Sculpture will be Unveiled at its New Permanent Home on July 12
Churchill Downs Incorporated (“CDI” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: CHDN) announced today that the Company will donate “Against All Odds,” an inspiring bronze statue by Edwin Bogucki, to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame (the “Museum”) as part of the Museum’s permanent collection. The statue will be unveiled at its new home in Saratoga Springs, New York, on July 12.
“Against All Odds” depicts the thrilling photo finish victory of Hall of Fame horse John Henry with Hall of Fame jockey William Shoemaker in the irons as they ran down The Bart in the shadow of the wire in the running of the inaugural Arlington Million on Aug. 30, 1981, the first thoroughbred race to boast a purse of $1 million. Under the guidance of Hall of Fame trainer Ron McAnally, John Henry captured a second Arlington Million as a 9-year-old in 1984 and was ultimately selected as Horse of the Year following both victories. The statue was originally unveiled in 1989 at Arlington International Racecourse in Arlington Heights, Illinois.
“It is a great honor to make this gift to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in memory of the late Richard Duchossois, where it will be prominently displayed and enjoyed by racing fans for many years to come,” said Bill Carstanjen, CEO of CDI. “Much like Mr. Duchossois, ‘Against All Odds’ represents perseverance. May it serve as an inspiration to horses and humans alike that with courage and determination, what seems impossible can be achieved.”
“We are most grateful to Bill Carstanjen and everyone at Churchill Downs Incorporated for the generous donation of the ‘Against All Odds’ statue to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.” said John Hendrickson, Chairman of National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. “This incredible work of art represents so many iconic elements of racing history — the inaugural Arlington Million, Hall of Famers John Henry and Bill Shoemaker, and the legacy of Richard Duchossois, a true Pillar of the Turf. We are honored to accept this wonderful addition to our collection and showcase it prominently on the Museum grounds, where it will have a forever home.”
To learn more about the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame visit https://www.racingmuseum.org/.
About Churchill Downs Incorporated
Churchill Downs Incorporated (“CDI”, NASDAQ: CHDN) has been creating extraordinary entertainment experiences for nearly 150 years, beginning with the company’s most iconic and enduring asset, the Kentucky Derby. Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, CDI has expanded through the development of live and historical racing entertainment venues, the growth of the TwinSpires horse racing online wagering business and the operation and development of regional casino gaming properties. More information is available at www.churchilldownsincorporated.com.
About the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York. Its core mission is to preserve and promote the history of thoroughbred racing in America and honor the sport’s most accomplished participants in the Official National Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame. https://www.racingmuseum.org/
This news release contains various “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by the use of terms such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “will,” and similar words or similar expressions (or negative versions of such words or expressions).
Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Important factors, among others, that may materially affect actual results or outcomes include the following: the receipt of regulatory approvals on terms desired or anticipated, unanticipated difficulties or expenditures relating to the proposed transaction, including, without limitation, difficulties that result in the failure to realize expected synergies, efficiencies and cost savings from the proposed transaction within the expected time period (if at all), our ability to obtain financing on the anticipated terms and schedule, disruptions of our or P2E’s current plans, operations and relationships with customers and suppliers caused by the announcement and pendency of the proposed transaction, our and P2E’s ability to consummate a sale-leaseback transaction with respect to the Hard Rock Sioux City on terms desired or anticipated, the impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, including the emergence of variant strains, and related economic matters on our results of operations, financial conditions and prospects; the occurrence of extraordinary events, such as terrorist attacks, public health threats, civil unrest, and inclement weather; the effect of economic conditions on our consumers’ confidence and discretionary spending or our access to credit; additional or increased taxes and fees; the impact of significant competition, and the expectation the competition levels will increase; changes in consumer preferences, attendance, wagering, and sponsorships; loss of key or highly skilled personnel; lack of confidence in the integrity of our core businesses or any deterioration in our reputation; risks associated with equity investments, strategic alliances and other third-party agreements; inability to respond to rapid technological changes in a timely manner; concentration and evolution of slot machine and HRM manufacturing and other technology conditions that could impose additional costs; inability to negotiate agreements with industry constituents, including horsemen and other racetracks; inability to successfully focus on market access and retail operations for our TwinSpires Sports and Casino business and effectively compete; inability to identify and / or complete acquisitions, divestitures, development of new venues or the expansion of existing facilities on time, on budget, or as planned; general risks related to real estate ownership and significant expenditures, including fluctuations in market values and environmental regulations; reliance on our technology services and catastrophic events and system failures disrupting our operations; online security risk, including cyber-security breaches, or loss or misuse of our stored information as a result of a breach, including customers’ personal information, could lead to government enforcement actions or other litigation; personal injury litigation related to injuries occurring at our racetracks; compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act or applicable money-laundering regulations; payment-related risks, such as risk associated with fraudulent credit card and debit card use; work stoppages and labor issues; risks related to pending or future legal proceedings and other actions; highly regulated operations and changes in the regulatory environment could adversely affect our business; restrictions in our debt facilities limiting our flexibility to operate our business; failure to comply with the financial ratios and other covenants in our debt facilities and other indebtedness; and increase in our insurance costs, or obtain similar insurance coverage in the future, and inability to recover under our insurance policies for damages sustained at our properties in the event of inclement weather and casualty events.
We do not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
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Contact: Tonya Abeln
(502) 386-1742
Tonya.Abeln@KyDerby.com
Contact: Brien Bouyea
(518) 584-0400 ext. 133
bbouyea@racingmuseum.net
Image available on request. Photo Credit Joe Wulffe