(A look at the Churchill Downs track from underneath the Twin Spires)

Churchill Downs’ & NBC’s “Experiment” To Move Kentucky Oaks Starting Time Proves To Be Overwhelming Success…

The proof is in the pudding, even though you couldn’t get served any at some Louisville restaurants this year.

The facts are overwhelming, even if the bitter and irrelevant writers at “The Louisville Courier Journal” want to stir muck about tradition and greed.

The move of the Kentucky Oaks Post Time, so that the event could become the first Thoroughbred race ever televised in this country in Prime Time, was huge — despite some people’s attempts to make controversial.

The number of persons who viewed the race on TV was calculated to be 2.4 million people. That is four times higher than ever before in the history of televising the race.

The on-track attendance was over 103,000 people and was higher than the year before. This year’s attendance compares favorably with 2024, when 107,236 came to the track. In 2023, the number was 106,381. The record attendance came in 2016 when the crowd swelled to 124,589.

The betting handle for the day exceeded all expectations and was record-breaking. It was over $89 million dollars — which represents an increase of 18% to 19%.

The betting handle on just the G1 Kentucky Oaks, alone, was astounding. That betting volume increased by 29% and surpassed $29 million for the first time in history.

TwinSpires.com — an online platform — handled over $24 million on just Churchill Downs races that day. That amounted to an increase of 24%.

In short, the local newspaper’s cries of pending doom, dispair and agony didn’t pan out to be factual. That paper’s claims and the bitter retorts of somebody named Joe Gerth rarely mirror reality or accuracy, any damn more.

In short, some of the local restauranteurs — who shut down operations and shot their mounts off — only created a self-inflicted wound. They didn’t hurt the track. They didn’t hurt the attendance. And, they didn’t hurt the local economy — with plenty of restaurants selling out far in advance of the Friday Special.

They only hurt themselves. Betcha by golly wow they are open again come Kentucky Oaks time 2027.

Churchill Downs is a publicly traded company on the stock market. It has a fiduciary responsibility — by law — to do what is in the best interest of its stock holders. When approached with the opportunity to televise the Kentucky Oaks in Prime Time, the track did the only thing it could do. It moved the post time to accommodate.

And, it was a huge success.

Huge.

Not modestly successful.

Hugely successful.

Just like the track’s promotions of Derby week’s new and improved “502-uesday.”

Just like the track’s creation of Derby week’s highly successful “Wins-day.”

Just like the track’s innovations of Derby week’s massive promotional success “Thurby.”

All of these promotions have increased traffic flow throughout the community. All of these have created more visitors and more restaurant patrons. All of these “winners” have been done completely, 100% by Churchill Downs.

Yet, how many of the local restauranteurs have written a single note to Churchill Downs thanking their “neighbor” and “corporate partner” for all their efforts — both physically and literally — to make the Kentucky Derby; the Kentucky Oaks; Kentucky Derby Week; and all the other events associated with the month-long extravaganza so big; so important; so massive; so attractive; such a tourist destination?

Not a single one, that we can find evidence.

Not one.

Now, it is time for the local restaurant community — which has been the beneficiary of Churchill Downs’ investment in the community and by its’ economic commitment to creating and overwhelmingly supporting local events for two weeks leading up to the biggest two minutes in sports — to adapt.

To adjust.

To accept.

And, to learn how to benefit, too.

It’s not Churchill Downs’ job to figure out a winning game plan for each restaurant. It’s the restaurants job.

After all, the moths are attracted to the flame.

Not the other way around.

Period.

And…I’ve learned a long time ago…

Bigger is better. For everyone.

Just give it a try.