Bredar fired by Churchill

Doug Bredar, the racing secretary at Churchill Downs and Ellis Park since February 2002, was fired Monday by Churchill Downs Inc., the parent company of both tracks.

Bredar, 44, was unavailable for comment, but a family member confirmed that he had been informed of the firing Monday and had already cleaned out his office at Churchill in Louisville, Ky., and was scheduled to do so Tuesday at Ellis Park in Henderson, Ky.

Julie Koenig Loignon, vice president of communications at CDI, said Monday that "no one within the company" would comment on the firing "as a matter of policy."

At Churchill, Bredar replaced Jerry Botts, who died following a brief illness on Dec. 31, 2001. Botts was highly popular with horsemen at Churchill and had worked there as a racing official for 30 years.

Before his tenure at Churchill and Ellis, Bredar worked as an official at numerous tracks throughout the country, including Hollywood Park, Gulfstream Park, Arlington Park, Turf Paradise, and Prairie Meadows. He and his wife, television reporter Caton Bredar, currently reside in Louisville.

in Louisville.