Levy Restaurants New Executive Chef Joseph “JoJo” Doyle Adds Personal Family Recipes to the Menu, Debuts New Concessions with Kentucky Flavor --

LOUISVILLE, KY – (April 24, 2009) Levy Restaurants, the official restaurateurs for Churchill Downs, is gearing up for the Kentucky Oaks on Friday, May 1 and 135th Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 2, 2009. The menus, crafted by new Executive Chef Joseph “JoJo” Doyle, focus on traditional favorites with flavorful new additions throughout the track. From the Turf Club and Millionaire’s Row to concessions in the Infield and Paddock, the menus served to the anticipated quarter of a million guests offer something scrumptious for everyone. 

Associated with a mix of glamour and Southern charm, the Kentucky Oaks and Derby are also widely acclaimed for the cuisine. For the Kentucky Derby menu, the emphasis is on tradition, with refined dishes like barbeque shrimp and Kentucky Bibb salad.

The Kentucky Oaks, held the day before the Derby, features an upscale take on comfort food with dishes like loaded mac and cheese salad and citrus barbeque country ribs. Churchill Downs will also be holding a “Pink Out” at this year’s Oaks, encouraging all guests to wear pink in support of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Levy Restaurants is joining in the pink festivities with their pink Oaks Lily, the official drink of the Kentucky Oaks, and by having chefs don pink chef coats or neckerchiefs.

New this year, the menus are serving up a helping of family, as Chef Doyle will utilize his own family recipes passed down several generations for a handful of Southern-influenced dishes at the track. Chef Doyle is also introducing new concessions available to all fans, including Kentucky Cordon Bleu made with Kentucky ham, Kentucky Nachos topped with spicy pork, and Hot Brown Pressed Sandwich, a twist on the Louisville tradition. The sandwich serves two people with one-and-a-half pounds of turkey breast, one pound bacon and two whole tomatoes covered with Mornay sauce and served on Rustic Country Bread. Guests in the clubs and suites will be wowed by new custom-designed chocolates including a 2-foot by 2 ½-foot chocolate replica of the official Kentucky Derby poster.

Highlights from the Kentucky Oaks menu on Friday, May 1 include:

• Loaded Mac and Cheese Salad – Smoked bacon, red onion and cheddar cheese

• Country Succotash – A Doyle family recipe featuring corn, okra, stewed tomatoes and pearl onions

• Citrus Barbeque Country Ribs – Citrus glazed pork ribs and caramelized onions

• Oaks Lily – The signature drink of the Oaks is a blend of vodka, cranberry juice, triple sec, and sweet and sour, with its pink hue perfect for the Oaks “Pink Out”

Highlights from the Kentucky Derby menu on Saturday, May 2 include:

• Barbeque Shrimp – A Kentucky Derby staple, these jumbo gulf shrimp are sautéed with Levy signature barbeque spice and finished with sweet cream butter

• Kentucky Bibb Salad – Locally-grown Kentucky Bibb lettuce, red onion, chevre cheese, sliced strawberries, candied pecans and raspberry vinaigrette

• Kentucky Saltimbocca – Chicken breast, country ham, white cheddar and fried sage 

• Chef Carved Roasted Prime Rib of Beef – Garnished with bourbon smoked garlic salt, served with Kentucky’s original Henry Baines sauce and horseradish cream sauce

• Mint Julep – The signature drink of the Kentucky Derby, Levy Restaurants anticipates selling 120,000 juleps made of bourbon, simple syrup, crushed ice, powdered sugar and mint grown in the Kentucky countryside

• Desserts such as Silks Cookies, Kentucky Mint Julep Cheesecake, Derby Pie® and the new in the clubs and suites, Custom-Designed Chocolates including a 2-foot by 2 ½-foot chocolate replica of the official Kentucky Derby poster, chocolate jewelry boxes filled with mousse and chocolate truffles. Chef Doyle anticipates serving 75 chocolate Derby posters, 300 chocolate jewelry boxes and 16,000 chocolate truffles on Derby day.

“For the Oaks and Derby menus, this year we wanted to bring it back to family and focus on flavor,” said Chef Doyle, who utilized his grandmother’s recipes for dishes including the country succotash and country stewed beans. “We’re using natural flavors and serving the best darn food possible. We’ve got great concession items like the pulled pork and we’ve added sophisticated desserts in the Turf Club, making sure all guests enjoy a meal as memorable as the race itself!”

Executive Chef Joseph “JoJo” Doyle has made several of his official Derby recipes available at www.allstarentertaining.com, Levy Restaurants online resource for special event recipes.  To schedule an interview with Chef Doyle, please contact Lauren Fimbres at (312) 829-8326 ext. 263 or lauren@teamworksmedia.com.

ABOUT LEVY RESTAURANTS

Levy Restaurants, founded in Chicago in 1978, is recognized as one of America’s fastest growing and most critically acclaimed restaurant companies, and is the leader in premium sports and entertainment dining concessions. Levy was recently named one of the 10 most innovative companies in sports in the world by Fast Company magazine. The company’s diverse portfolio includes award-winning restaurants such as James Beard-winning Spiaggia and Bistro 110 in Chicago, Fulton’s Crab House, Portobello and Wolfgang Puck Grand Café at Walt Disney World Resort, renowned sports and entertainment venues like Lambeau Field in Green Bay, STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, and American Airlines Arena in Miami, and events including the Super Bowl, World Series, Kentucky Derby, NHL and NBA All-Star Games and the Grammy Awards. For details, visit www.levyrestaurants.com.

ABOUT CHURCHILL DOWNS

Churchill Downs Incorporated, headquartered in Louisville, Ky., owns and operates world-renowned horse racing venues throughout the United States. Churchill Downs' four racetracks in Florida, Illinois, Kentucky and Louisiana host many of North America's most prestigious races, including the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks, Arlington Million, Princess Rooney Handicap and Louisiana Derby. Churchill Downs' racetracks have hosted seven Breeders' Cup World Championships. Churchill Downs also owns off-track betting facilities and has interests in various advance deposit wagering, television production, telecommunications and racing services companies that support Churchill Downs' network of simulcasting and racing operations. Churchill Downs trades on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol CHDN and can be found on the Internet at www.churchilldownsincorporated.com.

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Media Contacts:

Lauren Fimbres                                                 Kelly Harfoot     

TeamWorks Media                                             TeamWorks Media

(312) 829-8326 ext. 263                                   (312) 829-8326 ext. 250

lauren@teamworksmedia.com                          kelly@teamworksmedia.com