Kentucky Derby Photos Available For Internet Purchase

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (April 17, 2003) - Photographs from the archives of Churchill Downs that celebrate the excitement, tradition and romance of the Kentucky Derby and its historic home track will soon help to provide valuable funding for the important effort to find homes for current Thoroughbreds who have retired from racing because of age or injury.

The famed home of the "Run for the Roses" has created a unique way to raise money to benefit racehorse retirement initiatives by offering selected photos from its vast Kentucky Derby archives for purchase by the general public. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the Derby photographs will benefit the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation ("TRF"), a horse retirement organization that serves as a partner to Churchill Downs and other Churchill Downs Incorporated ("CDI") tracks in the company's "Green Pastures ProgramŽ." That program works to involve the tracks and their horsemen in the effort to secure adoptive homes and financial support for retired Thoroughbred racehorses.

Churchill Downs has partnered with Louisville-based Kinetic Corporation, the official photographer and archivist of the Kentucky Derby images, to select seven "Derby Series Collections" of photographic or lithographic reproductions. The seven collections, as well as special order Kentucky Derby images, will be available for purchase on the Internet at www.kentuckyderby.com, the official Web site of the Kentucky Derby. To view the images click on Derby Experience and then Photo Gallery."

The "Derby Series Collections" offer a blend of classic and contemporary Derby imagery in specific categories: Horses, Roses, Hats, Starting Gate, Churchill Entrance, Historic scenes and Artistic views. Each series contains six different images that may be purchased as a set or individually. Lithographic reproductions will range in size from 8 x 10 inches up to 12 x 8 inches and all-occasion note cards will also be available. Photographic reproductions will be available in sizes ranging from 8 x 10 inches up to 48 x 72 inches.

Hall of Fame jockey Steve Cauthen will join Churchill Downs as it launches this horse retirement fundraising initiative with a special offer that celebrates the 25th anniversary of Cauthen's victories in the Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown aboard the great Affirmed. Churchill Downs will make available for on-line purchase 25 autographed 8 x 10 inch color photos of Cauthen aboard Affirmed on Kentucky Derby Day of 1978 at a price of $104 each. The price represents Affirmed's victory in the 104th Kentucky Derby and all proceeds from the sale of the Cauthen autographed photographs will be donated to the TRF.

"I'm thrilled to be able to give something back to the Thoroughbred industry that will benefit the horses, the true foundation of the industry," said Cauthen. "The horses are the athletes that made my career by giving it their all, and now I'm pleased to be able to assist them through this program."

The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation was developed in 1982 and currently serves as the nation's largest Thoroughbred racehorse rescue organization. Through a series of retirement farms located a state prisons in Kentucky and across the country, the TRF provides a lifetime haven for racing's equine athletes when their careers have come to an end.

"Churchill Downs and its family of racetracks are actively involved in raising awareness and raising funds to support the TRF and its important mission," said Cathy Z. Rutter, vice president of community relations for Churchill Downs Incorporated. "We are constantly looking for new and creative ways to generate money for the retired equine athletes who are the very heart of the horseracing industry. Kinetic's archive of Kentucky Derby images is filled with memorable and sought-after photographs. This online offering creates a perfect opportunity for Churchill Downs to make some of those historic prints available to the public, while raising money for a very worthy cause."

"Churchill Downs Incorporated has taken the lead position through its racetracks in getting to the core of the solution both practically and through incredibly generous funding efforts," said TRF Executive Director Diana Pikulski. "The Green Pastures Program offers the absolute best scenario for getting retired horses on to successful second careers. And, what is so wonderful about the Derby photo fundraising effort is that the great horses of the Derby are helping out the less fortunate horses in the industry."

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 Louisville, an off-track betting and training facility. Churchill Downs will conduct the 129th running of the Kentucky Derby on May 3, 2003. The track has served as host to the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships a record five times. The 2002 Fall Meet at Churchill Downs is scheduled for Oct. 27 through Nov. 30.

« Back To Derby Scene