2011 Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks Logos Unveiled

Oct 13, 2010 Darren Rogers

The official event logos for Kentucky Derby 137 and Kentucky Oaks 137 were released Wednesday by Churchill Downs, and officially licensed apparel and gifts items featuring the new marks are now available for purchase online at www.KentuckyDerbyStore.com.

Both logos feature a horse and energizing color palettes with accent colors forecasted to be part of fashion trends for Spring 2011. They 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 official colors for Kentucky Derby 137 are teal and black. The Derby logo blends tradition in the serif font of the anniversary script with the forward motion and minimal design of a racehorse’s silhouette at its base. The bend in the Thoroughbred’s neck is reminiscent of the curves of a racetrack, and specifically of Churchill Downs’ picturesque “first turn,” which every year is one of the most-photographed angles of the legendary Kentucky Derby race.

The Oaks logo features an elegant white filly with an arched neck and hot pink mane framed by a grey medallion. A ribbon of pink – the official color of the Oaks – gracefully wraps around the grey circle that showcases the filly’s profile.

“The color palette and overall logo designs for the Kentucky Derby 137 and Kentucky Oaks 137 event marks are intended to celebrate spring in an exciting, artful way while incorporating both events’ iconic marks and brand color schemes in the mix,” explained Edward O’Hara, chief creative officer and senior partner of the New York-based SME Branding. SME, whose client list includes the New York Yankees and Major League Soccer, has designed the Kentucky Derby and Oaks event and brand marks since 2009.

“Design trends change often, and this year we want to pay homage to the tradition of the Kentucky Derby while also looking forward to its future,” said Casey Cook, Churchill Downs’ vice president of brand and product development.

Kentucky Derby 137 and Kentucky Oaks 137 products currently available for purchase at www.KentuckyDerbyStore.com include long and short-sleeved T-shirts and hats. 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 will also be on sale at Churchill Downs Store, which will reopen on-track on opening day of the Fall Meet on Sunday, Oct. 31, as well as the Churchill Downs Store located at Louisville International Airport, the Kentucky Derby Museum Gift Shop and other select retail stores.

Media outlets may obtain high-resolution copies of the Kentucky Derby 137 and Kentucky Oaks 137 logos for editorial use by logging on to www.CDILogos.com and submitting an online request form.

The Kentucky Derby 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.

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 with a crowd of more than 100,000. This year’s attendance was an event-record 116,046. The highlight of the day is the Derby’s sister race, the Kentucky Oaks, 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 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 137th running of the Kentucky Derby on May 7, 2011. The track’s 2010 Fall Meet is scheduled for Oct. 31-Nov. 28.  Churchill Downs has hosted the Breeders’ Cup World Championships a record six times and the event will return to the track for its next two renewals on November 5-6, 2010 and Nov. 4-5, 2011.  Information about Churchill Downs can be found on the Internet at www.churchilldowns.com.

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