risks related to our technology, personal information, source code and other proprietary information, including failure to comply with regulations and other legal obligations relating to receiving, processing, storing and using personal information; payment- related risks, such as chargebacks for fraudulent credit card use; compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act or applicable money-laundering regulations; compliance with payment processing and payment transmission regulations; work stoppages and labor issues; difficulty in attracting a sufficient number of horses and trainers for full field horseraces; inability to negotiate agreements with industry constituents, including horsemen and other racetracks; personal injury litigation related to injuries occurring at our racetracks; the inability of our totalisator company, United Tote, to maintain its processes accurately, keep its technology current or maintain its significant customers; weather conditions affecting our ability to conduct live racing; increased competition in the horseracing business; changes in the regulatory environment of our racing operations; declining popularity in horseracing; seasonal fluctuations in our horseracing business due to geographic concentration of our operations; increased competition in our casino business; changes in regulatory environment of our casino business; the cost and possibility for delay, cost overruns and other uncertainties associated with the develop.m.ent and expansion of casinos; concentration and evolution of slot machine manufacturing and other technology conditions that could impose additional costs; impact of further legislation prohibiting tobacco smoking; geographic concentration of our casino business; changes in regulatory environment for our advanced deposit wagering, sports wagering, or online gaming businesses; increase in competition in the advanced deposit wagering, sports wagering, or online gaming businesses; inability to retain current customers or attract new customers to our advanced deposit wagering, sports wagering, or online gaming businesses; uncertainty and changes in the legal landscape relating to our advanced deposit wagering, sports wagering, or online gaming businesses; and failure to comply with laws requiring us to block access to certain individuals could result in penalties or impairment in our ability to offer advanced deposit wagering, sports wagering, or online gaming.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact: Joe Kristufek

Racing Analyst/Media Relations

[email protected]

 

 

• Sharp Plotting Course for 2020
• Serengeti Empress, Midnight Bisou Highlight Star-studded work tab
• Greg Foley Scores Training Hat Trick
   

SHARP PLOTTING HIS COURSE FOR 2020

Done chasing titles, barn prioritizing the big picture more than ever

 

New Orleans (January 5, 2020) – When the curtain closed on last year, Joe Sharp’s stable landed $1,072 purse dollars short of the career best season they enjoyed in 2017 ($4,554,157). It was a successful campaign by any standard, particularly for an operation that has only been in existence for six years, but Sharp’s aspirations know no boundaries.

“That was my Girvin year,” Sharp said of 2017 and the Risen Star (G2), Louisiana Derby (G2) and Haskell (G1) winner that put him in the national spotlight. “We did it the hard way in 2019. It was a good year, but I’m a little bit hard on myself. I push myself and want every year to be better than the previous one. We had a lot of solid, useful horses, but no big stars in the barn.”

After falling just short in his all-out pursuit of the Fair Grounds title in recent years, Sharp has seven wins at the current stand, which ties him with multiple trainers for fifth in the standings.

“We had a good last weekend at Churchill, winning two on the big 2-year-old day,” Sharp explained. “It’s slowed the start of our meet at the Fair Grounds, but it’s all relative. The purse boost in Kentucky really helped our numbers. Winning maiden special weight and allowances is like winning two races in years prior. We definitely felt the stimulus of the purse structure in Kentucky, which we call home. I don’t think we’ve made any wrong moves.”

Quotes > Notes

Sharp has a well-balanced barn and he will continue to win races at all levels. He has several proven class horses with upside, and some young stock worth keeping an eye on.

Carl Moore Management’s Louisiana-bred 4-year-old filly Midnight Fantasy, a two-time restricted stakes winner, was most recently disqualified from a victory in the Louisiana Ladies Sprint on Champions Day.

“We had her at Saratoga this summer so we could have some options open on the East Coast,” Sharp said. “She was making a lot of noise and her breathing was labored over the summer. Carl (owner Moore) and I had a conversation about it. We did a dynamic scope on her and realized that we had to help her out a little bit and do some work on her throat. So we sent her to True Baker at Hagyard’s and he did a procedure on her.”

“She’s gotten bigger, stronger and happier,” Sharp said. “She’s not fretting the airway and she seems confident in herself and physical being. That (Louisiana Ladies Sprint) was her first race back. We were really over the moon with the way she ran. She was the winner without a doubt. We were the best horse. That being said, it was very ugly. It was the right call. You can’t step out three paths inside the sixteenth pole and expect to have no ramifications from that. We were very happy to see her back just as good if not better than ever. We are excited about this year for sure.”

The Plan: “We are looking at the Premier Night Matron (five furlongs, LA-bred f&m) at Delta Downs on February 8.”

Calumet Farm’s 4-year-old colt Tracksmith, the recent winner of the Woodchopper over Fair Grounds Stall-Wilson turf course.

“He’s one of my favorites,” Sharp said. “He came out of the race (Woodchopper) super. He shows up every time, which is all you can really ask for. He is scheduled to work back next weekend.”

The Plan: “I think we will probably point him for the remainder of the turf series here (Colonel E. R. Bradley up next on January 18), but we are also taking a look at the John B. Connolly (G3) at Sam Houston (1 ½ miles turf). I’ve always wanted to try him over an even longer distance so the 1 ½ miles seems like something we want to entertain. We have a couple horses for that division and kind of just need to see how everything shakes out.

 

Scott and Evan Dilworth’s Canadian-bred 3-year-old colt Sycamore Run, who wired ten rivals over six furlongs at Fair Grounds on debut by 3 ½ lengths.

 

“He ran great on debut,” Sharp said. “We thought he was that good. He’s one of those you can lead over there with confidence that the morning is going to convey to the afternoon. He has a solid disposition. Some horses can work fast in the morning but you don’t know how they’re going to show up in the afternoon. You could put some faith in this horse. Came out of the race great and had just a super work Saturday morning (bullet breeze :47 4/5) It was a little quicker than I had hoped for, but he worked in company with O Serafina and got to her pretty easy and did it within himself. We are excited.”

 

The Plan: “I think we are going to point him to Lecomte (G3 on January 18).  There is a first-level allowance race prior that we are going to look at, but I don’t think we’d be out of line by taking the plunge in his next start. Physically he looks a little more like a sprinter, but he’s very mentally stable. He’s got a lot of gears. In those big fields, having tactical speed is always important for position, but also the ability to shut off and save something for the end is crucial. I think he has those qualities. Whether he’s going to be a 1 ¼ mile horse down the road remains to be seen, but I think in the early stages of his road to Louisiana Derby, I think this step should be well within his scope. As a Canadian-bred, we have options, which is nice come summer. The horse can be anything he wants to be. Scott just wants to compete at the top level and not try to force them to be something they’re not. The horse will pick their path.”

Carl R. Moore Management’s 5-year-old mare Classy Act, multiple graded stakes placed, most recently won a third-level optional claiming/allowance sprint at Fair Grounds.

“I think the race at Delta (sixth as the favorite on November 15) was a compete throw out,” Sharp said. “She was training great going in. We sent her down a week before. She had no excuse. Timmy (jockey Thornton) had her in a good position. Some horses just don’t handle it there. After the big race at Charlestown (second in the Pink Ribbon on September 21) I thought she would handle the bullring, but the surface is completely different. She ran against some of the toughest fillies out there her 3-year-old year, and has run hard enough to warrant being a stakes winner, but has always been a bridesmaid. For her residual (value), we definitely want to get her that stakes win.”

The Plan: “We are looking at the Nelson J. Menard (January 25 at Fair Grounds, 5 ½ furlongs turf, for f&m),” Sharp said. “She likes the grass and she showed (in that win) the other day that she’s got her speed back. We don’t have a filly and mare sprint series for stakes mares at Fair Grounds, so it kind of forces you to go to Oaklawn with horses like that, unless they like turf. We’ll start there and see where it takes us.”

Calumet Farm’s 3-year-old colt Blackberry Wine, impressive maiden winner in the slop two starts back at Churchill, most recently third in a Fair Grounds allowance on turf.

“That turf was very yielding the other day when he ran on it,” Sharp said. “It looked like he was going to pull away turning for home, but Adam (jockey Beschizza) said when he let his head loose on that soft turf, he faltered a little bit. We’ve been high on him since day one. He’s headed in the right direction and has a lot of upside. That’s why we took him to Saratoga to start.We will try to get a firm turf, but he’s also shown he likes the off (main) track.”

The Plan: “It’s not out of the realm of possibility for Mr. (Brad) Kelly (Calumet Farm) to want to take a shot in the Lecomte (G3 on January 18) with a horse like that, but there’s also that first-level allowance we might point him for as well.”

Bruce Lunsford’s homebred 3-year-old colt, Art Collector, a maiden winner on turf at Kentucky Downs and most recently an allowance winner over a sloppy track at Churchill by 7 ½ lengths.

“He kept getting better, but he danced every dance as a 2-year-old,” Sharp said. “He’d run on the asphalt if you asked him to. No issues came up, but he’s not a huge horse, so we wanted to give him a freshening. We turned him out at Kesmarc (in Versailles, Kentucky). Horses like him often hit a growth spurt. You have to treat every horse like an individual and plot their course accordingly.

The Plan: “The expectation is for him to return to training at Fair Grounds at the end of the month (January),” Sharp said. “He’s by Bernardini, so we don’t think distance will be a factor.”

Richard Snyder, Connie Snyder, Brett Setzer and Billie Jo Stetzer’s 4-year-old colt Malpais, minor stakes winning sprinter.

“He had a little bit of an issue pop up after the Chick Lang (last start on May 18),” Sharp said. “We’ve given him the time. He’s one or two works away (from returning). He’s coming back like a bear. Bigger, stronger and doing everything well within himself, so we are pretty excited about his year. He’s a really nice horse. We tried the Lecomte with him last year, but he didn’t show the desire to want to settle and rate within the pack and conserve that stamina over a longer distance. That’s fine. There’s a lot of good opportunities for sprinters out there.”

The Plan: “He’s going to target the Duncan Kenner (January 18 at Fair Grounds), or he’ll go to Sam Houston on January 26th (Stonerside Sprint).”

Scott and Evan Dilworth’s 4-year-old filly Lady TNT, winner of the Charlestown Oaks (G3) on September 21 in her final race of the season.

“She’s turned out on my farm in Kentucky,” Sharp said. “She hadn’t had any breaks, so we opted to kick her out and give her 90 days to just be a horse. (Owner) Scott (Dilworth) and I kind of road mapped it. There are no sprint races at Fair Grounds for a horse like her, so we needed to map out her year accordingly.”

The Plan: “She’ll start back in training in February at Fair Grounds,” Sharp said.

 

 

ON THE SUNDAY WORKTAB (track fast)

British Idiom (Cox) – Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) winner & Eclipse Award finalist being pointed to Rachel Alexandra (G2) at Fair Grounds on February 15 breezed a half mile in :49.

Chimney Rock (Maker) – Second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2), recent winner of the Louisiana Champions Day Juvenile at Fair Grounds breezed a half mile in :49 3/5.

No Parole (Amoss) – Louisiana-bred winner of his career debut at Fair Grounds by 14 ¼ lengths, entered to run in a restricted first-level allowance at Fair Grounds on Saturday breezed a half mile in :49 3/5.

Serengeti Empress (Amoss) — Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner, Eclipse Award finalist in her first work back since finishing third in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) breezed a half mile in :49.

Taraz (Cox) – Highly regarded 3-year-old filly is perfect from two starts, most recently winning the Letellier Memorial at Fair Grounds, possible for the Silverbulletday at Fair Grounds on January 18 breezed a half mile in :49 3/5.

Synchrony (Stidham) – Multiple graded stakes winning turf horses breezed a half mile in :49 3/5.

Do Share (N. Casse) – Graded stakes winning sprinter being pointed for the Duncan F. Kenner Stakes on January 18 at Fair Grounds breezed five furlongs in 1:00 2/5.

Engage (Asmussen) – Multiple graded stakes winning sprinter, most recently fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1), possible for the Duncan F. Kenner Stakes on January 18 at Fair Grounds breezed five furlongs in 1:02 3/5.

Midnight Bisou (Asmussen) – Six-time grade one winner, $3.7 million earner and Eclipse Award finalist most recently second in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) in what was her only loss from eight starts in 2019 breezed five furlongs in 1:02 1/5.

Silver Dust (Calhoun) – Multiple graded stakes winner, possible for the Louisiana Stakes at Fair Grounds on January 18 breezed five furlongs on January 18 at Fair Grounds 1:12 3/5.

 

BY THE NUMBERS

 For the second consecutive day, a Fair Grounds trainer scored a hat trick. Following up Bret Calhoun’s Saturday three-bagger was Greg Foley, who won a trio of races on Sunday. Foley won the opener with Unfading Beauty (7-1), race 6 with Logical Myth (7-2) and race seven with Mine My Time (5-2).

 

-30-

About Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots: Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, one of the nation’s oldest racetracks, has been in operation since 1872. Located in New Orleans, LA, Fair Grounds is owned by Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ Global

Select Market: CHDN); it also operates a slot-machine gaming facility and 13 off-track betting parlors throughout southeast Louisiana. The 148th Thoroughbred Racing Season – highlighted by the 107 th running of the Louisiana Derby – will run from November 28, 2019 through March 29, 2020. More information can be found online at www.FairGroundsRaceCourse.com.

Information set forth in this press release contains various “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the “Act”) provides certain “safe harbor” provisions for forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements made in this press release are made pursuant to the Act. The reader is cautioned that such forward-looking statements are based on information available at the time and/or management’s good faith belief with respect to future events, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in the statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date the statement was made. We assume no obligation to update forward-looking information to reflect actual results, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by the use of terms such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “will,” and similar words, although some forward-looking statements are expressed differently.

Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations include the following: the effect of economic conditions on our consumers’ confidence and discretionary spending or our access to credit; additional or increased taxes and fees; public perceptions or lack of confidence in the integrity of our business; loss of key or highly skilled personnel; restrictions in our debt facilities limiting our flexibility to operate our business; general risks related to real estate ownership, including fluctuations in market values and environmental regulations; catastrophic events and system failures disrupting our operations, including the impact of natural and other disasters on our operations and our ability to obtain insurance recoveries in respect of such losses; inability to identify and complete acquisition, expansion or divestiture projects, on time, on budget or as planned; difficulty in integrating recent or future acquisitions into our operations; legalization of online real money gaming and sports wagering in the United States, and our ability to capitalize on and predict such legalization; the number of people attending and wagering on live horse races; inability to respond to rapid technological changes in a timely manner; inadvertent infringement of the intellectual property of others; inability to protect our own intellectual property rights; security breaches and other security risks related to our technology, personal information, source code and other proprietary information, including failure to comply with regulations and other legal obligations relating to receiving, processing, storing and using personal information; payment- related risks, such as chargebacks for fraudulent credit card use; compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act or applicable money-laundering regulations; compliance with payment processing and payment transmission regulations; work stoppages and labor issues; difficulty in attracting a sufficient number of horses and trainers for full field horseraces; inability to negotiate agreements with industry constituents, including horsemen and other racetracks; personal injury litigation related to injuries occurring at our racetracks; the inability of our totalisator company, United Tote, to maintain its processes accurately, keep its technology current or maintain its significant customers; weather conditions affecting our ability to conduct live racing; increased competition in the horseracing business; changes in the regulatory environment of our racing operations; declining popularity in horseracing; seasonal fluctuations in our horseracing business due to geographic concentration of our operations; increased competition in our casino business; changes in regulatory environment of our casino business; the cost and possibility for delay, cost overruns and other uncertainties associated with the develop.m.ent and expansion of casinos; concentration and evolution of slot machine manufacturing and other technology conditions that could impose additional costs; impact of further legislation prohibiting tobacco smoking; geographic concentration of our casino business; changes in regulatory environment for our advanced deposit wagering, sports wagering, or online gaming businesses; increase in competition in the advanced deposit wagering, sports wagering, or online gaming businesses; inability to retain current customers or attract new customers to our advanced deposit wagering, sports wagering, or online gaming businesses; uncertainty and changes in the legal landscape relating to our advanced deposit wagering, sports wagering, or online gaming businesses; and failure to comply with laws requiring us to block access to certain individuals could result in penalties or impairment in our ability to offer advanced deposit wagering, sports wagering, or online gaming.