Jack Fry’s owner Stephanie Meeks accused Churchill Downs of making a “self-centered” decision.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A major announcement from Churchill Downs about the Kentucky Oaks is raising concerns for local businesses in Louisville. 

The famous horse racing track announced Thursday the Oaks race will air during primetime at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.

With the race moving to primetime, it’s making the president and CEO of Bearno’s, George Timmering, uneasy about the future of clientele on the Friday before the big Kentucky Derby race. 

“Churchill Downs is a business, and just like I’m a business, we’re all trying to make decisions on what’s best for us and making money,” he said. “And unfortunately for this one, it’s gonna negatively impact a lot of big events and a lot of restaurants.”


Timmering said Derby Day is all about takeout orders at his pizzerias, and that Oaks tends to see more dine-in customers who may not swing by anymore because of the schedule change. 

“This is truly trickle-down economics right?” he added. “The people who are going to be out on the track, they’re not going to be spending money with the small businesses around the area.”

These are concerns Churchill Downs’ vice president of corporate communications, Tonya Abeln, said the track acknowledges. 

“Our conversations with the restaurant association have been very similar to the conversations we’ve had with the local Derby Eve parties,” she added. “We are exploring opportunities to support them through Derby week. Or is there a way we can efficiently get fans from the track to these restaurants? The fans that we talk to who have the tradition of a Derby Eve meal at a local restaurant, many of them say their plans won’t change. That they still plan to honor those reservations.”


But the owner of Varanese Restaurant, John Varanese, said visitors get so caught up in the track that he’s making money from cancellation fees. 

“The first year after Churchill did its remodel…It was harder to get out,” he said. “I just had people not show up and pay cancelation fees. One of the largest slaps in the face is I had a client, I ended up making my money, but they paid a $15,000 no show fee because they didn’t want to be inconvenienced the way they were the evening before.”

Jack Fry’s owner Stephanie Meeks said she is “shocked and really disappointed” by the decision to move the Oaks race later in the evening.

“This is a complete change of routine for fans as a day of racing is completely different than a night of racing,” Meeks said. “This will be a huge blow to the restaurant industry and hurt us badly. I also think it will not benefit Churchill Downs and people will opt to watch the race on TV rather than attending in person, as it’s just too late. This decision seems to be self centered and to not support our city.”


Abeln said the Derby generates nearly $400 million in regional economic impact each year, and so the track views itself as stewards of support for the community.

“There’s opportunities for local businesses to capitalize on the tourism,” Abeln added. “As building out the product of Kentucky Derby week, we really expect and hope for people to start coming to Louisville earlier in the week so we can filter that benefit and that tourism out to the local community.”

As Saturday seems to be the slowest for local businesses, it leaves the question of whether this schedule change will also impact the race on Derby Day.

“We’ve enjoyed a great amount of success with the Derby where it is,” Abeln said. “There are no plans to move that.”

Officials said the Oaks race will be the last of the day, with the first post at 12:30 p.m. Gates will open at 11 a.m.

WHAS11 also reached out the the organizers of the Barnstable Brown Gala and the Unbridled Eve Derby Gala about how this will impact their annual events that start at the same time as the new Oak’s race schedule. We have not heard back yet.Â