Barns' restoration complete at Churchill Downs

By: SPORTS NETWORK

Louisville, KY (Sports Network) - The repair and restoration of stable barns damaged at Churchill Downs by a tornado in June has been completed. Thoroughbreds are being moved into the barns for the upcoming fall racing meet.

"This is a very special day for Churchill Downs, our horsemen and all who felt the impact of the tornado that hit our track on an evening that five of those storms took Kentucky and Southern Indiana by surprise," said Churchill Downs Racetrack President Kevin Flanery. "We continue to consider the fact that no horses or humans were injured in the tornado to be miraculous, but the completion of repair work on our damaged barns during a very narrow window of time is also remarkable."

A tornado struck the Louisville area on Wednesday, June 22 and caused damage to the track's backside, including the stable area's chapel. The price tag of the damage was assessed at about $1.5 million.

"A long list of partners headed by Louisville's Hall Contracting, Luckett & Farley architects, our horsemen and our Churchill Downs team made major contributions to this effort and worked hard to make the goal of getting horses back into these barns by Sept. 15 a reality," Flanery added. "We thank those partners and every individual, public agency, and the many community and church groups that reached out to offer help to our track and support the individuals impacted by the tornado in the hours after the storm and during the following weeks and months that led to this special day."

The 2011 Churchill Downs fall meeting will cover 21 days of racing between October 30 and November 27.