Friday, May 2, 2003 | 9:52 a.m.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- For generations, it's been the signature moment in horse racing -- men in hard hats kicking up dust while racing for the finish line at Churchill Downs.
This time, though, the action is in the stands, where construction workers are racing the clock to put the finishing touches on 23 new luxury suites perched atop the grandstands at the home of the Kentucky Derby.
The suites, common at other leading sports venues, are the first ever at the 129-year-old track and are the most visible changes in an ambitious, $121 million renovation to one of America's most storied sporting venues.
Even the famous Twin Spires, synonymous with Churchill Downs, got reinforced structural supports, new interior walls and a fresh coat of paint.
"This is a reinvigoration and a modernization, while maintaining the rich tradition and the architectural integrity that people recognize us for," track President Steve Sexton said.
The renovation work comes as the aging track looks for ways to hold on to gambling money that threatens to drift to casinos, most notably a nearby riverboat casino on the Indiana side of the Ohio River.
The first phase of construction started last summer and is scheduled to be finished in time for Churchill's fall racing schedule.
Highlighting the $26 million first phase is the addition of 66 luxury suites. Each suite features a panoramic homestretch view, video monitors, wet bar, liquor cabinets and a private betting machine.
When the renovations are complete, Churchill will have 81 suites priced from $68,000 to $97,000 a year, on three- to five-year leases. Well-connected race fans have already snatched up the suites that will be ready for this year's Run for the Roses.
Other than the three new floors of suites that stairstep out from the twin spires, race fans won't notice much difference at this year's Derby. But signs of construction will be everywhere at the 2004 race, which some track officials have already dubbed the "demolition Derby."
The $95 million second phase, to start after the spring-summer session, will include construction of the remainder of the luxury suites, plus a new and expanded Turf Club and a new Skye Terrace, which includes Millionaire's Row, where the rich and famous mingle on Derby Day.
The track will add simulcast facilities plus more dining facilities, kitchens and a new press box. A large section of the clubhouse section of the track will be removed and rebuilt.
During the construction, the stars of the show at Churchill -- the horses -- have had to make accommodations. For a while, morning workouts were moved up so the horses could stretch their legs before the stampede of construction workers to the track.
Churchill Downs and tracks across Kentucky have reported fewer patrons and less betting in the last few years, a trend they blame on competition from Ohio River casinos in Indiana and Illinois.
Kentucky tracks have lobbied for the right to install electronic slot machines. So far, the tracks have failed to win support from state legislators.
The renovations will expand areas for simulcast betting, allowing people in Louisville to wager on races elsewhere.
Sexton said that when the construction is finished in early 2005, Churchill Downs will become even more of a magnet for racing fans.
"We'll be back to normal," he said. "We will have bridged tradition and modernization for a new-looking Churchill Downs."
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