What they didn’t account for was the fact that a “Friday Night Crowd” would drink a whole lot more beer than the average “During The Day Crowd”. LOL.
People were standing in line for 20 minutes to get their suds.
June 26th was the second installment of the Churchill “After Dark” and early numbers at 27,000 prove again it is a hit!
Damn, Glimmer, how’d you get that number so fast?
The real question is…did everyone get served their tasty beverages in a timely manner tonight?
A friend of mine went last week and LOVED it. :yes: She was planning on going tonight as well.
The final number for June 26th, the second “Downs After Dark” was 27,623
Having Churchill Downs executives pitch in Friday evening by working the crowd and hawking beers didn’t hurt, either.
“Some of them are surprised,” Churchill Downs general manager Jim Gates said after spending two hours working in a beer truck. “Some of them couldn’t care less, they just want their beer”
And admission was lowered from $ 10 to $ 6.
Final night of this trial run of “Downs After Dark”
Courier-Journal July 2, 2009 “Thursday is final night out for Churchill meet”
Reserved seating Thursday is sold out, but there is unlimited general admission at $6 a person, with Twin Spires Club members and seniors getting in for $1 and all regular passes accepted. All active and retired U.S. Military will get in free with proof of identification.
Former Miss America Heather French Henry will sing the National Anthem in the Derby winner’s circle at 5:25 p.m., accompanied by the Kentucky Air National Guard color guard. Among other military-themed features, a display of more than 1,000 U.S. flags will be inside Gate 10 in conjunction with Flags4Vets, whose primary goal is to place flags on graves of U.S. veterans buried in the 151 U.S. military cemeteries in 11 countries.
Endless Summer Band will play from 4-8:30 p.m. in the paddock area, followed by Atlanta-based VJ 2ndNature. Happy Hour returns from 4-8 p.m. in the paddock area, with $2 Budweiser products and hot dogs and $3 margaritas and daiquiris.
Sounds like a nice intro to the 4th of July weekend! Further, they want feedback:
Churchill has launched an online poll at churchilldowns.com/vote for fans both on and off-track to voice their opinion about night racing. The “yes” or “no” poll question is “Would you like to see Churchill Downs install permanent lights and conduct night racing as part of our regular race meet?”
The poll remains open through July 7. Voters will be entered into a prize drawing to win first-floor clubhouse box seats for six to next year’s Kentucky Derby.
And tonight’s final number … a record for a non-Derby/Oaks/Breeders’ Cup day: 33,100 (and some change) - damn impressive for a Thursday night!
ETA: the 7th and 9th races were deadheats not only with the replay but because the teletimer was malfunctioning and thus unable to accurately call a decisive winner. Exceedingly rare.
In the 10th race an old name: Blackberry Road - who once was on the Derby trail.
With the success of Churchill it would appear many other tracks are willing to entertain after-dark racing to see if they can find the same success. I don’t think its a simple as turning on the lights and folks appear like moths 
Asbury Park Press (NJ) 7-8-09 “Monmouth Park may get lights”
The state Senate president said he will “push hard” to have lights installed at Monmouth Park so the state-operated track can begin hosting night thoroughbred racing programs.
Monmouth Park, rebuilt 63 years ago at its present location, has never offered night racing.
Dennis Robinson, chief executive officer of the Sports Authority, said on Wednesday installing lights still might not be a good investment, estimating the cost at $10 million or more. Robinson said it might be wiser to consider “twilight racing,” with programs starting in late afternoon and concluding before nightfall.
But Codey said a recent successful experiment with night racing at Churchill Downs — the home of the Kentucky Derby — is a sign that night programs could also bolster New Jersey’s sagging racing industry.
What seems to be overlooked is the hard work by CD’s management to make going to the track not just about the horses and wagering. The food, drink, bands, and other entertainment … they made going out an event. Simply setting up lights just isn’t the trick.
Sticking this news here … DRF 9-28-09 “Churchill to install permanent lights” - excerpts
… installation of permanent lights so the track can schedule live race cards at night by the start of the 2010 spring meet …
Liz Harris, a Churchill spokeswoman, said Monday that the company had not yet decided how many night cards would be scheduled next year. Harris said that company officials plan to talk with horsemen, neighborhood representatives, and racing fans to determine the proper mix of night and day racing for 2010.
“We’re going to carefully evaluate the feedback,” Harris said. “We don’t want to do too much, because then it’s not a novelty anymore.”
Horsemen were ambivalent at first about the night-racing cards, with some complaining that the change in schedule would disrupt working hours for their staffs. However, most horsemen supported the change when the cards proved successful.
