Wagering from all-sources was the second-highest all time on both the full 12-race Kentucky Oaks Day card and the Kentucky Oaks race
LOUISVILLE, Ky., May 2, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- It was a historical running of the 140th $1 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (Grade I) at Churchill Downs Racetrack on Friday, May 2, as 113,071 fans, the third highest attendance in Oaks history, watched an exciting win by Untapable and jockey Rosie Napravnik, who pulled away in the final stretch for a 4 1/2 -length victory.
Wagering from all-sources was the second-highest all time on both the full 12-race Kentucky Oaks Day card and on the Kentucky Oaks race.
Wagering from all-sources on the full 12-race Kentucky Oaks Day race card totaled $43.2 million, a decrease of 5.7 percent from the 2013 total of $45.8 million. All-sources wagering on the Kentucky Oaks race dropped 1.9 percent to $14.1 million from 2013's record $14.4 million. On-track wagering on the Oaks Day race card was the fourth-highest of all-time, coming in at $11.8 million, a 3 percent decrease from 2013's near-record $12.2 million. On-track wagering on the Oaks race decreased 3 percent to $3.0 million from 2013's record $3.1 million.
TRACK PRESIDENT COMMENTARY
"We had a great day at Churchill Downs Racetrack for the 140th running of the Longines Kentucky Oaks while we watched Rosie Napravnik claim her second Oaks win. Over the years the Oaks has continued to attract incredibly talented equine and human athletes and we saw some of the best in the industry today," said Kevin Flanery, president of Churchill Downs Racetrack. "Our congratulations to the connections of our new Kentucky Oaks champion, Untapable, and to all of the horse owners, trainers and jockeys who participated in today's very competitive racing program.
"Kentucky Oaks has become a premier sports event in its own right and one of the biggest days in racing thanks to the thousands of fans here at the track and around the world who showed their support for the quality racing product our horsemen and racing office assembled by wagering a $43.2 million on the Kentucky Oaks race card, the second-highest all time. We look forward to tomorrow for what we know will be a memorable 140th running of the Kentucky Derby," Flanery said.
CHARITABLE
The 2014 Longines Kentucky Oaks, viewed by a national television audience on the NBC Sports Network, continued the Pink Out tradition as well as the Survivors Parade sponsored by Kroger.
As part of the 2014 Pink Out, CDI's Foundation donated $50,000 to benefit Bright Pink®, the only national non-profit organization focused on the prevention and early detection of breast and ovarian cancer in young women. Churchill Downs also continued a six-year fundraising partnership with Horses and Hope, a breast cancer outreach program in Kentucky's horse industry championed by Kentucky First Lady Jane Beshear. Churchill Downs will donate $1 from each Friday sale of the Grey Goose Oaks Lily®, the official drink of the Kentucky Oaks, to Horses and Hope.
The parade, which showcased 140 cancer survivors and their co-survivors, paid special tribute to Tricia Amburgey who was a fixture at the racetrack for more than two decades and was the inspiration for the track to become actively involved in breast cancer awareness.
In 2009, Tricia Amburgey, was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. Although she eventually lost her battle with cancer this past year at the early age of 42, the strength and courage Tricia displayed over the past five years serves as an inspiration and motivation to all.
Over the last six years, the Kentucky Oaks has raised over $0.7 million for cancer-related charities.
OAKS WINNER
Untapable, a homebred owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds, rolled to a 4 1/2-length victory in the Kentucky Oaks as the even-money favorite. Jockey Rosie Napravnik, the only woman to ride a Kentucky Oaks winner in the 140-year history of the race, won the race for the second time in three years, and trainer Steve Asmussen scored his second Oaks victory. The Kentucky-bred daughter of Tapit was the second Kentucky Oaks winner owned and bred by Winchell Thoroughbreds and returned $4 for a $2 wager.
The winner covered 1 1/8 miles over a fast track in 1:48.68 as she won for the fifth time in seven career starts and is unbeaten in three races at Churchill Downs. The Longines Kentucky Oaks winner's purse of $576,600 increased Untapable's career earnings to $1,124,725.
ABOUT CHURCHILL DOWNS RACETRACK
Churchill Downs, the world's most legendary racetrack, has conducted Thoroughbred racing and presented America's greatest race, the Kentucky Derby, continuously since 1875. Located in Louisville, the flagship racetrack of Churchill Downs Incorporated (Nasdaq:CHDN) also operates Trackside at Churchill Downs, which offers year-round simulcast wagering at the historic track. The 2014 Spring Meet at Churchill Downs is scheduled for April 26-June 29. The track has hosted the Breeders' Cup World Championships a record eight times. Information about Churchill Downs can be found on the Internet at www.churchilldowns.com.
ABOUT CHURCHILL DOWNS INCORPORATED
Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI) (Nasdaq:CHDN), headquartered in Louisville, Ky., owns and operates the world-renowned Churchill Downs Racetrack, home of the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks, as well as racetrack and casino operations and a poker room in Miami Gardens, Fla.; racetrack, casino and video poker operations in New Orleans, La.; racetrack operations in Arlington Heights, Ill.; a casino resort in Greenville, Miss.; a casino hotel in Vicksburg, Miss.; a casino in Oxford, Maine; and a 50 percent owned joint venture, Miami Valley Gaming and Racing LLC, in Lebanon, Ohio. CDI also owns the country's premier online wagering company, TwinSpires.com; the totalisator company, United Tote; Luckity.com, offering real-money Bingo online for a chance to win cash prizes; Bluff Media, an Atlanta-based multimedia poker company; and a collection of racing-related telecommunications and data companies. Additional information about CDI can be found online at www.churchilldownsincorporated.com.
Information set forth in this news 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 are made pursuant to the Act.
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