In the thrilling world of horse racing, few events capture the hearts and imaginations of enthusiasts quite like the Kentucky Derby, held annually at Churchill Downs in Louisville. As the iconic track prepares for the first Saturday in May, it’s making strides towards a positive development that could reshape the future of American horse racing. Namely, Churchill Downs is forging a stronger relationship with the Breeders’ Cup Ltd, located less than 100 miles away in Lexington, and known for hosting the prestigious Breeders Cup Championships – two days of racing that stand unrivaled on the global stage.
Churchill Downs and the Breeders’ Cup have always had a complicated relationship. Churchill hosts the Kentucky Derby far and away the most popular horse race in America television ratings and betting. In contrast the season ending Breeders’ Cup Championships stages its own racing masterpiece, unparalleled two days and 14 races of world-class racing in the first week of November. The Derby has a much broader appeal while the Breeders’ Cup is a favorite of racing insiders.
One would think there would be symbiosis between these two organizations and their signature events. And there have been some successes working together in the past. Churchill Downs has hosted the Breeders Cup World Championships a remarkable 9 times with each event delivering extraordinary racing and financial results to the Kentucky racing fans and horsemen. The iconic Lousiville track has also been a regular host of the Breeders Cup Challenge Series since its inception in 2008.
But there have also been long simmering tensions between these two industry power houses ranging from fights over media rights, finance and control issues for the industry’s attempt at creating a national league office in the 1990s to ongoing financial disputes and resentments regarding the hosting of the World Championships—which have now not been staged at Churchill for a remarkable seven years dating back to 2018.
Lately however there seems to have been a thawing of tensions. Churchill and the Breeders’ Cup have worked more collaboratively on Kentucky legislation to legalize historic horse race machines and generate hundreds of millions of new purses for Kentucky owners and trainers. The two organizations also jointly supported the creation of the new federal regulatory body HISA which aims to provide heightened safety rules and drug testing and uniform punishment for rules infractions, similar to other major league sports.
As a further sign of the renewed effort to bridge the gap that has separated the two organizations for the past three decades, Churchill has now added a section on its Twin Spires website that honors the founders of the Breeders’ Cup.
Last year was a very difficult year for the sport of horseracing with a number of high -profile equine fatalities on 2023 Kentucky Derby Day and at the 2023 Breeders Cup. In these difficult times for the sport, it is good to see Churchill and the Breeders’ Cup coming together and setting aside past differences. The importance of this evolving relationship given in the uncertain national future of horseracing in the United States cannot be overstated. In a landscape where horse racing is fighting for its very existence, collaboration between Churchill Downs and the Breeders’ Cup Ltd is more critical than ever. The challenges of ensuring the welfare of racehorses, addressing concerns about safety and integrity, creating new customers and restoring public confidence demand a united front. By working together, these two influential organizations can spearhead initiatives to enhance horse welfare, implement stricter safety measures, and promote responsible breeding practices.