A A A
hero image slide

Creating Extraordinary Experiences

Racing   |   Online Wagering   |   Gaming

149

Runnings of the
Kentucky Derby

#
1

Most profitable horse race wagering platform

29

Industry-leading regional casinos and HRM/racing properties

800
+

Community nonprofits supported annually

The Kentucky Derby is just the beginning...

It all started with an inaugural race meet in 1875 that featured two flagship horse races: the Kentucky Oaks and the Kentucky Derby. These iconic races are still run beneath the Twin Spires 149 years later, making the Derby the longest continually-held annual sporting event in the United States. Today, Derby Week is preceded by a month of events celebrating the Kentucky Derby and helps to bring over $400 million to the local economy each year.

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.

About Churchill Downs Incorporated

Company Segments
Live and Historical Racing

The Live and Historical Racing segment includes pari-mutuel racing entertainment venues. Kentucky properties include the legendary Churchill Downs Racetrack, home of the Kentucky Derby which conducts live Thoroughbred racing during Spring, September and Fall Meets. Derby City Gaming is a historical racing machine (“HRM”) entertainment venue that operates under the Churchill Downs pari-mutuel racing license in Louisville. Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel offers live harness racing and HRMs in Oak Grove. Turfway Park Racing & Gaming is a live winter Thoroughbred racetrack and HRM entertainment venue in Florence with ancillary HRM facility Newport Racing & Gaming in Newport. Ellis Park Racing & Gaming is a live summer Thoroughbred racetrack and HRM venue in Henderson. In Virginia, the segment includes Colonial Downs Racetrack in New Kent, as well as six Rosie’s Gaming Emporium HRM facilities located in Collinsville, Dumfries, Hampton, New Kent, Richmond and Vinton.

Company Segments
TwinSpires

The TwinSpires segment is comprised of our advanced deposit wagering (“ADW”) business including United Tote. Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, TwinSpires is one of the largest and most profitable online wagering platforms for horse racing in the U.S.

Company Segments
Gaming

The Gaming segment includes Churchill Downs Incorporated’s casino properties and associated racetrack or jai alai facilities that support the casino license. CDI's regional gaming portfolio consists of 13 properties located in 11 states.

Coming Soon

Terre Haute Casino Resort is a $240 million investment located in Terre Haute, Indiana, scheduled to open in early 2024. It will feature a 125-room luxury hotel, 1,000 slots and electronic table games, 35 live table games (including live poker), 5 restaurants, 6 bars and a state-of-the-art Sports Book. 

Derby City Gaming Downtown is a 43,000-square-foot historical racing machine ("HRM") entertainment venue located in downtown, Louisville, Kentucky, that will include 500 HRMs, 3 unique bar concepts and a stage for live music entertainment. The anticipated opening is in the second half of 2023. 

Rosie's - Emporia HRM entertainment venue is expected to open in summer 2023 in Emporia, Virginia. 

Our Properties

Churchill Downs Incorporated proudly oversees 29 industry-leading regional casinos and HRM/racing properties across 13 states.

View All
Calder Casino

Miami Gardens, Florida

Chasers Poker Room

Salem, New Hampshire

Churchill Downs Racetrack

Louisville, Kentucky

Colonial Downs Racetrack

New Kent, Virginia

del Lago Resort & Casino

Waterloo, New York

Derby City Gaming & Hotel

Louisville, Kentucky

Ellis Park Racing & Gaming

Henderson, Kentucky

Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots

New Orleans, Louisiana

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sioux City

Sioux City, Iowa

Harlow's Casino Resort & Spa

Greenville, Mississippi

Lady Luck Casino Nemacolin

Farmington, Pennsylvania

Miami Valley Gaming

Lebanon, Ohio

Newport Racing & Gaming

Newport, Kentucky

Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel

Oak Grove, Kentucky

Ocean Downs Casino

Berlin, Maryland

Oxford Casino, Hotel & Event Center

Oxford, Maine

Presque Isle Downs & Casino

Erie, Pennsylvania

Rivers Casino
Des Plaines

Des Plaines, Illinois

Riverwalk
Casino Hotel

Vicksburg, Mississippi

Rosie's Gaming Emporium

Dumfries, Virginia

Rosie's Gaming Emporium

Hampton, Virginia

Rosie's Gaming Emporium

New Kent, Virginia

Rosie's Gaming Emporium

Richmond, Virginia

Rosie's Gaming Emporium

Vinton, Virginia

Turfway Park Racing & Gaming

Florence, Kentucky

News and Press Releases

Churchill Downs Incorporated Logo
Company Update
May 25, 2023
Churchill Downs Statement Regarding United States District Court Favorable Ruling in Bob Baffert v. Churchill Downs
Company Update
May 7, 2023
Churchill Downs Incorporated Statement
Company Update
May 1, 2023
50/50 Charitable Raffle Returns to Churchill Downs for Derby Week
Company Update
Apr 20, 2023
Churchill Downs Incorporated Names Cathy Shircliff Director of Equine Industry Relations
Company Update
Mar 31, 2023
CDI Statement on Sports Betting in Kentucky

Community Impact
Dec 8, 2022
Riverwalk Casino Hotel Announces Inaugural “Season of Giving Donation Event” in Vicksburg
Industry News
Sep 13, 2022
Churchill Downs to Install PET Scan at Equine Medical Center
Community Impact
Sep 1, 2022
Turfway Park Racing & Gaming Celebrates Grand Opening with $50,000 Donation to Local Charities

Company Investment
Dec 19, 2022
Churchill Downs Incorporated to Acquire Exacta Systems
Company Update
Nov 1, 2022
Churchill Downs Incorporated Completes Acquisition of Substantially All of the Assets of Peninsula Pacific Entertainment
Company Investment
Oct 21, 2022
Churchill Downs Celebrates Construction Milestone of First Turn Experience
Company Update
Sep 26, 2022
Churchill Downs Incorporated Completes Acquisition of Ellis Park in Henderson, Kentucky
Kentucky Derby and Oaks
Sep 16, 2022
2022-23 Road to the Kentucky Derby Schedule Announced

Company Investment
Dec 19, 2022
Churchill Downs Incorporated to Acquire Exacta Systems
Company Update
Nov 1, 2022
Churchill Downs Incorporated Completes Acquisition of Substantially All of the Assets of Peninsula Pacific Entertainment
Company Investment
Oct 21, 2022
Churchill Downs Celebrates Construction Milestone of First Turn Experience
Company Update
Sep 26, 2022
Churchill Downs Incorporated Completes Acquisition of Ellis Park in Henderson, Kentucky
Kentucky Derby and Oaks
Sep 16, 2022
2022-23 Road to the Kentucky Derby Schedule Announced

Kentucky Derby and Oaks
May 12, 2023
The Kentucky Derby on NBC and Peacock is the Most Watched Sporting Event Since Super Bowl, Averaging Nearly 15 Million Viewers
Kentucky Derby and Oaks
May 7, 2023
149th Kentucky Oaks Race Card Sets Record Handle as Pretty Mischievous Claims the Lilies
Company Update
May 1, 2023
50/50 Charitable Raffle Returns to Churchill Downs for Derby Week
Kentucky Derby and Oaks
Apr 25, 2023
GRAMMY® Award-Winning Country Music Singer Carly Pearce and Emmy® Award-Winning Rachel Platten Set to Perform During 149th Kentucky Derby Weekend
Kentucky Derby and Oaks
Apr 13, 2023
Churchill Downs Announces 2023 Kentucky Derby Partnerships

Paint the World Derby
Spring 2023 ISSUE

Paint the World Derby 

“It is not unusual for an artist to have such a specific point of view that the mere mention of their name evokes an immediate mental connection to their work. It is, however, a rare gift for an artist to completely embody that visual language in every facet of their life. Brazilian-born Romero Britto is the personification of his art in human form. The consistency of his artistic brand sparks familiarity and his larger-than-life personality is creative study in human connection. Both are iconic. Both illicit a dopamine effect of happiness. And both will be a major part of the 149thKentucky Derby.”

Tonya Abeln

Spring 2023

Read More

Paddock
FALL 2022 ISSUE

An Unbeatable View 

“A new, larger and more beautiful paddock will debut for the 150th Kentucky Derby, to be held the first Saturday in May, 2024. A big project, estimated at $185-200 million. But one whose cost is dwarfed by expectations of something special, built in the heart of the racetrack. ‘The new paddock will be transformational for the track,’ promises Churchill Downs Racetrack General Manager Mike Ziegler. ‘It turns the whole focal point upon entering the racetrack to a grand paddock. And the first thing you’ll see upon walking in the gate is the Twin Spires.’”

Bill Doolittle

Fall 2022

Read More

The Sun Shines Bright
SPRING 2022 ISSUE

The Sun Shines Bright: Aimee Griffith and the Official Art of the Kentucky Derby 

“The artist chosen for the official artwork of the Kentucky Derby always has a unique story, but Aimee Griffith's journey as an artist is especially intriguing. Born and raised in Bardstown, Kentucky, with fond memories of Thunder Over Louisville as a kid, Aimee didn't truly begin her work as an artist until recent years. Though she took an art class in college, it wasn't until her family's relocatoin to Austrailia in 2016 that Aimee really began to come into her own as an artist. What began as trips to the free museums with her kids eventually led to her own urge to pick up a paint brush herself." 

Tony Lewis

Spring 2022

Read More

The Father of the Kentucky Derby
FALL 2021 ISSUE

The Father of the Kentucky Derby: How Col. Matt Winn Established the Legacy of the Kentucky Derby

“It is nearly impossible to speak of the Kentucky Derby without mentioning the name of Matt Winn. Born on June 30, 1861, in Louisville, Kentucky, the son of Patrick Winn and Julia Flaherty Winn, Colonel Matt Winn - as he was popularly known due to his honorary title - has a story inextricably tied to the modern Kentucky Derby, serving on the management team of Churchill Downs from 1902 to 1949 and widely regarded as the father of the Derby as we know it today." 

Chris Goodlett

Fall 2021

Read More

Overcoming Erasure: Kentucky Derby Museum expands and enhances its ‘Black Heritage in Rac
SPRING 2021 ISSUE

Overcoming Erasure:
Kentucky Derby Museum expands and enhances its ‘Black Heritage in Racing’ exhibition

“As with much of American history, the contributions of Black horsemen to the legacy of the Kentucky Derby, though integral, are largely unknown to far too many of us. This spring, the Kentucky Derby Museum is doubling down on its efforts to remedy that erasure. Since 1993, the museum has hosted a permanent 'Black Heritage in Racing' exhibit on the second floor. But now, the exhibit moves downstairs to a 930-square-foot space to expand the stories of legendary Black horsemen through artifacts, oral history interviews and artwork.”

Kellie Doligale

Spring 2021

Read More

Racing
2020 ISSUE

Racing’s Keystone:
A celebration of the 125th anniversary of the Twin Spires

“Every object and significant building of the first 20 years of the Downs and the Derby – with the exception of the racetrack itself, which hasn’t moved an inch in 146 years – have been modified or removed. One has to say the ‘modern’ life of the ancient Downs begins with that grandstand and its spires: the heart of the track that grew from there and a continuing heartbeat of its history.”

Bill Doolittle

2020

Read More

Greatness in Motion: Guinness McFadden looks back on Country House’s Derby 145 triumph
FALL 2019 ISSUE

Greatness in Motion:
Country House’s Derby 145 triumph

“It almost never is, but sometimes the exception confirms the rule: 2019 Kentucky Derby victor Country House looks like a horse that was born to win. With his fluid and sturdy movement, watching him run is a joy, all long strides and lean muscle. A glossy copper chestnut with a shock of white blazing down his forehead, this is what you picture when you close your eyes and envision ‘champion.’”

Kirsten Schofield

Fall 2019

Read More

Making a Mark: World-renowned illustrator Ralph Steadman returns to Churchill Downs 49 years after notoriously visiting with Hunter S. Thompson
SPRING 2019 ISSUE

Making a Mark:
Ralph Steadman's return to Churchill Downs

“Similar to Thompson’s determination to surround himself with the ultimate truths of existence at the Derby, Steadman was concentrated not on watching the races but on watching the people watch the races; he wanted to capture whatever that feeling is called during a race – some intersection of jubilation, vigor, frenzy, ecstasy and insanity.”

Remy Sisk

Spring 2019

Read More