Good Cheer Claims the Lilies for the 151st Running of the Longines Kentucky Oaks

Rhea-AI Summary

In the 151st Longines Kentucky Oaks, Good Cheer emerged victorious in a field of 13 horses under sloppy track conditions. The Godolphin-owned filly, trained by Brad Cox and ridden by Luis Saez, won by 2 1/4 lengths with a time of 1:50.15. All-sources wagering on the full Kentucky Oaks race day reached $73.9 million, with the Kentucky Oaks race alone generating $22.7 million, up 4% year-over-year. TwinSpires, the official betting partner, set a new record with $20.9 million in wagering on Churchill Downs races for the Kentucky Oaks Day program, surpassing last year's $20.3 million. The event also continued its tradition of supporting women's health initiatives, with 150 cancer survivors participating in the 17th annual Survivors Parade.

Positive

• All-sources wagering on Kentucky Oaks race increased 4% to $22.7 million
• TwinSpires set new record of $20.9 million in wagering, up from $20.3 million last year
• Total wagering from all sources reached $73.9 million for the full race day card

Negative

• None.

Insights

Gaming and Entertainment Industry Analyst

Churchill Downs reports solid Kentucky Oaks results with increased wagering figures and strong attendance despite sloppy conditions.

The 151st Kentucky Oaks generated $73.9 million in all-sources wagering on the full race card, with $22.7 million specifically on the Oaks race itself—representing a 4% year-over-year increase. This growth occurred despite challenging sloppy track conditions, which typically introduces additional variables for bettors.

Particularly noteworthy is TwinSpires' performance, CDI's digital wagering platform, which set a new record of $20.9 million in handle on Churchill Downs races for the Kentucky Oaks Day program. This represents approximately 3% growth from last year's $20.3 million—a solid indicator for the company's digital betting operations.

The attendance of more than 100,000 spectators demonstrates robust consumer interest in this signature racing event, an important metric for Churchill Downs as it balances digital growth with maintaining the appeal of in-person racing experiences.

While the Oaks represents just one day in CDI's annual racing calendar, it's a significant revenue generator and brand showcase. The successful execution of this high-profile event, combined with its charitable initiatives which have raised over $1.5 million for women's health advocacy since inception, reinforces Churchill Downs' position as a leader in premium racing entertainment.

LOUISVILLE, Ky., May 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Churchill Downs Incorporated (Nasdaq: CHDN) (the "Company", "CDI", "we") announced Good Cheer captured the Lilies in the 151^st running of the Longines Kentucky Oaks in a field of 13 and sloppy track conditions. Under mostly cloudy skies, more than 100,000 excited racegoers gathered to watch America’s premier race for 3-year-old fillies.

Wagering from all sources on the full Kentucky Oaks race day card was $73.9 million. All-sources wagering on the Kentucky Oaks race was $22.7 million, up 4% from last year.

TwinSpires, the official betting partner of the Kentucky Oaks, handled a new record of $20.9 million in wagering on Churchill Downs races for the Kentucky Oaks Day program, compared to last year’s record of $20.3 million, including all settled future wagers and affiliate wagering.

Good Cheer, owned and bred by Godolphin, LLC, trained by Brad Cox and ridden by Luis Saez, covered the 1-1/8th mile and sped to the finish line to win the Longines Kentucky Oaks by 2 1/4 lengths at odds of 6-5 and with a final time of 1:50.15. The Kentucky-bred filly, sired by Medaglia d’Oro, now has lifetime earnings of $1.7 million.

“Today we honor and congratulate the connections of Good Cheer,” said Churchill Downs President Mike Anderson. “We thank our many fans, sponsors, horsemen, and horseplayers who all contributed to making today’s 151st Kentucky Oaks a remarkable celebration.”

CDI continued using Kentucky Oaks as a platform to raise money for women’s health initiatives. We welcomed 150 breast and ovarian cancer survivors to walk the historic racetrack prior to the running of Longines Kentucky Oaks for the 17th annual Survivors Parade.

Churchill Downs’ Oaks charitable beneficiaries were Derby Divas, representing the Norton Cancer Institute, and Horses and Hope, representing the Kentucky Cancer Program. Since its inception, the Oaks Survivors Parade charitable initiative has raised over $1.5 million for women’s health advocacy, providing preventative access to underserved women throughout Kentucky, including those who work in the equine industry.

About Churchill Downs Incorporated

Churchill Downs Incorporated (“CDI”) (Nasdaq: CHDN) has been creating extraordinary entertainment experiences for over 150 years, beginning with the company’s most iconic and enduring asset, the Kentucky Derby. Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, CDI has expanded through the acquisition, development, and operation of live and historical racing entertainment venues, the growth of online wagering businesses, and the acquisition, development, and operation of regional casino gaming properties. www.churchilldownsincorporated.com

This news release contains various “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by the use of terms such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “will,” “scheduled,” and similar words or similar expressions (or negative versions of such words or expressions), although some forward-looking statements are expressed differently.

Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Important factors, that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations include the following: the occurrence of extraordinary events, such as terrorist attacks, public health threats, civil unrest, and inclement weather, including as a result of climate change; the effect of economic conditions on our consumers' confidence and discretionary spending or our access to credit, including the impact of inflation; changes in, or new interpretations of, applicable tax laws or rulings that could result in additional tax liabilities; the impact of any pandemics, epidemics, or outbreaks of infectious diseases, and related economic matters on our results of operations, financial conditions and prospects; lack of confidence in the integrity of our core businesses or any deterioration in our reputation; negative shifts in public opinion regarding gambling that could result in increased regulation of, or new restrictions on, the gaming industry; loss of key or highly skilled personnel, as well as general disruptions in the general labor market; the impact of significant competition, and the expectation that competition levels will increase; changes in consumer preferences, attendance, wagering, and sponsorships; risks associated with equity investments, strategic alliances and other third-party agreements; inability to respond to rapid technological changes in a timely manner; concentration and evolution of slot machine and historical racing machine ("HRM") manufacturing and other technology conditions that could impose additional costs; failure to enter into or maintain agreements with industry constituents, including horsemen and other racetracks; inability to successfully focus on market access and retail operations for our sports betting business and effectively compete; online security risk, including cyber-security breaches, or loss or misuse of our stored information as a result of a breach including customers’ personal information could lead to government enforcement actions or other litigation; costs of compliance with increasingly complex laws and regulations regarding data privacy and protection of personal information; reliance on our technology services and catastrophic events and system failures disrupting our operations; inability to identify, complete, or fully realize the benefits of our proposed acquisitions, divestitures, development of new venues or the expansion of existing facilities on time, on budget, or as planned; difficulty in integrating recent or future acquisitions into our operations; cost overruns and other uncertainties associated with the development of new venues and the expansion of existing facilities; general risks related to real estate ownership and significant expenditures, including risks related to environmental liabilities; personal injury litigation related to injuries occurring at our racetracks; compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act or other similar laws and regulations, or applicable anti-money laundering regulations; payment-related risks, such as risk associated with fraudulent credit card or debit card use; work stoppages and labor problems; risks related to pending or future legal proceedings and other actions; highly regulated operations and changes in the regulatory environment could adversely affect our business; restrictions in our debt facilities limiting our flexibility to operate our business; failure to comply with the financial ratios and other covenants in our debt facilities and other indebtedness; increases to interest rates (due to inflation or otherwise); disruption in the credit markets or changes to our credit ratings may adversely affect our business; increase in our insurance costs, or inability to obtain similar insurance coverage in the future, and any inability to recover under our insurance policies for damages sustained at our properties in the event of inclement weather and casualty events; and other factors described under the heading “Risk Factors” in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and in other filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

We do not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Investor Contact: Sam Ullrich		Media Contact: Tonya Abeln
(502) 638-3906		(502) 386-1742
Sam.Ullrich@kyderby.com		Tonya.Abeln@kyderby.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3c390a2c-8af3-4369-9b17-3301f3f3bc

FAQ

How much was the total wagering for the 2025 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs (CHDN)?

The total all-sources wagering for the 2025 Kentucky Oaks race day card was $73.9 million, with $22.7 million specifically wagered on the Kentucky Oaks race.

Who won the 2025 Kentucky Oaks horse race at Churchill Downs?

Good Cheer, owned by Godolphin LLC and trained by Brad Cox, won the 151st Kentucky Oaks with jockey Luis Saez, finishing 2 1/4 lengths ahead with a time of 1:50.15.

How did TwinSpires perform during the 2025 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs (CHDN)?

TwinSpires set a new record of $20.9 million in wagering on Churchill Downs races for the Kentucky Oaks Day program, surpassing the previous year's record of $20.3 million.

What charitable initiatives were part of the 2025 Kentucky Oaks?

The event featured the 17th annual Survivors Parade with 150 breast and ovarian cancer survivors, benefiting Derby Divas and Horses and Hope. The initiative has raised over $1.5 million for women's health advocacy.