(Another) Major Renovation is coming to Churchill Downs

Stop me if you’ve heard this before: Churchill Downs is under construction. Nobody loves renovations more than the Home of the Kentucky Derby and a new one is expected to be in place for the race on the First Saturday of May, 2028.

Churchill Downs will connect the First Turn to the Skye Terrace with a new project called “Victory Run.” The four-story addition is the final piece of the puzzle, removing the last bit of uncovered box seats and replacing them with luxury suites.

Churchill Downs plans on spending between $280-$300 million on the project. Capacity will grow by taking out the 6,400 seats for 7,800 premium seats.

The latest capital campaign is significantly scaled back from the one announced in February. It was a three-pronged plan with a price tag of approximately $1 billion. “The Conservatory” was to replace temporary infield suites, in addition to other infield renovations. The proposal also included “The Skye,” a structure similar to the renderings shared today that replaced the Skye Terrace and connected the First Turn to the rest of the facility.

Fortunately, that terrible plan got tossed into the trash can. Two months after the initial announcement, CDI announced that renovation plans were put on hold due to economic uncertainty surrounding tariffs. It was music to this Kentucky Derby Infielder’s ears. Churchill Downs had already neutered the chaos inside the track. That project would have permanently dismantled it by removing almost all of the green space beneath the Twin Spires.

A structure like “Victory Run” was inevitably going to be built at some point. Churchill Downs makes all of its money in one week. It only makes sense to maximize that by installing premium seating within the facility’s pre-existing footprint.

One can only hope that these renderings are slightly off. You can’t have the roof of one building be slightly higher than the other.

Breeders’ Cup Pre-Entries Announced

It’s the final weekend of racing at Keeneland. There are five stakes races on the card, but none of them will get horses into the Breeders’ Cup. That’s because the World Championships of Horse Racing are next weekend at Del Mar.

Millions will be on the line in 14 championship races, highlighted by the Breeders’ Cup Classic. It’s packed with star power, giving horse racing fans a chance to watch the Triple Crown rivalry between Sovereignty and Journalism one more time. Fierceness, Sierra Leone, and Forever Young are among the older horses who could spoil the fun. You can watch the $7 Million Breeders’ Cup Classic Saturday, Nov. 1, on NBC.

Horse	Trainer
Antiquarian	T. Pletcher
Baeza	J. Shirreffs
Contrary Thinking	C. Brown
Fierceness	T. Pletcher
Forever Young (JPN)	Y. Yahagi
Journalism	M. McCarthy
Locked	T. Pletcher
Mindframe	T. Pletcher
Nevada Beach	B. Baffert
Sierra Leone	C. Brown
Sovereignty	B. Mott