2021 MEDIA GUIDE contents 4 Senior Leadership at Kentucky Downs 6 A History of Kentucky Downs 8 2021 Stakes Schedule Media: 11 2020 and All-Time Leading Kentucky Downs: Owners, Jockeys, Trainers Thank you for your interest in Kentucky Downs and America’s most unique race meet. Please reach out to our publicity team if 18 Track Records you have questions, need media access, photos, help setting up an interview, story ideas or anything we can to do assist you. To request photos: Contact track photographer Coady Photography at [email protected], Jennie Rees or Grace Clark. 19 Racing Officials and General Information For HHR information: Contact director of marketing John Wholihan at [email protected] or Jennie Rees. 20 Stakes History The Kentucky Downs 20201media guide was produced by Kentucky Downs’ marketing and publicity team. Cover design: Grace Clark. Design: Grace Clark. Written content: Jennie Rees. Statistical information compiled from Equibase and Kentucky Downs 54 G1-winning #KyDownsGrads data. 57 The Impact of Historical Horse Racing Photos by Grace Clark unless otherwise noted to be taken by Coady Photography. Live Racing Publicity Team: 58 A Day at Kentucky Downs Jennie Rees—Publicity Director, [email protected] Grace Clark— Social Media Coordinator/photographer, [email protected] Allie Sclafani - Acting Director of Live Racing Marketing, [email protected] Kentucky Downs 5629 Nashville Road PO Box 405 Franklin, KY 42134 270-776-7778 Hours Open every day of the year. Monday-Thursday 9 a.m.- 3 a.m. CT; open 24 hours Friday through Sunday, from 9 a.m. Friday through 3 a.m. Monday. (Hours subject to change; holiday hours may differ.) Website mintgaminghall.com E-mail: [email protected] Social Media Instagram & Twitter: @kydownsracing Facebook: facebook.com/KYDownsGaming #LiveatKyDowns MEDIA GUIDE 2 MEDIA GUIDE 3 KENTUCKY DOWNS Racing Leadership Ted Nicholson Vice President of Ron Winchell Marc Falcone Racing Co-Managing Co-Managing Partner Partner The Winchell name is immediately recogniz- Winchell Thoroughbreds also was a breeder of Marc Falcone brings significant finan- Ted Nicholson has been a behind-the-scenes August 2020. “As Ron and I conceptualized able in racing circles. Ron Winchell oversees Grade 1 winner Paddy O’Prado. cial and gaming experience to Kentucky difference-maker throughout his career in horse what the next phase of expansion would his family’s Winchell Thoroughbreds, a high- Downs, having been a top casino execu- racing. In his first four years at the helm oversee- be, it was really taking the next step into end racing and breeding operation located on “Some of my fondest early memories are of tive and leading financial analyst before ing the Kentucky Downs operation, betting on his 320-acre Corinthia Farm near Lexington, visiting racetracks with my father, and thor- creating that broader entertainment teaming with Winchell to form Kentucky Historical Horse Racing at the facility increased Ky., that currently owns more than 120 horses, oughbred racing has been a passion of mine destination. We’re going to increase food from $349 million in 2015 to $1.12 billion (the vast including racing and breeding stock._ ever since,” Winchell said when the intent to Racing Acquisition LLC. and beverage offerings, increase enter- majority of which is returned to players) in 2019, purchase Kentucky Downs was announced tainment offerings, more live music - just Falcone served as executive vice president, an increase of more than 300 percent. Betting on The Winchells were co-owners of 2017 Horse in November 2018. “As such, I am personally a better experience. It’s going to be much of the Year and Breeders’ Cup Classic winner thrilled to be carrying our family name into chief financial officer and treasurer of the track’s live race meet went from $16.88 mil- more exciting, much more fun, much Gun Runner, now a stallion at co-owner Three this exciting opportunity to take the reins of Red Rock Resorts Inc. and Station Casinos lion for five days in 2015 to $59,828,441 more higher energy — and taking into ac- Chimneys Farm. The Winchells bred and Kentucky Downs, one of American racing’s from 2011 to 2017. His investment busi- for six days in 2020, up 255 percent. count the great history that the track has raced Untapable, the 2014 Kentucky Oaks and great success stories of the past decade. This ness background includes Goldman Sachs always had in this community. Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff winner and represents the first step in our plan to further & Co., where he focused on restructuring A native of Arlington Heights, Ill., and graduate champion 3-year-old filly, and campaigned advance racing and HHR (historical horse transactions in the hospitality and gaming of the University of Arizona’s Racetrack Indus- Gainesway Farm’s world-renowned sire Tapit, racing) in the Commonwealth.” “This sits in an ideal location, 30 minutes sectors; Magnetar Capital, and Deutsche try Program, Nicholson was assistant general in whom they still owns 50-percent interest. outside of Nashville, an exploding popu- Bank Securities Inc., where as managing manager at Arlington Park when the new facility “Kentucky Downs is one of horse racing’s lation getting close to two million peo- director he was recognized as one of the opened in 1989 after the track burned in 1985. He Winchell also operates the Jackpot Joanie’s brightest success stories of this era,” he said ple. We said, ‘Hey, this is 300 acres of an chain of gaming-bar outlets, three locations upon the closing of the sale in March 2019. gaming, lodging and leisure industry’s top was vice president of operations at Suffolk Downs opportunity to do much more than racing of Winchell’s Pub & Grill as well as The Gin “We are committed to increasing that trajec- analysts. from 1991-1998 during the Boston track’s renais- Mill and Golden West Restaurant and Casino tory and are looking at options for expanding and historical horse racing. There are op- sance that saw Cigar twice win the Massachusetts portunities for much broader things with throughout Greater Las Vegas and elsewhere and improving the overall guest experience. "The previous owners were visionaries Handicap. the real estate we have here long term. in Nevada. He also is involved in construction We very much look forward to working with who saw the potential of Historical Horse and real-estate development. local and state officials, the Kentucky Horse We looked at this as a 10- year project to Racing as an industry game-changer,” Nicholson returned to Arlington Park under its Racing Commission and our sister tracks encompass how to maximize and create a Churchill Downs Inc. ownership as vice president Ron Winchell is the son of the late Verne in Kentucky for the betterment of the com- Falcone said upon the closing of the sale destination here in Franklin, Ky.” of operations for the suburban Chicago track Winchell, founder of Winchell’s Donuts monwealth’s signature industry. As I told the in March 2019. “They demonstrated not empire, later the CEO and chairman of the racing commission, I have spent my entire life only the financial promise of Kentucky before being sent to New Orleans as vice presi- Denny’s restaurant chain and a noted horse around horse racing, and that passion will be Downs but showed how it could be used dent and general manager of the Fair Grounds owner and breeder who died in 2002 at age a backdrop for every decision we make.” to strengthen the entire Kentucky racing Race Course & Slots and its 10 OTB facilities in 87. Jackpot Joanie’s are named for Winchell’s circuit and turn Kentucky Downs into a the wake of Hurricane Katrina. After oversee- mom, Joan, his partner in Winchell Thorough- major economic engine for the region. ing that massive restoration process, Nicholson breds and Verne’s widow. Ron Winchell’s pas- Our focus will be to continue Kentucky reorganized Calder Race Course in 2008-2009 sion for racing is a tribute to Verne Winchell’s Downs’ financial success and commitment before leaving horse racing to be the first general commitment to and history in Kentucky horse manager of Louisville’s KFC Yum! Center, open- racing and breeding. to the Kentucky racing industry. We’ve been working hard, and the future looks ing that state-of-the-art sports and concert facility Through the years, Winchell family runners very promising.” to great reviews. also have included champions Tight Spot and Mira Femme and the accomplished runners “Kentucky Downs has had a great history 2012 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Tapizar, here, going back to when it was origi- 2005 Kentucky Oaks winner Summerly, Tapi- nally called Dueling Grounds,” Falcone ture, Pyro, Zanjero, Donut King, Olympio, Sea told the gathering at the November 2019 Cadet, Fleet Renee, Valiant Nature and more ground-breaking for an ambitious, multi- recently Finite, 2021 Metropolitan Mile winner Silver State and Preakness runner-up Mid- phased expansion and renovation project, night Bourbon, a leading 3-year-old of 2021. the first phase of which was completed in MEDIA GUIDE 4 MEDIA GUIDE 5 KENTUCKY DOWNS History in the Making Sept. 13, 2018 — A total of $7,021,553 is wagered on a Thursday, a record for a Kentucky Downs’ closing day and sending wagering on the fi- Sept. 22, 1826 — The most famous duel to be held on the future site of Kentucky Downs came after Tennessee Congressman Sam Houston ve-date meet to $36,421,722 — a 20-percent increase over the 2017 record of $30,246,888. Purses total a record $10,233,665.60, not including the unsuccessfully opposed the appointment of a Nashville publisher to the role of Nashville Postmaster.