Churchill Downs Incorporated Announces Development Plans for Marshall Yards Racing & Gaming in Calvert City, Kentucky

CDI’s Eighth Kentucky HRM Entertainment Venue Expected to Open in Early 2026

LOUISVILLE, KY., (December 4, 2024)  Churchill Downs Incorporated (Nasdaq: CHDN, “CDI,” “Churchill Downs” or the “Company”) announced today approval from the Calvert City Planning and Zoning Board to develop Marshall Yards Racing & Gaming (“Marshall Yards” or the “Property”). CDI’s eighth historical horse racing entertainment venue in Kentucky is expected to open in early 2026 and will be located on an approximately 4.5-acre site at the intersection of I-69 and I-24 in the Calvert City area. Marshall Yards will feature up to 240 state-of-the-art historical racing machines (“HRMs”), a sports bar and a retail sportsbook, simulcast wagering and food and beverage offerings. The projected investment for the development is $40 to $50 million and it will operate as an annex of Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel. 

Calvert City Mayor Gene Colburn expressed excitement about the project, stating: “Calvert City is thrilled to welcome Churchill Downs to our community. This project is a testament to our city’s strategic location at the crossroads of two major interstates, making us an ideal destination for economic growth and innovation. Churchill Downs represents a cornerstone of Kentucky’s rich heritage, and having this iconic brand invest in Calvert City is both an honor and an incredible opportunity. We look forward to the exciting development and opportunities this will bring to our region.”

Marshall Yards Racing & Gaming – Exterior Rendering

Kevin Spraggs, Marshall County Judge Executive, shared: “This project represents a remarkable step forward for our community, bringing with it a wealth of economic opportunities that will benefit Marshall County for generations to come. The jobs created, the increased tax revenue and the growth in local businesses will have a far-reaching impact, helping to fund vital services like education, infrastructure and public safety. Beyond the immediate benefits, this development will put our community on the map as a destination for visitors and investors, opening new avenues for growth and innovation. I’m excited about the future we are building for Marshall County together, and I look forward to seeing how this partnership will strengthen and energize the entire region. The opportunities are limitless.”

“We are proud to announce this investment in Calvert City,” said Bill Carstanjen, CEO of CDI. “In addition to delivering a premier gaming and entertainment experience, this project will deliver $45 million in annual regional economic impact and create 250 construction jobs and 90 permanent jobs.”

“The opening of Churchill Downs’ historical racing gaming venue in Calvert City is a transformative moment for our community,” said Elizabeth Griffith Mudd, President, Kentucky Lake Economic Development. “Our local economy stands to benefit from increased business/tourism activity, new job opportunities, and a strengthened tax base, all of which will help drive sustained growth and prosperity in our region. We appreciate Churchill Downs’ investment in our community and are thrilled to welcome them as a new corporate citizen to Marshall County.”


About Marshall Yards Racing & Gaming

As an annex to Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel, Marshall Yards will extend the unmatched perks, rewards and entertainment offerings that guests have come to love. Guests can join the club at Oak Grove today to start earning exclusive benefits and status, which will carry over to Marshall Yards upon opening. Stay connected with the latest updates, sneak peeks and news about Marshall Yards by following us on social media at www.facebook.com/marshallyardsgaming.

About Churchill Downs Incorporated

Churchill Downs Incorporated (“CDI”) (Nasdaq: CHDN) has been creating extraordinary entertainment experiences for over 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. www.churchilldownsincorporated.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,” “scheduled,” and similar words or similar expressions (or negative versions of such words or expressions), although some forward-looking statements are expressed differently.

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, 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 that 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 betting 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 litigation; 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.

Tonya Abeln

Vice President of Corporate Communications

Churchill Downs Incorporated

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 502-636-4506