Churchill Downs yesterday announced it "will add a 15,224-square-foot, high-definition LED video board to the track in time" for the '14 Kentucky Derby and Oaks, according to Jonathan Lintner of the Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL. The $12M Panasonic screen "will be positioned midway down the backstretch outside of the dirt course, raised 80 feet in the air." Measuring 171 feet wide and 170 feet high, Churchill "expects it to sit well within view of clubhouse, grandstand and infield spectators." Churchill noted that it "considered safety of jockeys and horses when choosing where to construct the massive screen, and said design for its location, height and overall size 'all focused on avoiding disruptions to the conduct of a race.'" Construction is "set to start in December, with hopes it’s completed during the January-mid March period at the track with no racing." The monitor is "scheduled to debut on April 26, 2014, on opening night of Derby week, and the track is adding HD recording equipment to maximize picture quality" (Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL, 10/8). Churchill in a release said that it will be the "largest high-definition video board currently constructed anywhere in the world." In Louisville, Andrew Robinson noted other improvements "also are underway at the track." Crews are "working on the new Grandstand Terrace, a venue that will offer nearly 2,400 seats on the second and third floors at the track" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 10/7).
