Kentucky Derby Week, Spring Meet Tickets Officially On Sale
LOUISVILLE, KY., (February 1, 2024) – Tickets for Kentucky Derby Week and the entire 43-day Spring Meet at Churchill Downs are officially on sale as of Thursday, February 1 at noon. The 150th Spring Meet at the historic Louisville racetrack spans nine weeks from April 27-June 30.
Kentucky Derby Week special events go on sale at www.kentuckyderby.com/derbyweek and they include:
- Opening Night: Derby Through the Decades (Saturday, April 27) – Opening Night is the perfect chance to join in the spectacle that is Kentucky Derby Week, and it just got bigger. The post position draws for the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks have been moved to this date and they’ll be staged between races while open to the public.
- Dawn at the Downs Dining (Sunday, April 28 and Monday, April 29) – A favorite for decades, guests can watch the Thoroughbreds train while enjoying a delicious buffet breakfast in the Stakes Room or Millionaires Row. Gates open at 7 a.m. and there is an exclusive training window only for Derby (yellow saddle towels) and Oaks (pink saddle towels) participants from 7:30-7:45 a.m. Training continues for all other horses until 10 a.m., notwithstanding renovation breaks from 7-7:30 a.m. and 8:30-9 a.m.
- 502’sDay Celebrating 150 Years of Louisville Businesses (Tuesday, April 30) – 502’sDay – a nod to Louisville’s area code and Tuesday of Derby Week – returns for its second year and will keep the spotlight on what makes Kentucky Derby Week special: the local community. As Churchill Downs commemorates its 150th Kentucky Derby, 502’sDay will recognize the enduring contributions of Louisville businesses that have been at the heart of the city for more than a century and a half. General admission will be just $5 and the day is dedicated to the 502 with the best of Louisville on full display.
- Champions Day: Celebrating Kentucky’s Champions (Wednesday, May 1) – This year’s Champions Day will not only shine the spotlight on the rich history of the Kentucky Derby and Thoroughbred racing but will expand to pay tribute to the extraordinary Kentucky champions who have excelled across a diverse spectrum of sports. Select premium dining tickets on Champions Day are all-inclusive of food and drinks.
- Thurby presented by Old Forester (Thursday, May 2) – Featuring Bluegrass music in the Paddock Plaza, the finest bourbon and top-level horse racing, the 11th edition of Thurby will again celebrate Kentucky’s best. Select premium dining tickets on Thurby are all-inclusive of food and drinks.
- Taste of Derby (Thursday, May 2) – The annual Taste of Derby culinary experience is an evening of exquisite cuisine and exceptional Jackson Family wines paired and created by nationally-renowned chefs from 7-10 p.m.
Derby Week general admission tickets are $24 on Opening Night and Champions Day; $39 on Thurby; and a special $5 offering for 502’sDay. Reserved box seats range from $26-$39 for Derby Week and $49-$69 for Thurby depending on the location.
Guests attending Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby Week will see the debut of the transformative $200 million Paddock redevelopment project that will enhance the experience for nearly every guest who enters the gates of the historic racetrack.
The two-year redesign will enhance visibility of the iconic Twin Spires, streamline guest circulation paths, update the audio-visual experience and create additional value for guests by updating existing ticket products and amenities. More than 3,600 permanent all-inclusive seats and an additional 7,000 sq. ft. of guest space will be introduced, including two premium clubs, premium reserved dining and rail boxes, along with more than 3,200 standing room only tickets. The project will also update select existing ticket inventory and improve Paddock views for front-side guests with the addition of elevated viewing platforms.
Tickets in the new Paddock spaces have been tailored to a variety of price points on Kentucky Derby Week to accommodate all different budgets. Many premium dining spaces offer an all-inclusive experience which includes your food and both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages from gates opening to last call. For more information, visit: www.kentuckyderby.com/visit/derby-week-events.
Tickets for the 150th Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby on May 3-4 have seen unprecedented demand with limited premium and luxury experiences still available. Fans are encouraged to secure tickets by visiting www.KentuckyDerby.com, www.Derby150.com and www.DerbyExperiences.com or by calling (502) 636-4447 to be a part of the most extraordinary Kentucky Derby yet.
Churchill Downs also provides a secure, official resale marketplace to purchase Derby and Oaks tickets via the Churchill Downs Ticketmaster Ticket Exchange on www.KentuckyDerby.com.
In addition to Kentucky Derby Week events, tickets for all other Spring Meet racing days are also on sale at: www.churchilldowns.com/day-at-the-races. Other key Spring Meet dates of note include:
- Twilight Thursdays featuring $2 select domestic beer, live music and food trucks (every Thursday, May 9-June 27)
- Mother’s Day (Sunday, May 12)
- Preakness Stakes Simulcast and Downs After Dark (Saturday, May 18)
- Stephen Foster Preview Day (Saturday, June 1)
- Belmont Stakes Simulcast (Saturday, June 8)
- Downs After Dark (Saturday, June 15)
- Father’s Day (Sunday, June 16)
- Stephen Foster Day (Saturday, June 29)
About Churchill Downs Racetrack
Churchill Downs Racetrack (“CDRT”), the world’s most legendary racetrack, has been the home of The Kentucky Derby, the longest continually held annual sporting event in the United States, since 1875. Located in Louisville, CDRT features a series of themed race days during Derby Week, including the Kentucky Oaks, and conducts Thoroughbred horse racing during three race meets in the Spring, September, and the Fall. CDRT is located on 175 acres and has a one-mile dirt track, a 7/8-mile turf track, a stabling area, and provides seating for approximately 60,000 guests. The stable area has barns sufficient to accommodate 1,400 horses and a 114-room dormitory for backstretch personnel. CDRT also has a year-round simulcast wagering facility and Race & Sports Book. www.ChurchillDowns.com.
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, that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations include the following: the occurrence of extraordinary events, such as terrorist attacks, public health threats, civil unrest, and inclement weather, including as a result of climate change; the effect of economic conditions on our consumers’ confidence and discretionary spending or our access to credit, including the impact of inflation; additional or increased taxes and fees; the impact of any pandemics, epidemics, or outbreaks of infectious diseases, including the impact of any future developments related to COVID-19, and related economic matters on our results of operations, financial conditions and prospects; lack of confidence in the integrity of our core businesses or any deterioration in our reputation; loss of key or highly skilled personnel, as well as general disruptions in the general labor market; the impact of significant competition, and the expectation the competition levels will increase; changes in consumer preferences, attendance, wagering, and sponsorships; 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 historical racing machine (HRM) manufacturing and other technology conditions that could impose additional costs; failure to enter into or maintain 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; 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 litigations; reliance on our technology services and catastrophic events and system failures disrupting our operations; inability to identify, complete, or fully realize the benefits of our proposed acquisitions, divestitures, development of new venues or the expansion of existing facilities on time, on budget, or as planned; difficulty in integrating recent or future acquisitions into our operations; cost overruns and other uncertainties associated with the development of new venues and the expansion of existing facilities; general risks related to real estate ownership and significant expenditures, including risks related to environmental liabilities; personal injury litigation related to injuries occurring at our racetracks; compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act or other similar laws and regulations, or applicable anti-money laundering regulations; payment-related risks, such as risk associated with fraudulent credit card or debit card use; work stoppages and labor problems; 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; increases to interest rates (due to inflation or otherwise), disruption in the credit markets or changes to our credit ratings may adversely affect our business; increase in our insurance costs, or inability to obtain similar insurance coverage in the future, and any inability to recover under our insurance policies for damages sustained at our properties in the event of inclement weather and casualty events; and other factors described under the heading “Risk Factors” in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and in other filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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.
Media Contacts
Darren Rogers
Senior Director, Communications & Media Services
Churchill Downs Racetrack
Phone: (502) 636-4461
Email: [email protected]
