Churchill Downs officials yesterday "unveiled the 20 new Winner's Circle Suites" and the Courtyard beside them, changes that totaled $4.2M, according to Gregory Hall of the Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL. The owners of the horses racing in the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks will occupy the suites, and they will "sit in post position order ... with the owner of the No. 1 horse closest to the finish line." Track officials said that they "believe the 18-complimentary seats and complimentary food and beverage service will improve the experience" for the owners. Each suite is "about 10 feet wide by 35 feet deep, with up to 18 seats -- triple what last year's owners had." Horse owners will have the "ability to buy more boxes." The suites "will have wagering machines and access to self-serve drink dispensers and private restrooms." Officials have said that the improvements "displaced about 120 box holders and seating has been reduced by about 1,500." Meanwhile, the Courtyard will have "about 600 chairs for Derby and Oaks and is planned to be a park-like area the rest of the year" (COURIER-JOURNAL.com, 4/15). In Lexington, Janet Patton in a front-page piece notes horse owners in recent years "have let it be known that ... the green metal folding chairs left something to be desired." Steve Coburn, the co-owner of '14 Derby winner California Chrome, "lashed out at Churchill Downs, saying that the track needed to take a page from Pimlico's book on how to treat owners." However, Churchill "already had a ... renovation in the works." Churchill Downs President Kevin Flanery said that track officials "asked owners of all the Derby and Oaks horses last year what they were looking for, what the track could do better, and how things could be improved" (LEXINGTON HERALD-LEADER, 4/16).
TIME TO GIDDY UP: SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL's Liz Mullen reports CDI has signed a multiyear deal with Fermata Partners making it the "new licensing agency of record" for Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby. The deal, which sees Fermata replace IMG, "goes into effect June 30." Churchill Downs VP/Partnerships Kristin Warfield said that Fermata "presented a vision of expanding the business past the traditional sports licensing business." Fermata co-Founder Kit Walsh said that the company "intends to increase both the distribution points for Churchill Downs merchandise, as well as the categories of products" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 4/14 issue).
