Attendance, On-Track and Total Wagering Rise in 21-Day Fall Meet at Churchill Downs.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The 21-day Fall Meet at Churchill Downs (Nasdaq:CHDN), the first at the historic track since the completion of its $121 million renovation and the first since 2002 that was not limited by construction, concluded on Saturday, Nov. 26, with gains in both on-track and total wagering

While on-track patrons enjoyed the surroundings and top-level guest service in the rebuilt clubhouse, they joined fans at simulcast outlets across North America in strongly supporting a Churchill Downs daily racing program that offered large and competitive fields of horses. The track's daily racing also benefited from the 10-day growth of a Pick 6 pool that reached a Churchill Downs record of $5.7 million before it was distributed on Nov. 19.

Total wagering on the Churchill Downs meet, which includes both on-track and off-track betting, rose to $182,214,993, an increase of 11.3 percent over the $163,776,217 wagered during the 21-day Fall Meet in 2004. Total wagering averaged a record $8,676,904 per day, which marked the first time that daily average Fall Meet betting from all sources surpassed the $8 million mark. The daily average in 2004 was $7,798,867 and the previous record was the daily average of $7,995,667 established in 2003.

On-track wagering and attendance displayed gains from the 2004 session in which only portions of three floors in the renovated six-floor clubhouse were available and operations were split between the track and its Trackside simulcast wagering center, which remained open to accommodate Fall Meet patrons. On-track wagering totaled $24,483,358 during the meet, an increase of six percent over last fall's total of $23,105,268. Attendance, which was buoyed by generally favorable weather and the track's high-quality daily racing and stakes program, totaled 164,214, an increase of 4.7 percent from last year's total of 156,805. Daily attendance at the meet averaged 7,820, a gain of 4.7 percent from 2004 of 7,467 and the highest average attendance figure for a Churchill Downs Fall Meet since 2001.

One factor that helped fuel interest in Churchill Downs racing was the large and competitive fields of horses in its races. Races conducted during the Fall Meet averaged 10.17 wagering interests, which was an increase from the average of 9.82 in 2004 and the 2003 average of 9.66.

"Our Fall Meet was a success on many levels and we sincerely thank our fans, both on-track and those around the country, our horsemen, and our dedicated Churchill Downs team for their efforts to make this a most memorable meet," said Steve Sexton, president of Churchill Downs. "Our historic track faces many challenges from both within and outside of our industry, but the positive results of this meet underscore the wisdom displayed by the Churchill Downs Incorporated Board of Directors in its 2001 decision to approve the sweeping renovation of our track. Our patrons clearly love our new facility and Churchill Downs' commitment to providing the highest quality guest service during their visits. The results of the Fall Meet provide momentum and enthusiasm as our track heads into a new year and the 132nd renewals of the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks."

On-track business during the Fall Meet benefited from the new dining and entertainment areas in the rebuilt clubhouse, a structure that was completed in April. Those facilities allowed Churchill Downs to expand a holiday tradition and host its largest ever Thanksgiving holiday celebration. That holiday tradition, which had been severely limited by construction over the past two years, saw approximately 7,500 patrons enjoy Thanksgiving dinner at the track. The track had seating for about 5,000 diners prior to the renovation.

Other meet highlights included salutes to retired riding legend Pat Day, who announced his retirement prior to the meet, and legends of the Kentucky Derby, which included jockeys, trainers and owners who have won the famed "Run for the Roses." A popular racing innovation was "Stars of Tomorrow Day" on Nov. 5, which featured a program made up entirely of races for 2-year-old Thoroughbreds.

Purses during the Fall Meet averaged $478,632 per day, a decrease of 3.5 percent from the $495,788 offered daily during the 2004 meet.

The battle for leading jockey of the Fall Meet ended up as a seesaw battle on the final day between Rafael Bejarano and Mark Guidry, who ended the meet tied with 26 wins. Bejarano entered the day on top of the standings by two wins, but saw that lead evaporate as Guidry won three of the day's first six races. Bejarano, who won the Spring Meet titles at the track in 2004 and 2005, countered with back-to-back wins in the 7th and 8th races to reclaim the lead, but Guidry pulled back when he guided French Park to victory in the $200,000-added Golden Rod Stakes (GII). Guidry failed to win in one additional mount, while Bejarano was shut out in his final three rides.

Bejarano, a 23-year-old native of Peru, earned his first Fall Meet title, while the tie provided Guidry with his first "leading rider" crown at Churchill Downs. Guidry, 46, earned his 26 victories from 105 starts, while Bejarano had 164 mounts during the meet.

The leading apprentice jockey was 16-year-old Randall Toups, a Louisiana native who notched seven victories in his first meet at the track.

Louisville native Dale Romans continued to rewrite portions of the Churchill Downs record book as he collected his second Fall Meet "leading trainer" title and completed a sweep of the 2005 Spring and Fall crowns. Romans, who has now won seven training titles overall at his hometown track, saddled 16 winners during the meet. Runner-up Steve Asmussen, who had swept "leading trainer" honors in Spring and Fall Meets of 2004 and leads the nation's trainers in victories in 2005, finished with 11 wins.

Ken and Sarah Ramsey added to their collection of "leading owner" crowns as seven horses wearing their familiar red-and-white silks entered the winner's circle during the Fall Meet. The Ramseys had won a record nine consecutive titles until Overbrook Farm snapped that string in the Fall Meet of 2004. The Nicholasville, Ky., couple finished behind Billy Hays in the Spring Meet standings before they returned to the top spot among owners in the just-completed fall session. Overbrook Farm finished second with five victories.

A meet of spectacular finishes and stellar individual performances was headed by the closing weekend exploits of trainer Todd Pletcher, who won the 131st running of the $500,000-added Clark Handicap (Grade II) with Elisabeth Alexander's Magna Graduate and the 90th running of the $300,000-added Falls City Handicap (GII) with Melnyk Racing's Indian Vale. Pletcher, the 2004 Eclipse Award winner who stabled a division of horses at Churchill Downs for the first time, became just the fourth trainer in track history to sweep those tradition-rich Fall Meet handicap races.

The wins by Pletcher's horses came in the first two races of "Big Four Stakes Weekend," a series of four major stakes races on the final three days of the meet that also saw impressive wins by rising 2-year-old stars Private Vow in the $200,000-added Kentucky Jockey Club (GII) and unbeaten French Park in the $200,000-added Golden Rod (GII). Mike McCarty's Private Vow stamped himself as a possible 2006 Kentucky Derby contender with his win, while Stevestan Stable's French Park became the first filly since 1993 to sweep the Golden Rod and Pocahontas Stakes, the track's two Fall Meet stakes races for 2-year-old fillies.

Other notable performances included a victory by Mill House's America Alive in the $150,000 River City Handicap (GIII) and Godolphin's Sundrop, a Japanese-bred mare that ended her racing career with a victory in the Cardinal Handicap (GIII). Live Oak Plantation's My Typhoon won the Mrs. Revere (GII) for 3-year-old fillies on the turf for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, who trained the race's namesake in the mid-1980's, and Charles Patton's Therecomesatiger scored his first stakes win in the second running of the Commonwealth Turf.

Straight Line remained unbeaten at Churchill Downs for 81-year-old trainer Harvey Vanier with a meet-opening win in the Ack Ack Handicap (GIII), while John Gunther's homebred Bending Strings scored an easy win in the Chilukki (GII), formerly known as the Churchill Downs Distaff. Thomas McCann's Catcominatcha scored an upset victory in the Iroquois (GIII) for 2-year-olds.

2005 VS. 2004 FALL MEET COMPARATIVE TOTALS

                  2005 (21 days)     2004 (21 days)     % Change

    Attendance

    Total            164,214            156,805           4.7%

    Daily Avg.         7,820              7,467           4.7%

    On-Track Wagering (includes on-track wholecard simulcasting)

    Total           $ 24,483,358     $  23,105,268        6.0%

    Daily Avg.      $  1,165,874     $   1,100,251        6.0%

    Off-Track Wagering

    Total           $ 157,731,636    $ 140,670,948       12.1%

    Daily Avg.      $   7,511,030    $   6,698,617       12.1%

    Combined Total

    Total           $ 182,214,993    $ 163,776,217       11.3%

    Daily Avg.      $   8,676,904    $   7,798,867       11.3%

Churchill Downs, the world's most legendary racetrack, has conducted Thoroughbred racing and presented America's greatest race, the Kentucky Derby, continuously since 1875. Located in Louisville, the flagship racetrack of Churchill Downs Incorporated (Nasdaq:CHDN) also operates Trackside at Churchill Downs, which offers year-round simulcast wagering at the historic track. Churchill Downs will conduct the 132nd running of the Kentucky Derby on May 6, 2006. The track's 2006 Spring Meet is scheduled for April 29-July 16. Churchill Downs has served as host to the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships a record five times and will host the event again in 2006. Information about Churchill Downs can be found on the Internet at www.churchilldowns.com.