Churchill Downs Incorporated Pairs COVID-19 Relief Giving with Virtual Derby

Community and corporate donations benefit Direct Relief, Team Kentucky and R.E.I.N. Fund

Louisville, KY (June 1, 2020) – On what would have been the running of the 146th Kentucky Derby on May 2, 2020, Churchill Downs offered fans a virtual alternative that also included a philanthropic component for COVID-19 relief efforts.

“The Kentucky Derby: Triple Crown Showdown” was a virtually simulated horse race, pitting all 13 Triple Crown winners in history against one another. To create the visuals for the event, Churchill Downs engaged Inspired Entertainment, an Ireland-based company that has produced thousands of CGI animations of sporting events for various entertainment and gaming purposes. Inspired worked with Churchill Downs officials as well as other industry racing experts to create the odds and probabilities that dictated the chances of the race, which eventually resulted in heavy favorite Secretariat crossing the Finish Line first.

In addition to the excitement of the first-ever virtual Derby, Churchill Downs felt a responsibility to acknowledge why the 146th Kentucky Derby had been delayed to September 2020 by contributing in a meaningful way to the public health crises that was affecting Derby fans globally. This was accomplished by challenging fans to interact with the virtual Derby by placing a “bet” on their favorite Triple Crown Champion to win by way of a donation to COVID-19 relief charities. Participants who selected the correct winner online were entered for a chance to win the ultimate Kentucky Derby VIP experience.

The #KYDerbyAtHome charitable initiative resulted in a $100,000 donation to Direct Relief and a $100,000 donation to Team Kentucky Fund while also jumpstarting Churchill Downs Foundation’s newly formed Relief for Equine Industry Needs (R.E.I.N.) Fund. The overall effort was part of Churchill Downs’s ongoing commitment to offsetting the hardships faced by the pandemic and assisting those in the community and the industry who are significantly impacted by COVID-19.

Since its inception, Direct Relief has provided aid in response to emergencies and to refugee populations. Beginning with postwar refugee assistance in Eastern Europe, Direct Relief has consistently responded with targeted medical aid following major emergencies. Today, Direct Relief provides appropriate and specifically requested medical resources to community-based institutions and organizations throughout the world and across the United States. Just as in 1948, Direct Relief’s humanitarian assistance is provided respectfully, in partnership with local groups, and without regard to ethnicity, politics, religion, gender or ability to pay. The virtual Derby donation was earmarked for Direct Relief’s COVID-19 specific efforts.

In March 2020, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear established the Team Kentucky Fund to provide help to Kentuckians experiencing an employment-related financial hardship during the COVID-19 public health emergency. A committee, led by Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman and co-chaired by five former Kentucky lieutenant governors, was formed to identify and implement strategies that will maximize the impact of the Team Kentucky Fund. Approved applicants receive vouchers of up to $1,000 per household, and vouchers may be used to help offset such expenses as rent, mortgage, food/grocery and utility costs.

The R.E.I.N. Fund, or Relief for Equine Industry Needs, was established by the Churchill Downs Incorporated Foundation in response to the growing needs in the equine industry as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent interruption of customary racing operations. The emergency relief fund specifically addresses the needs of backside communities by providing meals, micro-grants and financial assistance with emergency needs as well as the fulfillment of essential care for horses.

“As the first Saturday in May approached, the traditional date for the running of the Kentucky Derby, we realized that even though the actual running of the 146th Kentucky Derby would still happen later this year in September, there was a real need from our community and fans to celebrate this date that has come to feel like a holiday to many of us,” said Tonya Abeln, Vice President of Corporate Communications for Churchill Downs Incorporated and President of Churchill Downs Incorporated Foundation. “We wanted to take this opportunity, during a unique time when we were all forced to distance due to curbing the spread of COVID, and use it as a force to unite us as a country in the way that great sporting events can do. We knew the virtual Derby would give our fans at home an opportunity to safely cheer for these legendary horses. Beyond that, we wanted the first Saturday in May to stand for more than we ever imagined it could by inspiring our fans to join together for a great and worthy cause.”