Churchill Downs Is All About the Money — And That’s Exactly Why Derby Culture Matters

“Churchill Downs is all about the money!!!” 📣 

YES. It sure is.

Of course it’s about money. It will always be about money.

Horse racing is not a charity.

Churchill Downs is not a church.

That’s just the way it is.

However, money is dependent on people, because it’s the people who own the money. It’s the people who decide how they want to spend it.

Ultimately, it’s the people who have made Churchill Downs rich because they love it.

They love the sport.
They love the horses.
They love the stories.
They love the fashion.
They love the energy.
They love the traditions.
They love the parties.
They love the entire experience.

As long as Churchill Downs understands how to market to the people, it will continue to be successful.

If the people ever stop caring about the experience, the economics change with them.

Churchill Downs knows that.

It’s always been about money. We just love it so much that we roll out the cash because we want more of it.

Derby Culture Is Not a Side Attraction

This is where I think people sometimes underestimate the importance of Derby culture itself.

The fashion is not some little side attraction to the horse race.

The hats, the dresses, the suits, the parties, the food, the bourbon, the decorations, the traditions and the fanfare are a massive part of what makes the Kentucky Derby what it is.

There is an entire industry built around that culture.

Designers. Milliners. Boutiques. Restaurants. Hotels. Event planners. Caterers. Florists. Photographers. Stylists. Weddings… yes, weddings! Tourism. Parties across the country. People hosting Derby celebrations in their own homes thousands of miles away from Kentucky.

That’s a big dang deal!

The Derby is one of the rare sporting events where people who may not follow horse racing every week still want to participate because the culture surrounding the race is so compelling.

And I believe embracing that culture is incredibly important to the future of horse racing.

Give People More Ways to Fall in Love With Racing

 

If you want more people interested in racing, give them more ways to fall in love with it.

Maybe they come for the horses.

Maybe they come for the fashion.

Maybe they come because somebody invited them to a Derby party.

Maybe they buy their first ridiculous, fabulous hat and suddenly they want to know which horse they’re cheering for.

Maybe they fall in love with the traditions first and the sport second.

Who cares how they get through the door?

They’re there.

I’ve watched Derby culture grow firsthand through my own business over the past 16 years.

People want more than a two-minute race.

They want the occasion surrounding it.

Churchill Downs Has the “It” Factor

 

I lived in Chicago when Arlington was owned by Churchill Downs. We used to go to that track.

You know what I saw?

Hardly anyone in hats. Hardly anyone dressed to the nines. Hardly any energy. And that track was closed down.

At Churchill Downs?

Totally the opposite.

People want the buzz of the Derby.

They want the energy Derby Day gives them.

They want the fantastic hats and fanfare.

They want the parties.

They want the traditions.

They want the photographs.

They want to say, “I went to the Kentucky Derby.”

They want the experience.

And Kentucky knows how to do it.

If you attend other tracks, notice the crowds. There is simply nothing quite like the energy at Churchill Downs during Derby.

They have the “it” factor, and they know it.

We know it.

Hate it or love it, they have it.

And the racing culture, the horses, the fashion, the parties and the traditions surrounding all of it are not a distraction from the Derby industry.

They are a MASSIVE part of what drives it.

The Horse People and the Hat People Need Each Other

One thing I’ve seen over the years is far too much division between the “horse people” and the “hat people.”

I think that division completely misses the point.

If you want racing culture to survive and grow, you had better embrace both.

Because the horse racing industry runs on two tracks:

The horses and the culture.

One gives us the sport.

The other gives millions of people a reason to care about it.

And spend their money.

So, YES — Churchill Downs is all about the money.

But the people are the reason that money is there.

There.

I said it. 😀 - Jena Vinzetta Johnson