Champions Day Celebrates Triple Crown's 100th Anniversary

Apr 17, 2019 Sara Brown Meehan

Triple Crown
Connections to Sign Autographs, including Bob Baffert, Mike Smith, Victor
Espinoza, Steve Cauthen and Seattle Slew’s Jeanne Cruguet

LOUISVILLE, KY (Tuesday, April 16, 2019) – Churchill Downs’ second annual Champions Day presented by Twinspires.com will celebrate the 100^th
anniversary of the Triple Crown and honor its winners on Tuesday of Derby week.
In addition to a full day of racing, Triple Crown-winning jockeys, trainers and
owners will sign autographs; fans can have their photos taken with rarely seen
Triple Crown memorabilia from the Kentucky Derby Museum’s Vault; and guests can
learn from the best during a special handicapping seminar. Gates open at 11:00
a.m., first post at 12:45 p.m. Tickets start at $12 at https://www.kentuckyderby.com/visit/derby-week/champions-day.

The Triple Crown Legends Autograph Session is open to all guests in the Plaza from 12:30 p.m. -- 2:30 p.m.
Guests can purchase a collectible poster for the famous connections to sign and
proceeds from the poster sales will benefit the Thoroughbred Aftercare
Alliance. Participating jockey’s, trainers and owners include:

Jockeys

-Steve Cauthen -- Affectionately known as 'The Kid', he
became the youngest jockey ever to win the Triple Crown aboard Affirmed in 1978

-Jean Cruguet -- Rode Seattle Slew to Triple Crown victory in 1977

-Victor Espinoza -- Won the first Triple Crown in 37 years on
American Pharoah in 2015

-Mike Smith -- The Hall of Fame jockey won aboard Justify in 2018

·Trainer

-Bob Baffert – Trained 2015 winner American Pharoah and 2018 winner
Justify. His horses have won five Kentucky Derbys, seven Preakness Stakes,
three Belmont Stakes and three Kentucky Oaks

·Owner

-Elliott Walden -- President & CEO, WinStar Farm and owner of
2018 winner Justify.

The Triple Crown Vault Photo Opportunity presented by Kentucky
Derby Museum will give fans a chance to see -- and
have their photo taken with -- trophies and other memorabilia from Triple Crown
Winners War Admiral, Citation and Sir Barton. Specific memorabilia and
photo times in the Plaza include:

·War Admiral 1937 -- Jockey
Charley Kurtsinger’s 1937 Preakness Jockey Trophy from 1:00 p.m. -- 1:30 p.m.

·Citation 1948 --
Citation’s 1948 Kentucky Derby saddlecloth and trainer Jimmy Jones’ Triple
Crown Trophy from 2:00 p.m. -- 2:30 p.m.

·Sir Barton 1919 – The
Belmont Stakes Presentation Cup awarded to the first Triple Crown

The Industry Insider Derby Week Handicapping Seminar presented
by Twinspires.com offers an expert
panel to provide an in depth review of Derby week racing in the
Aristides Lounge from 12:00 p.m. – 12:40 p.m. The panel includes “At the Races”
host Steve Byk, clocker and bloodstock agent Gary Young, NBC reporter and
analyst and one of the most decorated female jockeys of her time Donna Barton
Brothers and Brisnet Marketing Director Ed DeRosa.

Fans who want to take advantage of everything that Champions Day
and Tuesday of Derby Week have to offer can purchase the “Ultimate Champions
Experience” at https://www.kentuckyderby.com/championsday.
This $250 special ticket package includes:

·Admission and breakfast at Dawn at the Downs in the Stakes Room to
watch Derby contenders train while listening to expert commentary

·A curator-led Kentucky Derby Museum tour of recently created
exhibits dedicated to trainer D. Wayne Lukas and jockey Bill Shoemaker.

•A seat in the Starting Gate Suites during Champions Day

•An exclusive meet and greet with legendary jockeys and trainers

•All day access to the Kentucky Derby Museum

About
Churchill Downs Racetrack

Churchill Downs, the world’s most
legendary racetrack, has conducted Thoroughbred racing and presented the
Kentucky Derby since 1875. Located in Louisville, the flagship racetrack of
Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ: CHDN) offers year-round simulcast wagering
at the historic track. Churchill Downs will conduct the 145^th
running of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve on May 4, 2019. The
track’s 2019 Spring Meet is scheduled for April 27-June 29. Churchill
Downs has hosted the Breeders’ Cup World Championships nine times. www.ChurchillDowns.com.

About the
Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance

Based in
Lexington, Ky., the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance is a nonprofit organization
that accredits, inspects, and awards grants to approved aftercare organizations
to retire, retrain, and rehome Thoroughbreds using industry-wide funding. Along
with continued funding from its original partners Breeders’ Cup, The Jockey
Club, and Keeneland Association, the TAA is supported by owners, trainers,
breeders, racetracks, aftercare professionals, and other industry members. To
date, 64 aftercare organizations supporting approximately 170 facilities across
North America have been granted accreditation and received funding from the
TAA. To learn more about the TAA, visit thoroughbredaftercare.org.