South Central Business Association

Churchill Downs to add Lighting

Nov 19, 2001

LIGHTING
Track says it's covering its bet by adding system now


By Jennie Rees
The Courier-Journal

Churchill Downs plans to add racetrack lights as part of its proposed $100 million phase II renovation project. But don't look for a 9 p.m. post time for the Kentucky Derby.

Churchill president Alex Waldrop said fans shouldn't read too much into the addition of lights. He said management decided that if it was spending so much money (a projected total of $127 million), it didn't want to leave out anything it might later decide is needed.

He called a Derby after dark ''highly unlikely,'' noting safety concerns. ''That's not the purpose,'' he said. ''The purpose is to give us the flexibility to conduct racing in the afternoon, in the evening or at night. We don't know what the market is going to be like in five years or 10 years, so we thought it was important to give ourselves flexibility.

''Wrigley Field added lights in 1988 and added suites 12 years ago. We see this as the same sort of natural evolution, to allow for the possibility that there may come a day when people see night racing as preferable.''

NBC, in its first year broadcasting the Derby and Triple Crown, this year moved post time back a halfhour, to just after 6 p.m. The network originally wanted a 6:30 p.m. post time, but Churchill worked out a compromise.

Could NBC force a squeeze play and insist on a prime-time Derby? Said Waldrop: ''NBC can't force us to do that.''

One thing he did note: With lights Churchill will never have to worry about running a Breeders' Cup race in the dark, as happened in 1988.