Bill Carstanjen

A new four-story structure called Victory Run, which will include private suites, indoor and outdoor dining, and covered box seating, will be built on the first turn of the Churchill Downs Racetrack, according to a release from Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI) Wednesday afternoon. To be built between the First Turn Club and the Skye Terrace, it will replace approximately 6,400 uncovered, ground-level box seats and dining areas with a new space for approximately 7,800 guests. CDI anticipates the project will cost between $280 million and $300 million. "We are excited...

A trio of new points-bearing races on the European / Middle East Road to the Kentucky Derby series have been added to the lineup for 2026, according to a Churchill Downs Incorporated release Tuesday. The G3 UAE 2000 Guineas, G3 Saudi Derby and Dubai Road to the Kentucky Derby Stakes (formerly the Al Bastakiya) will now award qualifying points toward up to two invitations for 3-year-olds to compete in the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve at Churchill Downs on May 2, 2026.   New European / Middle East Road...

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act's proposed 2026 budget has been out for its mandatory public comment period and is now before the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The topline comes out to just over $78.4 million. If credits to the industry are fully applied, then the cost to the industry is around $60.4 million. HISA has already responded to nine public comments posted to the federal register. Its response, however, doesn't include those subsequently submitted by Churchill Downs Incorporated's (CDI) CEO, Bill Carstanjen. CDI is hardly an impartial voice in...

NBC Sports will showcase the 2026 GI Longines Kentucky Oaks in prime time for the first time ever in 2026, Churchill Downs Incorporated announced Thursday. The 152nd Kentucky Oaks, featuring racing's best 3-year-old fillies, will be presented Friday, May 1, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. In addition to racing, Kentucky Oaks traditions centered around fashion and women's health advocacy will remain central pillars of the event pageantry--now culminating in a twilight finish. "We are excited to present the Kentucky Oaks in prime time for the first...

CEO Bill Carstanjen of Churchill Downs Inc. will be the luncheon keynote speaker at the Racing & Gaming Conference at Saratoga, which will take place from Aug. 11-13, the organizers said in a Wednesday press release. The conference will feature 12 panel discussions concerning industry issues. Attendees will also enjoy a reception at the Adelphi Hotel, a networking happy hour, and a day at the races at Saratoga Race Course. "It's a privilege to join this year's Racing and Gaming Conference at Saratoga and contribute to the conversation around racing...

Following the news of his passing, tributes  to legendary trainer D. Wayne Lukas poured in from across the industry Sunday. "A four-time winner of the Kentucky Derby, today we lost one of the great champions of Churchill Downs and one of the most significant figures in Thoroughbred racing over the last 50 years. We will miss his humor, his wisdom and his unmatched capacity to thrill the fans with the performances of his horses on our sport's biggest days." Bill Carstanjen, CEO of Churchill Downs Incorporated "D. Wayne Lukas was...

There are "active discussions" between representatives of Churchill Downs Inc. and officials in Louisiana to reach some kind of agreement to see the owners of Fair Grounds continue to operate live racing at the track, according to a report Friday in DRF. Earlier this week, CDI's chief executive, Bill Carstanjen, sent a letter to the Louisiana State Racing Commission (LSRC) and to some of the state's high-ranking politicians, warning that the track's inability to operate historic horse racing machines (HHR) at its OTBs put the company in a precarious economic...

Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI) has escalated its recent threat of pulling out of racing at Fair Grounds in New Orleans. "Given the legislature's ease with which it approved legislation that is directly adverse and harmful to the economic interests of Fair Grounds, the opposition by elected officials to engage in meaningful solutions in collaboration with the Fair Grounds, and the forthcoming adjournment of the legislative session, CDI is left with no choice but to request an appearance before the LSRC to begin the next steps for voluntarily surrendering the racing...

All-sources wagering on the 151st running of the GI Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs Saturday set a new record of $349 million, smashing the previous record of $320.5 million established in 2024. All-sources wagering on the Derby alone was a record $234.4 million, easily surpassing the previous high-water mark of $210.7 million recorded in 2024. The all-sources handle for the week of racing leading up to an including Derby day set a new mark of $473.9 million, up from $446.6 million last May. TwinSpires, the official betting partner of the...

Raffles of six all-inclusive box seats to both the GI Kentucky Oaks and GI Kentucky Derby will be held by the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF), with all proceeds benefitting the TRF's mission of providing lifetime aftercare to nearly 400 retired racehorses. Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI) has donated the boxes, which hold an estimated value of $3,000 for the Oaks and $7,000 for the Derby. The special on-line raffle boxes are located in Section 324, which is on the third floor overlooking the eighth pole. All reserved seating includes food, as...

In an era when most racetracks in the mid-Atlantic region are paring race dates from their yearly schedules to reflect the declining number of available horses to fill races, Colonial Downs is an outlier. Under the ownership of the gaming company Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI), the Virginia track announced in August that it plans to increase its race dates to 44 in 2025 after racing 27 programs this year. On Thursday, by Bill Carstanjen, CDI's chief executive officer, said during a quarterly earnings conference call that he expects the number...

Bill Carstanjen, the chief executive officer of Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI), said during a quarterly earnings conference call Thursday that the gaming company will embark upon a series of frontside and infield projects at Churchill Downs that will increase premium seating by 20% at the corporation's flagship racetrack in Louisville, representing "the largest expansion we have done to date." The frontside redevelopment will be centered on the area starting 180 feet past the finish line through to the First Turn Club, and will require the demolition of the existing Skye...