Churchill, Jettsport Honored For 2002 Art Of The Kentucky Derby Posters

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (March 21, 2002) - Churchill Downs and JettSport, Inc. have been honored by the Advertising Club of Louisville and the Louisville Graphic Design Association for posters that feature paintings by the internationally acclaimed American illustrator Gary Kelley that are the featured works in the 2002 "Art of the Kentucky Derby" series, the official artwork for the 2002 Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks.

Posters for the 128th renewals of the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks were honored with four 2002 Louie Awards by the Advertising Federation of Louisville, a group of the region's leading advertising industry professionals. The awards were presented at the 28th annual Louie Awards celebration on March 1 in Louisville.

The posters depicting colorful paddock scenes at Churchill Downs by Gary Kelly showcase the official artwork for the 2002 Derby and Oaks. Kelley's images also appears on tickets to the events and other officially licensed merchandise, including limited edition prints.

Both posters received "Gold" Louie Awards for best poster and the Kentucky Oaks poster also received a "Gold" Louie for best illustration. The Kentucky Derby poster received a "Silver" Louie in the illustration category.

The annual Louie Awards, which are known as ADDY awards in most American Advertising Federation (AAF) chapters, honor the community's most powerful creative work in television, radio, print media and out-of-home advertising. Winners of the top Louie Awards are automatically entered in the 5th District AAF ADDY competition.

JettSport, Inc. was also honored with "Silver" Louie awards for a poster for the Shoemaker Foundation, which featured an Andy Warhol portrait of legendary jockey Bill Shoemaker, and for the cover of the yearbook for the National Football League's Cleveland Browns.

The Louisville Graphic Design Association honored the Kentucky Derby Poster by selecting that piece for inclusion in its "100 Show," which showcases design excellence in the community. The Kentucky Derby poster and other selections featured in the "100 Show" are now on display at the Louisville Free Public Library.

The 2001 Kentucky Derby marked the Louisville-based JettSport Inc.'s first year as the official licensee for the "Art of the Kentucky Derby" series. The artwork for that installment of the series was a pair of watercolor paintings created by legendary singer and internationally renowned artist Tony Bennett. The company reached an agreement with Churchill Downs earlier this year on a three-year contract that will make JettSport, Inc. the official licensee for the series and other track-related art through 2004.

The "Art of the Kentucky Derby" series is in its sixth year. Artists in the series' earlier years included Leroy Neimann, Peter Max, Boguslaw Lustyk, and Peter Williams.

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 the Louisville Trackside, an off-track betting facility. Churchill Downs will conduct the 128th running of the Kentucky Derby on May 4, 2002. The track has served as host to the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships a record five times. The 2002 Spring Meet at Churchill Downs is scheduled for April 27 through July 7.

Note to Media: High-resolution files of the Kentucky Derby and Oaks posters are available for editorial purposes at: www.kyderbyart.com