Churchill Downs Releases Official Event Logos for 2012 Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks

Aug 29, 2011 Darren Rogers

The official event logos for Kentucky Derby 138 and Kentucky Oaks 138 were released Monday (Aug. 29) by Churchill Downs, and officially licensed apparel and gift items featuring the new marks are now available for purchase online at www.KentuckyDerbyStore.com.

Both logos feature palettes that are forecasted by color studies to be in vogue for spring 2012. The official colors for Kentucky Derby 138 are royal blue and green, which share the same hues as the spring season in Kentucky. As usual, the official color for Kentucky Oaks 138 is pink, and its logo companion color is navy blue. Both logos also showcase the Derby and Oaks “icon” marks – golden horseshoes with a red rose for Derby and a pink stargazer lily for Oaks – embedded within the overall logo design.

The Derby logo features a Thoroughbred reaching toward the finish line with the Twin Spires towering overhead of the victory, while the always-elegant Oaks logo features the silhouette of a graceful patron celebrating the recent “Ladies First” tradition.

“The 138 suite of marks sees a return to the classic, traditional looks that have become synonymous with the Derby and Oaks,” said Edward O’Hara, chief creative officer and senior partner of the New York-based SME Branding, who has designed the Kentucky Derby and Oaks event and brand marks since 2009. “It is exciting to work with Churchill Downs each year in producing these marks, giving fans something new, exciting and unexpected each year.”

For the third consecutive year, Churchill Downs will incorporate a second set of marks for the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks that will be applied in the merchandise mix. The secondary mark for Kentucky Derby 138 offers a softer aesthetic that focuses on the red rose and anniversary year. The Oaks secondary mark features the pink stargazer lily.

The 2012 merchandise mix will feature event and lifestyle apparel for men, women, children and pets. Product currently available for purchase at www.KentuckyDerbyStore.com includes T-shirts and collectables. Additional apparel and gift items, including the popular collectable Kentucky Derby mint julep glassware, are scheduled for release later this fall prior to the holiday season.

All merchandise also will be on sale at the Churchill Downs Store, which will reopen on-track on opening day of the Fall Meet on Sunday, Oct. 30, as well as the Churchill Downs Store located at Louisville International Airport, the Kentucky Derby Museum Gift Shop and other select retail stores.

Churchill Downs will host a 2012 Kentucky Derby Merchandise Licensing Show for retailers on Tuesday, Aug. 30. It will take place in Millionaires Row 4 from noon to 5 p.m. Retailers and media are invited to attend the preview. RSVPs are encouraged by calling (502) 636-4503 but not required.

Media outlets may obtain high-resolution copies of the Kentucky Derby 138 and Kentucky Oaks 138 logos for editorial use by logging on to www.CDILogos.com and submitting an online request form.

The $2 million Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands is annually staged on the first Saturday in May at historic Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. Inaugurated in 1875, the legendary 1 ¼-mile race for 3-year-old Thoroughbreds is the oldest continuously held sporting event in North America and the first leg of horse racing’s challenging Triple Crown series. The Kentucky Derby is often called “The Run for the Roses,” “The Greatest Two Minutes in Sports” and “America’s Race” and typically attracts a crowd in excess of 150,000. Last year, an unprecedented 164,858 was in attendance, which smashed the former record of 163,628 set in 1974 during the Derby’s 100^th anniversary.

In recent decades, the day prior to the Kentucky Derby, known as Oaks Day, has grown to become the second largest attended horse race in America. This year’s crowd was 110,122, which marked the 11^th time in the last 12 years that attendance has topped 100,000. The highlight of the day is the Derby’s sister race, the $1 million Kentucky Oaks at 1 1/8 miles, which is the nation’s premier race for 3-year-old fillies. Its focus on fashion and celebrities rivals Derby Day and now features a “Ladies First” theme, complete with a “Pink Out” to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer in partnership with Susan G. Komen for the Cure©.

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. Churchill Downs will conduct the 138th running of the Kentucky Derby on May 5, 2012. The track’s 2011 Fall Meet is scheduled for Oct. 30-Nov. 27, 2011. Churchill Downs has hosted the Breeders’ Cup World Championships a record seven times and the event will return to the track on Nov. 4-5, 2011. Information about Churchill Downs can be found on the Internet at www.churchilldowns.com.

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