Great Seats Deserve Great Eats: Premium Boxed Meals, Citation Lounge

Apr 27, 2009 Darren Rogers

Horse racing fans who plan to attend this year’s Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks no longer have to stand in line to buy a hot dog or popcorn thanks to two new Churchill Downs offerings designed to enhance the experience of select customers.

For the first time, Churchill Downs will offer pre-ordered meals for all attendees and a new hospitality lounge for second and third floor ticket holders on Friday, May 1 for the $500,000-added Kentucky Oaks (Grade I) and Saturday, May 2 for the $2 million guaranteed Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI).

“We continue to look at ways to make a great experience even better,” said Kevin Flanery, Churchill Downs Incorporated senior vice president. “Over the years, several of our Oaks and Derby Day patrons with premium seats have expressed an interest in alternatives to our concession stands. We think these two new exciting offerings will address those needs and help enhance the overall Derby experience for some of our customers.”

Boxed lunches are now sold out. Customers can conveniently pick up their orders between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. at one of three locations on Oaks and Derby days: Gate 1, Gate 10 or Gate 17.

The Kentucky Derby menu will feature Artisan and Gourmet Cheeses, Kentucky Bibb Lettuce, Dinner Roll, Herb Roasted Filet Mignon, Summer Sausage and Turkey Pastrami, Churchill Downs Silks’ Cookies, Derby Pie and Bottled Water. The Oaks Day offering is Artisan and Gourmet Cheeses, Loaded Pasta and Cheese, Jalapeño Corn Stick, Herb Roasted Sirloin, Roasted Turkey Breast, Churchill Downs Silks’ Cookies, Derby Pie and Bottled Water.

Second and third floor ticket holders also the option of purchasing tickets to the new upscale Citation Lounge, one of six exclusive hospitality areas designed by M Scenic Group Studios. For $400 on Derby Day and/or $300 on Oaks Day, customers will be treated to a VIP experience that features premium gourmet food, an open bar, televisions, betting kiosks and live entertainment between races. More information is available online at http://www.derbyexperiences.com/citation and tickets can be purchased exclusively through Quint Events’ Derby Experiences by calling (866) 834-8663.

The other exclusive hospitality areas – the Seattle Slew Lounge, Secretariat Lounge, Silver Charm Lounge, Street Sense Lounge and Skye Terrace Lounge – are sold out.

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 135^th running of the Kentucky Derby on May 2, 2009. The track’s 2009 Spring Meet will take place from April 25 through July 5. Churchill Downs is scheduled to host the Breeders’ Cup World Championships for a record seventh time on Nov. 5 and 6, 2010. Information about Churchill Downs can be found on the Internet at www.churchilldowns.com.

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