Friday Happy Hours Get New Look in Refurbished Paddock Pavilion

Nov 05, 2009 Darren Rogers

When Churchill Downs’ popular “Dress to Impress” Friday Happy Hours, sponsored by Budweiser Select, return for a three-week run on Nov. 6, the event will have a new look and feel, thanks to the same designer who helped transform the historic racetrack into Louisville’s ultimate nighttime hot spot for three nights of racing this spring.

Churchill Downs has secured the services of Barry Wooley from Barry Wooley Designs to transform the track’s Paddock Pavilion into a hip happy hour gathering place, conveniently located indoors to escape the cool fall temps yet close enough to the action in the nearby saddling paddock.

The Paddock Pavilion will have plenty of TVs and a cool lounge feel with comfortable amenities to create an intimate and sophisticated setting, complete with music from DJs Ryan Cox (Nov. 6), LadyKillers (Nov. 13) and K-Dogg (Nov. 20).

The newly created ambiance was inspired by the modernistic influences of American style and the Paris fashion houses of Chanel and Cartier. Wooley used rich, clean lines with a modern sensibility to catapult attendees to another era. His retro-inspired twist on contemporary French fashion is sure to provide the right ambiance for Louisville’s jet set.

Essential for a happy hour, there’ll be $2 Budweiser Select specials and an out of the ordinary $2 warm drink offering for adults between 3-6 p.m. – one hour longer than the promotion previously offered in recent years. The thirst-quenching warm drink creation with feature 3 parts brandy, 2 parts orange Curacao, 1 part cinnamon schnapps, 8 parts apple juice and will be garnished with a cinnamon stick.

Also, one male and female in attendance each Friday will be chosen as the day’s “most stylish” attendee and will receive free $250 gift certificates to Louisville-area boutiques and fashionable men’s stores. Each winner will also receive two free tickets to The Voice-Tribune’s New Year’s Eve Soiree, sponsored by Churchill Downs.

Additional $2 specials, including hot dogs, popcorn and sodas, will also be available in the track’s Upper Jockey Club.

    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.

-- END --