Churchill Downs waiting on state approval of plan for Kentucky Derby spectators

Churchill Downs has submitted operational plans to Kentucky state officials that envision allowing spectators for the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby and the race cards that will precede it, a Churchill Downs official confirmed Tuesday.

Details about how many spectators would be allowed to attend the Derby were not available, but the official said that Churchill is anticipating allowing people to attend the Derby this year, despite uncertainty over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Derby was rescheduled earlier this year from the first Saturday in May to the Sept. 5 date in the hopes that disruptions caused by the pandemic would abate by the fall.

“We’ve submitted our plans and we’ve had careful collaboration,” Darren Rogers, senior director for communications for Churchill Downs, said Tuesday. “An update could come this week. . . . We’ll communicate details after approvals are granted and the specifics are realized.”

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Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear has been regularly announcing phaseouts to business restrictions over the past several weeks, and on Monday, Beshear gave the go-ahead for bars and “event centers” – including stadiums and festivals – to open at 50 percent capacity beginning June 29. Beshear and other state officials have cautioned, however, that people should continue to wear face masks while indoors and practice social distancing in all public spaces.

The Kentucky Derby is the most lucrative racing event held in the United States. Churchill’s parent company derives tens of millions of dollars of revenue from the race, much of that from high-priced ticket sales and all-day concessions. In addition, the race cards held in the lead-up to the Derby have become more and more popular under a concerted effort by Churchill’s management to leverage the Derby and the Churchill property to the fullest extent possible.

Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington is planning to hold a five-day race meet from July 8-12, after canceling its immensely popular spring meet earlier this year in the midst of the pandemic. An official for Keeneland did not immediately return a phone call Tuesday morning. The track had earlier announced that the July 8-12 meeting would be held spectator-free.