Tag: Churchill Downs Inc.

The late Medina Spirit and Bob Baffert the day after the 2021 Kentucky Derby. Baffert sued Churchill Downs this week seeking to have his ban overturned. (Image: Nellie Carlson)

Baffert Sues Churchill Downs Inc. Over Track, Derby Ban

- 3 min read

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert filed a lawsuit against Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI) Tuesday, seeking a reversal of his two year-suspension in the wake of Medina Spirit’s positive drug test for the banned-on-race-day anti-inflammatory betamethasone. The suit, which was filed in US District Court for Kentucky’s Western District, also […]

Colonial Downs joins a crowded Churchill Downs Inc. racetrack roster after the gaming giant bought Colonial Downs' parent company for nearly $2.5 billion. (Image: Coady Photography)

Churchill Downs Buys Colonial Downs, Gets Casinos in the Bargain

- 2 min read

Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI) announced Tuesday it plans to buy the parent company of Colonial Downs, Peninsula Pacific Entertainment (P2E), for $2.485 billion. CDI will fund the deal through a combination of new debt and cash on hand. It is expected to close by the end of 2022. Some of […]

Richard Duchossois was a decorated World War II vet and an accomplished businessman who remade Arlington Park into one of the country's most beautiful racetracks. He died Friday at 100. (Image: Matthew Bowie)

Horse Racing Icon, Businessman Richard Duchossois Dies at 100

- 3 min read

Richard Duchossois, who went from decorated World War II hero to horse racing hero to millions of racing fans through his ownership of Arlington Park, died at his suburban Chicago home on Friday. He was 100. The businessman and philanthropist died four months after Arlington Park ran its last race. […]

Formerly known as Fairmount Park, FanDuel Racing is ground zero for a battle between the Illinois Horsemen's Benevolent and Protection Association and Churchill Downs Inc. over whether CDI can operate its TwinSpires ADW in the state. (Image; Derik Holtmann/Belleville News-Democrat)

Illinois HBPA Rejects CDI’s Bid to Operate its ADW in the State

- 3 min read

The board of directors of the Illinois Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association rejected its consent for Churchill Downs Incorporated’s TwinSpires advance-deposit wagering (ADW) betting platform to operate in the state of Illinois. Under Illinois law, horsemen get consent rights for an ADW platform to operate in the state. State law […]

Arlington Park crowds like this made the Arlington Million one of the must-see races of the summer at any North American track. The 94-year-old Chicago-area track runs its final races Saturday. (Image: Arlington Park)

Another Race Track Enters the History Books: Arlington Park (1927-2021)

- 4 min read

Arlington Park will command a lion’s share of the horse racing world’s attention Saturday. It will command that attention without a stakes race on its nine-race card. And many paying attention will do so with tears in their eyes. Saturday is the final day of Thoroughbred racing at Arlington Park. […]

Arlington Park issued layoff notices to all union employees over the weekend. The suburban Chicago track is on the selling block and current owner Churchill Downs Inc. plans selling to a non-racetrack entity. (Image: Arlington Park)

It’s Happening: Arlington Park Issues Layoff Notices to Employees

- 2 min read

The ticking clock on Arlington Park’s 97-year history of racing sped up this weekend when employees for the iconic suburban Chicago track were issued layoff notices. According to the notice, which the Chicago Daily Herald reported, track workers will lose their jobs within 14 days of the Sept. 25 season […]

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert doubles as the face of his sport. His face won't be around Churchill Downs the next two years after that track suspended him for two years. (Image: AP Photo)

Churchill Downs Drops Two-Year Suspension on Bob Baffert

- 3 min read

In the wake of Kentucky Derby champion Medina Spirit’s split sample testing positive for the prohibited anti-inflammatory betamethasone, Churchill Downs suspended trainer Bob Baffert for two years, effective immediately. The ruling prohibits the Hall of Fame trainer from entering horses for races or occupying stall space at Churchill Downs, and […]

Arlington Park, located in the Chicago suburbs, is one of North America's top race tracks. Owner Churchill Downs Inc. put it up for sale Tuesday, imperiling its racing future. (Image: Arlington Park)

Churchill Downs Puts Iconic Arlington Park on the Sales Block

- 3 min read

Churchill Downs Incorporated announced Tuesday that Arlington Park, one of North America’s most iconic race tracks, and the home of the Arlington Million, is up for sale. Through commercial real estate company CBRE Group, CDI opened the market for the 326-acre Arlington Heights, Ill., property, located in Chicago’s northwest suburbs. […]

The Kentucky House of Representatives passed a bill legalizing historical horse racing machines -- a key economic engine for the state's racing industry. (Image: Marcus Dorsey/Lexington Herald-Leader)

Kentucky House Passes HHR Bill, Heads to Governor for Signing

- 3 min read

In a move illustrating the speed of Kentucky legislators when it comes to that state’s Thoroughbred horse industry, the Kentucky House of Representatives approved Senate Bill 120 on Thursday night, legalizing Historical Horse Racing (HHR) machines. The measure passed 55-38, two days after it cleared the Kentucky State Senate, 22-15. […]

Historical Horse Racing (HHR) machines resemble slot machines, which are banned in Kentucky. They provided $2.2 billion to Kentucky's economy in 2019 and are a major economic engine for the state's key Thoroughbred industry. (Image: Canadian Thoroughbred Magazine)

Kentucky Supreme Court Rejects HHR Appeal, Lawmakers Up Next?

- 3 min read

In the latest salvo fired in the ongoing debate about historical horse racing (HHR) machines in Kentucky, the state’s Supreme Court denied an appeal from the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission requesting a second opinion on the legality of those machines. The Kentucky Supreme Court refused to reconsider its Sept. 24 […]

Churchill Downs Inc.'s TwinSpires ADW app is one of the most popular among horseplayers. The company hopes its popularity will rub off on its newly branded TwinSpires sportsbook wagering platforms. (Image: Churchill Downs Inc.)

CDI Bets You’ll Like Rebranded TwinSpires More Than BetAmerica

- 2 min read

Seeking a single-brand strategy for its sports wagering and online platforms, Churchill Downs Inc. announced Tuesday it will discontinue using its BetAmerica brand. Instead, it moves that segment of its business to its familiar TwinSpires brand. According to a release announcing the move, the transition begins later this month, when […]

The Arlington Park finish line won't have some of the world's top Thoroughbred horses sprint through it this year. Track officials and Illinois horsemen can't reach an agreement on 2020 racing. (Image: John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune

Arlington Million Becomes Latest Race Casualty, but Not Because of COVID-19

- 3 min read

The Arlington Million, Illinois’ biggest horse race of the year, is the most prominent casualty of a deadlock between Arlington Park officials and the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association agreeing on a new contract. The two entities came to a tentative agreement on a daily purse structure for a 30-day meet […]