Letter to the Editor: Oaks Post Time

[Wandering Eyes]

When I read the announcement from Churchill Downs that the post time for the Kentucky Oaks was being moved to allow the race to be televised in “prime time,” my first thought was not of the importance of another race being run in “prime time” but of the disruption this would cause the local restaurant community.

As a lover of the Thoroughbred industry, I applaud the track for the way it has grown interest, not just in the Oaks, but the Wednesday and Thursday cards that precede it.

But, as a restaurant owner, I feel the pain and understand the feelings being expressed by those who own and operate Louisville-area establishments.

Kentucky Oaks night is, by far, the biggest evening for restaurants in Louisville. Always has been.

Churchill's announcement says the Oaks will be presented by NBC at 8 p.m. (what is unclear is if that is the post time or the start of the television broadcast). It is being moved to the last race on the card.

This year, the Oaks, won by Good Cheer, was race 11 of a 13-race card. The Oaks went off at 6:04 p.m.; the last race was run at 7:21 p.m.

The next day, the Kentucky Derby was run at 7:05 p.m. (race 12 of 14 races).

Already, the owners of two upscale Louisville restaurants, Jack Fry's and Jeff Ruby's, have posted lengthy messages on Facebook about the change. They are certainly representative of the feelings being felt by the entire hospitality industry in Louisville.

Jack Fry's said it immediately began receiving calls from individuals delaying or skipping reservations. As it pointed out, Churchill now includes food and drink for many ticket holders on Oaks and Derby days, meaning local restaurants already receive less revenue on those days than in years past.

Now, with a post time that late, far fewer people will eat at area restaurants Oaks night.

“The rescheduling of Oaks Day has had immediate consequences for Louisville's entire hospitality ecosystem,” Jeff Ruby's wrote. “Coming off years of pandemic stress, inflation, economic headwinds, and civil unrest, local restaurants remain fragile.”

Jack Fry's said it felt marginalized; Jeff Ruby's said it felt the decision was made in isolation. Both expressed an interest in forming a group that could meet with Churchill officials to discuss ways to promote the track's signature racing events while preserving the enormous impact on the city's restaurants.

Churchill has taken the Oaks and Derby to new heights…and its hospitality for guests to a new stratosphere. But with that late of a post time for the Oaks, many patrons will now eat at the track and not go out to local restaurants.

As we know, in all sports, networks dictate everything. But, let's hope representatives of Churchill Downs and the Louisville hospitality community can sit down and discuss how to continue working together for the good of all.

   Dan Liebman, who spent 25 years in the world of equine journalism–at The Racing Form, Racing Times, and The Blood-Horse–is the owner of Staxx BBQ in Frankfort, Ky.

The post Letter to the Editor: Oaks Post Time appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

View the full article