News Archive

Daily Handicapping Shows for Calder, Churchill, Fair Grounds on TwinSpiresTV

dave — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:37:22 -0800

TwinSpires Players interested in catching daily handicapping shows for Calder, Churchill Downs and Fair Grounds can do so each race day on TwinSpiresTV.

"Churchill Downs Today" airs each Churchill race day throughout November at 10:30am Eastern. If there is live racing from Louisville, "Churchill Downs Today" will be on the air. To catch "Churchill Downs Today" simply go to TwinSpiresTV and click on "Churchill Downs" from the Live Racing menu. The show will air at 10:30am Eastern.

Calder's race day handicapping show airs at 9:30am Eastern, Thursday - Sunday on TwinSpiresTV.

Fair Grounds' race day handicapping show airs at 10:00am Eastern Friday - Sunday on TwinSpiresTV.

Churchill to Offer 50-cent Minimum Bets

davids — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:58:39 -0800

Starting this Thursday, Churchill Downs will begin offering 50-cent minimum trifectas and Pick-3 wagers. The 50-cent trifectas have been popular at tracks across the country including Keeneland and Arlington Park.

In addition to the 50-cent trifectas and Pick-3 wager, Churchill Downs also currently offers a 50-cent Pick 4.

First post at Churchill on Thursday and for the rest of this week is set for 12:40pm Eastern/9:40am Pacific.

TwinSpires 25 Seat Guarantee Players - 10X Saturday, 11/21

davids — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:10:21 -0800

This Saturday a total of 25 seats to the 2010 DRF/NTRA National Handicapping Championship at the Red Rock Casino and the 2010 Horse Player World Series at The Orleans Casino in Las Vegas are up for grabs in the annual TwinSpires 25 Seat Guarantee.

As an added bonus, all registered 25 Seat Guarantee Players will get 10 Twin Spires Club points for every dollar wagered on ALL wagers placed on Saturday, November 21st.

Brisnet.com customized 12-race contest files are now online.

Entry into the 25 Seat Guarantee is limited to a first come first serve basis and is filling up fast!

Click here to register for the TwinSpires 25 Guarantee.

Churchill Downs Incorporated to Acquire Youbet.com, Inc.

dave — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:32:15 -0800

Churchill Downs Incorporated to Acquire Youbet.com, Inc.

We are very happy to announce that Churchill Downs Incorporated, ("CDI"), has entered into a definitive merger agreement under which CDI would acquire Youbet.com, Inc. There are many things that have to happen before this deal is closed and the two companies must operate independently until then. We will let you know our plans for the combined business following closing, which we expect may occur in the first half of 2010.

There are three very important things you should know today, however. First, this deal is really all about you. For horse racing to grow in the U.S. we need online wagering to grow. The combined business should give us even greater resources to invest in new features and services that you want, and that attract new customers to racing.

Second, we understand how important it is that you have trust and confidence in the company you choose to wager with online. The combined TwinSpires.com/Youbet.com business would be a publicly-traded, U.S.-licensed, U.S.-operated, U.S.-owned operator backed by the financial resources of Churchill Downs Incorporated. In addition, as part of this transaction, we also would acquire United Tote, a leading tote system provider worldwide. We also know how important the performance and integrity of the tote system is to your wagering and we are committed to improving that aspect of horse racing.

And third, we are not changing anything about how you use TwinSpires.com today. You can use the same account number or username and PIN or password to log on. The screens will remain the same. And all of the features, functions, handicapping data, live and replay video feeds, the player services staff you deal with ... nothing will change as a result of this announcement.

I'll communicate with you again once the deal has closed.

Rohit Thukral
President, TwinSpires.com

Forward Looking Statements

This communication includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such statements may include, but are not limited to, statements about the benefits of the proposed transaction, including future financial and operating results, the combined company's plans, objectives, expectations and intentions. These statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause our actual results, performance, prospects or opportunities, as well as those of the markets we serve or intend to serve, to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these statements. You can identify these statements by the fact that they do not relate to matters of a strictly factual or historical nature and generally discuss or relate to forecasts, estimates or other expectations regarding future events. Generally, the words "believe," "expect," "intend," "estimate," "anticipate," "project," "may," "can," "could," "might," "will" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, including statements related to expected operating and performing results, planned transactions, planned objectives of management, future developments or conditions in the industries in which we participate and other trends, developments and uncertainties that may affect our business in the future. Such risks, uncertainties and other factors include, among other things: the possibility that the expected efficiencies and cost savings from the proposed transaction will not be realized, or will not be realized within the expected time period; the ability to obtain governmental approvals of the merger on the proposed terms and schedule contemplated by the parties; the failure of Youbet's stockholders to approve the proposed merger; the risk that CDI and Youbet businesses will not be integrated successfully; disruption from the proposed transaction making it more difficult to maintain business and operational relationships; the risk that a significant licensing agreement is terminated or not renewed; rising prices for content, the possibility that the proposed transaction does not close, including, but not limited to, due to the failure to satisfy the closing conditions; the effect of global economic conditions, including any disruptions in the credit markets; the effect of UIGEA regulations and/or the resulting policies adopted by credit card companies and other financial institutions; the effect (including possible increases in the cost of doing business) resulting from future war and terrorist activities or political uncertainties; the overall economic environment; the impact of increasing insurance costs; the impact of interest rate fluctuations; the effect of any change in our accounting policies or practices; the financial performance of our racing operations; the impact of gaming competition (including lotteries and riverboat, cruise ship and land-based casinos) and other sports and entertainment options in those markets in which we operate or are in close proximity; costs associated with our efforts in support of alternative gaming initiatives; costs associated with customer relationship management initiatives; a substantial change in law or regulations affecting pari-mutuel and gaming activities; our continued ability to effectively compete for the country's top horses and trainers necessary to field high-quality horse racing; our continued ability to grow our share of the interstate simulcast market and obtain the consents of horsemen's' groups to interstate simulcasting; our ability to execute our acquisition strategy and to complete or successfully operate planned expansion projects; our ability to successfully complete any divestiture transaction; market reaction to our expansion projects; the loss of our totalisator companies or their inability to provide us assurance of the reliability of their internal control processes through Statement on Auditing Standards No. 70 audits or to keep their technology current; our accountability for environmental contamination; the loss of key personnel; the impact of natural disasters on our operations and our ability to adjust the casualty losses through our property and business interruption insurance coverage; any business disruption associated with a natural disaster and/or its aftermath; the impact of wagering or other federal or state laws, including changes in any such laws or enforcement of those laws by regulatory agencies; the outcome of pending or threatened litigation; changes in our relationships with horsemen's groups and their memberships; our ability to reach agreement with horsemen's groups on future purse and other agreements (including, without limiting, agreements on sharing of revenues from gaming and advance deposit wagering); the effect of claims of third parties to intellectual property rights; the volatility of our stock price; the impact of live racing day competition with other Florida and Louisiana racetracks within those respective markets; a substantial change in allocation of live racing days; changes in Illinois law that impact revenues of racing operations in Illinois; the presence of wagering facilities of Indiana racetracks near our operations; our ability to execute on our permanent slot facility in Florida; the need for various alternative gaming approvals in Louisiana; our ability to integrate businesses we acquire, including our ability to maintain revenues at historic levels and achieve anticipated cost savings; and the outcome of any claims arising in connection with a pending lawsuit in federal court in the Western District of Kentucky styled Churchill Downs Incorporated, et al v. Thoroughbred Horsemen's Group, LLC, Case #08-CV-225-S]. See CDI's and Youbet's Annual Reports on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2008 and other public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") for a further discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties applicable to our businesses. Neither CDI nor Youbet undertakes any duty to update any forward-looking statement whether as a result of new information, future events or changes in our respective expectations.

Important Merger Information and Additional Information
This communication is being made in respect of the proposed merger transaction involving CDI and Youbet. In connection with the proposed transaction, CDI will file with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-4and Youbet will mail a proxy statement/prospectus to its stockholders, and each will be filing other documents regarding the proposed transaction with the SEC as well. BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING OR INVESTMENT DECISION, INVESTORS ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS REGARDING THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS CAREFULLY IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION. The final proxy statement/prospectus will be mailed to Youbet stockholders. You may obtain copies of all documents filed with the SEC concerning this proposed transaction, free of charge, at the SEC's website (www.sec.gov), by accessing CDI website at www.churchilldownsincorporated.com under the heading "Investor Relations" and then under the link "SEC Filings" or from CDI by directing a request to 700 Central Avenue, Louisville, KY 40208. Alternatively, you may obtain copies by accessing Youbet's website at www.Youbet.com under the heading "Investors Relations" and then under the link "SEC Filings" or from Youbet by directing a request to 5901 De Soto Avenue, Woodland Hills, CA 91367.

CDI and Youbet and their respective directors and executive officers and other persons may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in respect of the proposed transaction. Information regarding CDI directors and officers is available in CDI's proxy statement for its 2009 annual meeting of shareholders and CDI's 2008 Annual Report on Form 10-K, which were filed with the SEC on April 28, 2009 and March 4, 2009, respectively. Information regarding Youbet directors and executive officers is available in Youbet's proxy statement for its 2009 annual meeting of stockholders and Youbet's 2008 Annual Report on Form 10-K, which were filed with the SEC on April 30, 2009 and March 6, 2009, respectively. Other information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitation and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holding and otherwise, will be contained in the proxy statements/prospectus and other relevant materials to be filed with the SEC when they become available.

TwinSpires 25 Seat Guarantee this Saturday, 11/21 - Registration Open

davids — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:40:34 -0800

The annual TwinSpires 25 Seat Guarantee is the Saturday, November 21st and registration is now open right here at TwinSpires.com.

The TwinSpires 25 Seat Guarantee offers a $10,000 1st Place Prize and 15 spots into the $1 million Daily Racing Form/NTRA NHC XI which will take place on Janurary 29th and 30th, 2010 at the Red Rock Casino in Las Vegas. In addition to the 15 spots into the NHC XI, the TwinSpires 25 Seat Guarantee will be offering 10 spots into the the 2010 Horseplayer World Series Feburary 17, 2010 at the Orleans Casino in Las Vegas.

Entry into the TwinSpires 25 Seat Guarantee is limited an on a first come first serve basis so don't delay!

Click Here to register for the TwinSpires 25 Seat Guarantee.

Hollywood Park Now Available

davids — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:38:46 -0800

This Friday is opening day at Hollywood Park. The 27 day meet at the Southern California track will feature a total 14 stakes races with purses totaling $2.85 million. The signature race of the meet will be the G1 $750,000 CashCall Futurity on Saturday, December 19th. The CashCall Futurity is premier race for some of the top 2-year olds in the country.

Post time at Hollywood Park on Friday is set for 7:05pm Pacific/10:05pm Eastern.

Please see our simulcast schedule for future post times.

Congratulations to Our Monthly EZMoney Raffle Winners for October!

davids — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:01:13 -0800

Congratulations to the following five Players who won the monthly EZMoney raffle by deposting with EZMoney:

Susan D. of Albany, NY

Rodolfo U. of Lincoln Park, MI

Roberto R. of Eagle Pass, TX

Wendy S. of Allen, TX

Ed F. of Sterling Heights, MI

All Five Winners Won a $50 Wagering Voucher!

To learn more about our monthly EZMoney Raffles and to find out how you can win, go here!

Win With the Wizard Players' Pool is Now Closed for Contributions (11/21)

dave — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:12:48 -0800

The $10,000 Win With the Wizard Players' Pool is back for Saturday, November 21st. The Wizard's Pool is now closed for contributions!

Remember, the Wizard's picks will be available after 2:00pm Eastern/11:00am Pacific Saturday's and can be seen by clicking here.

The pool fills up fast so don't wait till the last minute to jump in!

Thank you for your support and participation in the Win with the Wizard Players' Pool.