Churchill Downs has announced the featured entertainment for the Crown Royal “Festival in the Infield Club,” which will take place in the new Infield Club when it opens to race fans on Thursday, April 30. The event will be headlined by Nashville-based contemporary country music artists TelluRide and the popular DJ Vice. This year marks the 12th consecutive year Crown Royal® Canadian Whisky has sponsored music programming at Churchill Downs on Thursday of Derby Week.

Widely regarded as the next big breakout artist in the contemporary country music genre, TelluRide plays an average of 150 road dates a year and has performed at numerous Major League Baseball parks and at NASCAR Sprint Cup tracks.  Joining TelluRide will be DJ Vice, one of the most sought-after disc jockeys in the country and a resident DJ at some of the finest casino nightclubs in Las Vegas.  Also performing on Thursday is Louisville’s own Clark Absher, who has shared the stage with many of today’s contemporary country stars and whose mix of country and folk has attracted a growing fan base.

“Each year we have enjoyed partnering with Churchill Downs to help make spring racing a good time for race fans,” said Rob Mason, senior brand manager on Crown Royal.  “We are excited to be in the new Infield Club to gather people together to celebrate the new season responsibly and enjoy some great food and music.”

The musical entertainment will take place this year in Churchill Downs’ new Infield Club, a secured hospitality area in the center of the Churchill Downs infield.  Fans will enjoy a full day of music and the thrill of live racing action at Churchill Downs, which begins its spring racing meet on Saturday, April 25. Amenities of the Infield Club include a 430-foot bar, private mutuel windows, JumboTron televisions, sports bar-style food offerings, limited shading seating areas and upgraded restroom facilities.

The admission price for the Crown Royal “Festival in the Infield Club” is $15 per person and includes track admission. The live music will take place on the Infield Club stage beginning at 11 a.m. EDT.  While the Infield Club will debut on April 30, the rest of Churchill Downs’ infield area will not open to patrons until Kentucky Oaks Day, Friday, May 1.

Tickets to the Crown Royal “Festival in the Infield Club” can be purchased in advance over the phone at (502) 646-4400, online at www.kentuckyderby.com/2009/tickets/buy, in person from April 25-26 and April 28-29 inside Gate 17, or the day of the show (April 30) at a designated ticket booth located inside Churchill Downs’ Gate 1, subject to availability. Churchill Downs is closed on Monday, April 27.

General admission to Churchill Downs is $5 per person on April 30. General admission guests seeking access to the Crown Royal “Festival in the Infield Club” should purchase a wristband for $10 at the designated ticket booth located inside Gate 1.  Churchill Downs gates open at 11 a.m. on April 30, with post time for the first race at 12:45 p.m.

Infield Club tickets are also available for Kentucky Derby Day at a cost of $150 per person and on Kentucky Oaks Day for $50 each.  Guests planning to attend both the Oaks and Derby can save money by purchasing a two-day ticket package to the Infield Club for $175.  Tickets for all of these events may be purchased online at www.kentuckyderby.com/infieldclub.  Fans may also purchase tickets on the day of the event, subject to availability.

Churchill Downs, the world’s most legendary racetrack, has conducted Thoroughbred racing and presented America’s greatest race, the Kentucky Derby, continuously since 1875. Located in Louisville, the flagship racetrack of Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ Global Select Market: CHDN) also operates Trackside at Churchill Downs, which offers year-round simulcast wagering at the historic track. Churchill Downs will conduct the 135th running of the Kentucky Derby on May 2, 2009.  The track’s 2009 Spring Meet will take place from April 25 through July 5.  Churchill Downs is scheduled to host the Breeders’ Cup World Championships for a record seventh time on Nov. 5 and 6, 2010. Information about Churchill Downs can be found on the Internet at www.churchilldowns.com.

About Crown Royal Canadian Whisky
Crown Royal is the number one selling Canadian whisky brand in the US by value and has a tradition as long and distinctive as its taste. Specially blended to commemorate a grand tour of Canada made by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain in 1939, Crown Royal Canadian whisky’s smooth, elegant style reflects its aristocratic origins and is considered the epitome of Canadian whisky. In addition to its sponsorship at Churchill Downs, the brand also sponsors NASCAR auto racing, Championship Bull Riding and a number of other major regional and national events. For more information visit www.crownroyal.com.

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