Louisville

Submissions are now open for local charitable organizations to participate in "Winsday" presented by Resolute Racing on Wednesday, Apr. 29, part of Kentucky Derby Week at Churchill Downs. In partnership with the Community Foundation of Louisville, "Winsday: Great Thrills for the Greater Good" is dedicated to supporting local nonprofit organizations. Up to 50 area nonprofit organizations are invited to join the Winsday celebration. Organizations have the opportunity to fundraise, unlock cash prizes, network with community partners and amplify its mission to a wider audience at no cost. Selected organizations will...

Backside, an observational documentary that honors the primarily immigrant workforce that helps sustain the horse racing industry, will be screened at the Speed Art Museum in Louisville. Filmed over five years by an all-LatinX team, Backside 'offers an intimate look at the lives of workers who begin their days before dawn, seven days a week, caring for some of the world's most prized racehorses' in the barns behind Churchill Downs—known as the "backside." According to a release, the documentary 'goes beyond the pageantry of the [Kentucky] Derby to reveal the...

When I read the announcement from Churchill Downs that the post time for the Kentucky Oaks was being moved to allow the race to be televised in "prime time," my first thought was not of the importance of another race being run in "prime time" but of the disruption this would cause the local restaurant community. As a lover of the Thoroughbred industry, I applaud the track for the way it has grown interest, not just in the Oaks, but the Wednesday and Thursday cards that precede it. But, as...

Ellis Park and the Kentucky HBPA will present College Day on Sunday, July 27 with 27 lucky full-time students winning a prize. In partnership with Ellis Park, the Kentucky Horsemen's Benevolent & Protective Association will conduct three separate drawings before each of nine races to give out a $1,000 scholarship, an iPad Mini with AirPods package and a $150 Amazon gift card. First post is 11:50 a.m. CST and full-time students can register throughout the afternoon to be eligible for any remaining drawings. Representatives from the University of Kentucky's Ag...

The Association of Racing Commissioners International's (ARCI) annual Animal Welfare and Integrity Conference, which was hosted at Churchill Downs during the afternoon of Thursday, May 8, heard from a pair of panels that specifically delved into how social media can impact the industry, according to a Friday press release from the organization. The 'Thoroughbred Racing Roundtable' included West Point Thoroughbreds own Terry Finley along with Churchill Downs's Vice President and General Manager Mike Ziegler and Tina Bond, an owner-breeder who is president of both the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association...

How did we get hooked on this sport? We all have stories about how our love affair developed and blossomed. The TDN will be reaching out to numerous notable people in the industry to get their stories to find out how they got hooked and stayed hooked on the sport. Travis White, Stallion Nomination Manager, Taylor Made I grew up in Louisville, fairly close to Churchill Downs. My earliest connection to racing would have been going to Derby parties in the area. A friend of my father's was a horseplayer,...

Churchill Downs Racetrack unveiled a painting by artist Tyler Robertson as the 2025 'Official Art of the Kentucky Derby', the company announced Monday. Louisville-based artist Robertson is known for his dynamic sporting art, bold colors and palette knife techniques to incorporate classical aesthetics and symbolism that add depth and narrative to his expressive style. Robertson's artwork for the 151st Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve celebrates the iconic image of horses running into the first turn with the historic Churchill Downs clubhouse and famous Twin Spires in the background. A...

One short elevator ride from the top of the Churchill Downs grandstand down to the ground floor was all the time it took for Phil Bauer to officially become a Grade I-winning trainer. On Kentucky Oaks Friday, Bauer was watching from upstairs as his trainee Played Hard (Into Mischief) took the lead going into the stretch of the GI La Troienne S. and, with Johnny Velazquez aboard, fought off last year's Oaks victress Secret Oath (Arrogate) to win by a neck. When Bauer and an elated crew of Rigney Racing...

Thomas Lambert, an applied economist at the University of Louisville's College of Business, wasn't quite sure if he could trust the dollar amounts that were routinely cited regarding the impact of the GI Kentucky Derby on the region's economy. So he took on the task of finding out for himself, and has just published the results in a study titled, "Horse Sense or Horse Hype? Estimating the True Economic Impact of Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby on the Louisville Metro Area." Lambert started by noting that the results of...

Edited Press Release A horse ownership stake with Skychai Racing, an outdoor cigar lounge and multiple ready-for-Instagram backgrounds are just a few of the new features added this year to Second Stride's 12th annual Derby week Champions Night at Molly Malone's in the Highlands section of Louisville Monday, May 1 from 6-9 pm. Of all fundraisers taking place Derby week, it is the only event raising money for the horses, enabling the Louisville-based organization to continue to provide professional rehabilitation, retraining and placement of retired thoroughbred racehorses.  Placing over 100...

Grammy® Award-winning country music singer, songwriter and Kentucky native Carly Pearce will sing the National Anthem at this year's GI Kentucky Derby, which will be contested for the 149th time on May 6, Churchill Downs announced Tuesday. Also, singer and songwriter Rachel Platten will kick off Derby weekend by performing the National Anthem and her hit "Fight Song" during the Kentucky Oaks Survivor's Parade at the GI Longines Kentucky Oaks May 5. "Carly Pearce has been taking the country music world by storm with an impressive year of musical performances,"...

It was a packed house at the Louisville Thoroughbred Society on Tuesday, April 18 for the Backside Learning Center's Derby Handicapping Social. The sold-out event drew a crowd of racing owners and enthusiasts looking forward to spending an evening  narrowing down their picks for this year's GI Kentucky Derby while also learning more about the latest initiatives going on at the Backside Learning Center (BLC). The BLC is a nonprofit organization based in Louisville that provides support and resources for racetrack workers and their families. The organization serves over 1,000...