Historic Track Unveils $121-Million Face-Lift

The Twin Spires still loom over the most famous stretch of soil in horse racing. Little else seems the same after a $121-million face-lift to Churchill Downs.

The 3 1/2 -year renovation, the most ambitious in the track’s storied history, replaced the six-level clubhouse, added luxury suites and spruced up the aging home of the Kentucky Derby. The new digs were to debut Saturday, a week before the big race on May 7.

“You can’t help but get a tingle in your spine if you follow and love this sport, because now we’ve got a facility that we think is second to none in tradition, second to none in quality,” track president Steve Sexton said recently while inspecting the changes to Churchill Downs.

In place of the dingy, decaying clubhouse are more spacious and comfortable confines where fans can dine, bet and mingle while watching races. A new simulcast center features rows of seats for fans wanting to place bets on races elsewhere. Works of original art pay homage to the track’s history.

Sexton said he hopes the renovations bring back casual fans and slow the flow of money to a riverboat casino docked a few miles away on the Indiana side of the Ohio River.

“This is what Churchill needed,” said Bob Tucker of Jeffersonville, Ind., among a group of fans who recently got a sneak peek at the changes. He said the refurbished track is a far cry from what he remembered from years of coming out to watch the horses run: “An old wooden structure and some metal folding chairs.”

Brandon Kessinger of Louisville, who has come out to the track since boyhood, said the renovations were fitting for a track he called “the Yankee Stadium of horse racing.”

“You just walk around and it screams history,” he said, “but it needed a face-lift.”

Some new artwork quickly may become featured attractions.

On the second floor of the refurbished clubhouse is a 36-foot-long mural displaying colorful depictions of all 96 Derby-winning jockeys -- from Oliver Lewis, who rode Aristides to victory in the first Derby in 1875, to Stewart Elliott, who was aboard 2004 winner Smarty Jones.

The artist, Pierre “Peb” Bello, called it his contribution to revive the Derby’s past. The artist, known for his Daily Racing Form caricature drawings, painstakingly researched the winning jockeys from the 19th century.

“I wanted to show the public the real colors, the real faces of the jockeys,” he said.

The mural drew flocks of admirers looking for recognizable faces among the riders.

“I just think it’s so fun,” said Vicki Tomlinson of Shelbyville. “I think it’s great to see the reaction of everybody. I love to hear everybody say, ‘Oh, who’s that?’ ”

TVs seem everywhere to let fans keep tabs on races. Churchill installed touch-screen computers that let some fans order food and drinks and place bets without leaving their seats.

The modernization also added a common feature at other sports venues -- high-priced luxury suites. The track’s 79 suites -- sandwiched between the famed Twin Spires and overlooking the home stretch -- range from $70,000 to $240,000 in yearly lease prices. The suites quickly were snatched up, and Churchill has a waiting list.

The suites will generate about $9 million yearly for the track. Churchill also sold about 400 seat licenses -- giving fans the right to buy other prime Derby seats for 30 years -- producing another $19 million for the track.

Wine and spirits giant Brown-Forman Corp. will occupy a luxury suite overlooking the finish line. The Louisville-based company plans to show off the suite and the rest of the track for business meetings and to entertain customers throughout the year.

“The one thing that is always symbolic of Kentucky and our home place is Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby,” said Bob Krall, who oversees Brown-Forman’s customer alliances.

Probably the most sensitive part of the renovation was close to the fabled Twin Spires.

To avoid detracting from the track’s centerpiece, architects designed the luxury suites so they stair-step away from the spires. The spires, dating back to 1895, also were restored and repainted early in the renovations, but still look the same.

“We realize that’s a critical and important element to what Churchill Downs is all about,” Sexton said of the spires -- used as a corporate symbol by the track’s Louisville-based parent, Churchill Downs Inc., which owns tracks spanning both coasts. “The signature Kentucky Derby shot of horses rounding the first turn with the Twin Spires is known worldwide.”

Race fan Kessinger said the spires seem dwarfed by the luxury boxes, but said the track couldn’t cling to nostalgia alone.

“It’s progress,” he said. “I don’t feel sad about it.”

Other track improvements, while less glamorous, are designed to enhance fan comfort. They include expanded restroom space and new kitchens on every level, replacing the single kitchen that once served the whole track.

New escalators and elevators will help smooth crowd flow, especially on Derby Day, when more than 140,000 fans jam into the track.

The renovation increased the track’s overall space from 1 million to 1.4 million square feet. Amid the new surroundings, however, are reminders of Churchill’s rich history.

“I think it’s the best of both worlds,” said track spokesman John Asher. “You maintain the history ... when you look at those Twin Spires. And now we’ve got what I hope is a new foundation that will keep us alive and vibrant and growing for another 130 years.”