Churchill Downs Upgrades

[Badactor]

[1hooper]

Will the turf will play different this spring?


The current Matt Winn Turf Course, a 7/8-mile oval situated inside the one-mile dirt track, is the original surface when grass racing debuted 35 years ago at Churchill Downs in 1985. It is comprised of four-inch high Kentucky 31 Fescue (90%) and Bluegrass (10%) grown in a three-inch topsoil layer over a 13-inch course masonry sand base.

The new and more robust turf course will be a similar blend of fescue and bluegrass and will have a redesigned subsurface. The growing medium will contain a six-inch upper root zone layer created with a blended mix of topsoil and grit sand which will sit on a six-inch lower sand layer constructed with masonry sand. Churchill Downs planted several test plots in the spring of 2019 and selected the best for use in the new turf course.

[ozzy]

I would expect it will be different than what we’ve been used to for sure but seemed to me the turf always played very fair. Reports from the weekend had horses just floating over the lawn, very even with little to any kickback. Can’t wait to step on it next week.

The upcoming g paddock redesign it one I am anxiously awaiting g and one most certainly needed! It appears it will take away much of the standing room around the front of the paddock between the paddock and track as is currently as I’ve heard there will be a viewing/seating area there but anything is an improvement!

[ozzy]

paulickreport.com/news/the-biz/churchill-downs-paddock-to-undergo-major-transformation-in-time-for-2024-kentucky-derby/

And now we can see it. Mixed feelings….

[shoes]

I sorta liked the paddock the way it was.

[shoes]

"In total, the Paddock Project is expected to create 3,612 new premium reserved seats at various price and experience levels along with 3,250 new standing room-only tickets. The Paddock Project will also update select existing ticket inventory and improve paddock views for front-side guests with the addition of elevated viewing platforms."

I know I am old and maybe a "fuddy duddy" in this respect but as someone who first began attending the Derby in 1975, the emphasis over the last many years has been 100 percent about enhancing revenue. It was much more of an egalitarian experience in the past. I get that this is the modern way, but I think it is a relevant concern that they are going to lose future generations of fans who may have begun going to Derby as a fun, cool thing to do (and could do on a tight budget), but many of those grew into long term fans of the sport

[turffan]

What shoes said and it goes double or triple for Saratoga. There the horses used to walk around the trees, they used to open the infield on big days and, even more recently, you could get a picnic table near the paddock for free, if you can imagine.

I realize that they want to maximize revenue but, as shoes notes, are they pricing out the future fan base?

[Badactor]

[ozzy]

Just a FYI, no huge fanfare being made but Keeneland will be undergoing a paddock renovation this spring/summer prior to the BC there this fall. Certainly not as dramatic as CD but will be change nonetheless.

[shoes]

Apr 29, 2022 10:37:10 GMT -5 ozzy said:

Just a FYI, no huge fanfare being made but Keeneland will be undergoing a paddock renovation this spring/summer prior to the BC there this fall. Certainly not as dramatic as CD but will be change nonetheless.

Geez and Keeneland had the best paddock experience of the 15 or so tracks I have been to. I was just there the week before last.

[ozzy]

More related to drainage issues as much as anything else and new footing on the horse path as it has become more than uneven. Although they have already startled riders up in the stain paddock versus the walking ring and are also limiting people into that ring.