Churchill Downs to Celebrate Ladies' Weekend on Saturday, Nov. 14 & Sunday, Nov. 15

Nov 10, 2009 Darren Rogers

Churchill Downs will celebrate “Ladies’ Weekend” on Saturday, Nov. 14 and Sunday, Nov. 15 with a special ladies only handicapping seminar, unique boutique bazaar and warehouse sale and the second annual celebration of “Horses and Hope” to raise awareness for breast cancer.

The weekend festivities begin early on Saturday, Nov. 14 with an informative new seminar entitled “Ladies First” Racing Seminar & Breakfast: How to be a Lucky Lady! Churchill Downs has partnered with the newly formed group F.A.T.E. (Females Are Thoroughbred Enthusiasts) in an effort to educate women on all aspects of horse racing, from beginner handicapping to Thoroughbred ownership. The seminar and breakfast for ladies of all ages will take place in the Oaks Room on the fourth floor of the Jockey Club Suites from 9-11 a.m. and feature Churchill Downs’ Jill Byrne, the Courier-Journal’s Jennie Rees, top horse owner Maggi Moss and former jockey P.J. Cooksey. In addition to the seminar and breakfast, the $25 admission will include parking, an official program and reserved seat for a day at the races.

Guests of the seminar will also get a sneak preview of Churchill Downs’ first Boutique Bazaar and Warehouse Sale to benefit the Kentucky Derby Museum. Approximately 15-20 Louisville-area boutiques – including Clodhoppers, Dressing Room, Peacock Boutique and General Eccentric – will be on hand Saturday, Nov. 14 for a sure-to-be fabulous warehouse sale of discounted ladies fashion, accessories and hostess gifts. The one-stop shop haven is free to attend with paid general admission from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and will also feature a Chambord and Champagne cocktail sample and an appearance by Brown-Forman’s Chief Entertainment Officer Tim Laird with demonstrations of unique signature cocktails.

On Sunday, Nov. 15, “Horses and Hope,” the initiative created in 2008 by Kentucky First Lady Jane Beshear with the Kentucky Cancer Program, will return to focus attention on breast cancer awareness, education, screening and treatment referral for the women who work in the barn areas at Kentucky racetracks. More than 700 cancer survivors attended the inaugural event a year ago in Millionaire’s Row 4. In conjunction with “Horses and Hope”, the color of pink will be scattered throughout Churchill Downs, including saddle towels for a featured race, jockey arm bands, groom’s vests, outriders, flags, bunting and trophies for winning horse owners.

To help celebrate “Ladies Weekend”, Churchill Downs’ world famous Twin Spires will be bathed in pink light throughout the week, starting on the evening of Wednesday, Nov. 11.

Additionally, Churchill Downs, in conjunction with Thorntons, will host an on-track sweepstakes to win one of 20 $250 gas cards on Saturday, Nov. 14 and Sunday, Nov. 15. All patrons age 18 and up will be eligible to submit one entry at the Thorntons booth in the paddock area until 3 p.m. each day. In turn, one winner will be drawn after each of the 10 races on Nov. 14-15.

    Churchill Downs’ 120th Fall Meet, featuring world-class horse racing, continues its 21-day run through Saturday, Nov. 28. General admission is $3, but only $1 for senior citizens and members of the track’s free-to-join Twin Spires Club. Children 12 and under are admitted free when accompanied by an adult. Parking is free in the Longfield Avenue lot (Gates 10 & 12) and $3 in all other lots. Valet parking is $5. For more information or to purchase reserved seats, call (502) 636-4400 or visit www.ChurchillDowns.com.

    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 Global Select Market: CHDN) also operates Trackside at Churchill Downs, which offers year-round simulcast wagering at the historic track. Churchill Downs will conduct the 136th running of the Kentucky Derby on May 1, 2010. The track will conduct its 2009 Fall Meet from Sunday, Nov. 1 through Saturday, Nov. 28. Churchill Downs is scheduled to host the Breeders’ Cup World Championships for a record seventh time on November 5 and 6, 2010. Information about Churchill Downs can be found on the Internet at www.churchilldowns.com.

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