Our Commitment

Green Pastures Program Overview

Churchill Downs Incorporated launched its Green Pastures Program® in April 2002 as a Company-wide "best practices" program. The Green Pastures Program is the result of a formal partnership between the Company and the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation ("TRF"), one of the nation's leading racehorse rescue and adoption organizations.

Each year, thousands of racehorses are retired from racing. Many go on to second careers as stallions and broodmares or pleasure horses. Unfortunately, many other racehorses - typically geldings or horses and mares not suitable for breeding - are retired due to age or injury after long and sometimes unsuccessful racing careers. These horses face an uncertain future because their physical ailments may make them unsuitable for riding and second careers as pleasure horses.

For this reason, Churchill Downs Incorporated has partnered with TRF to form the Green Pastures Program to serve as a model for the rest of the horse racing industry. The Green Pastures Program has four primary objectives:

1. Educate horsemen about TRF's racehorse donation, adoption and sponsorship programs and encourage them to retire horses sound and suitable for second careers.
2. Facilitate the donation of retired racehorses to TRF through the use of Churchill Downs Incorporated facilities and personnel.
3. Raise funds to support TRF and horses donated to the organization through the Green Pastures Program. Funds raised through the program will be earmarked for the care and maintenance of retired racehorses.
4. Raise awareness of TRF's racehorse donation, adoption and sponsorship programs through Company-sponsored marketing and public relations initiatives.

How the Green Pastures Program Works

Educating Horsemen
To meet our No. 1 objective of educating and engaging horsemen, Churchill Downs Incorporated has established a Green Pastures Liaison at each Churchill Downs Incorporated racetrack (Arlington Park, Calder Race Course, Churchill Downs and Fair Grounds Race Course). The Green Pastures Liaison will be responsible for meeting individually with horsemen to inform them about the program, providing them with necessary paperwork and helping coordinate racehorse donations to TRF. Click here for a complete list of Green Pastures Program liaisons.

Raising Awareness
We will also work to educate race fans and the general public about the Green Pastures Program through public service announcements broadcast on the Churchill Downs Simulcast Network ("CDSN"), advertisements in our racing programs and through information posted on our Company Web sites. Green Pastures Program Information Centers will be established in our racing offices and guest services stations, featuring brochures explaining the program and the benefits of donating, adopting and sponsoring retired racehorses. We will also work with media outlets in the communities where we do business to spread the word about the Green Pastures Program and TRF.

Raising Funds
In addition to raising awareness, the Green Pastures Program will raise funds to care for the horses retired to the TRF as a result of Churchill Downs Incorporated's program. From raffles for Kentucky Derby tickets to donating vending machine proceeds, employees at Churchill Downs Incorporated tracks have crafted some unique and relatively simple ways to raise money for TRF horses on a regular basis.

Churchill Downs Incorporated's Support for Other Racehorse Retirement Programs
Churchill Downs Incorporated's partnership with TRF in the Green Pastures Program will in no way impact the Company's support of other racehorse rescue and adoption organizations. In fact, TRF will partner with these organizations in the placement of horses retired through the Green Pastures Program. Individual Churchill Downs Incorporated tracks will continue to support the racehorse rescue and retirement organizations in their regions as they have in years past.