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The seating was ok. It was impossible to see the results of the race as the screen in front of us was so small. Food was basic stadium food. Not many races passed in front of us, only the turf races.
As a seasoned Derby day attendee (traveling everything from Chicago) I've never had a bad experience. That is, until this year with Thurby and Oaks. Our Homestretch Club tickets on Thurby were supposed to be a treat of convenience. We arrived early to beat the crowds. Instead we spent the first 2 hours (literally 4,000 steps) to find the actual section. NO signage (aside from a "street sign" post near the museum). Not ONE SINGLE staff member knew where it was located and we were misdirected multiple times by "Information" and Security. Having an elderly ticket goer with me made this journey very frustrating and physically painful having to walk up and down various levels of stairways, multiple times. Once we finally found out where to go, we had to wait nearly 90minutes to receive a bracelet before going inside the Homestretch Club. After entry, we came into MORE LONG LINES! So long in fact that we missed the first 5 races. The Bar staff was wonderful but you could tell that they were stretched thin on numbers. I recommend at least 3 to 4 lines designated specifically for beer/seltzers only WITH SIGNAGE. And ditch the mixed drinks such a bloody Mary's, etc. Stick to what works; pre-batched Spires, Lilies and Mint Juleps. The food itself was excellent, as was the presentation. However there wasn't very many finger food/appetizers that didn't require a knife/fork and table to rest your plate on. The only saving grace that we had to refresh ourselves on a beautiful sunny/warm day was to have easy access to the coolers containing water and sodas. Otherwise we would've over heated! The ladies rooms also need at least 2 attendees to maintain the toiletries. Quickly, for our Oaks experience....the extremely LIMITED number of ladies restrooms is shameful!!! So many women waiting for a minimum of 30munits to use TWO known functioning lavatories with BROKEN door latches and no toilet paper to use? Instead of forcing the women at the Downs to use portable toilets, why not reserve those for the men? Ladies with multiple layers of undergarments, heels, dresses and big hats cannot be expected to use those dark, plastic boxes. Also the long lines of up to another 90minutes for food was ridiculous! IT wasn't like this at last year's Derby. I'm not sure what has changed outside of the new construction for the Homestretch last year and this year's Paddock but I truly hope that things will improve in time for the 150th anniversary! Otherwise, we may need to break from tradition and celebrate (with our $$$$ elsewhere like Keeneland for future racing.
There needs to be more signs for direction to the Homestetch Club. The lines to get a drink were extremely long. There was not enough tables set up to eat. The food was great!
...Not Go baby Go. We were in third floor clubhouse and I have never seen betting window lines so slow on early races. We ended up using our twinspires accounts. Some even downloaded the app, but that is part of the fun for our out of town and out of country guests. The lines for drinks were even slower. I waited almost an hour. We brought our own food, thank goodness. We thought we would go all inclusive next year but the reviews I've read are even worse. In the past, Ive seen tubs of mint julips and lily's pre-prepard but not this year. The only process that went well was the bus transport from the Ky expositon center to and from the track. Hoping CD works out the issues next year.
This review is specific to the all-inclusive Homestretch Club tickets we purchased. The logistics of the event were just awful. Reasonably speedy entry into the main track only to find a line longer than a football field to get access to the Homestretch club. Okay maybe this line will move fast. Nope! 45 minutes in this line to arrive at a packed bar area where the wait for drinks was an additional 30 minutes. Once we finally got some drinks and settled to our seats, we decided to go for the food buffet only to find it close to empty, gearing down to be shut down. After all this, things did improve. Lines were shorter and moving at more reasonable speeds and the day and track were beautiful. But then came the final negatives. We returned to the bar to rehydrate with water and get one last drink, only to be told THERE WAS NO MORE WATER ANYWHERE IN THE HOMESTRETCH CLUB and the all-inclusive deal ended at 5pm. So if I want a bourbon, that will be $15. Okay, that's lame. But sure, end the all-inclusive any time you want. Even if there are 2 races left and there were no obvious signs posted indicating the time the all-inclusive ended. But no access to water... are you serious?!?!? Of all things you absolutely shouldn't run out of, it's freaking water. That's a shameful blunder and quite possibly the final straw that has us never coming back to this deal again.
My wife and I went to Thurby and had a great time! I grew up in Louisville but had not been to Churchill Downs since 1996. So much has changed and it is such a larger venue now. Honestly, we had a great day for Thurby. No complaints really other than the lines for drinks and concessions were long and a bit slow but it was to be expected as the attendance was well over 50,000 on the day. Highly recommend you check out Churchill Downs.
With over 50,000 in attendance, it's evident that Thurby is no longer the day that just the Louisvillians go. Well equipped with the hats and seersucker suits, it is a great way to warm up for Oaks and/or Derby. Good races, not as crowded, and a lot of people enjoying the day at the races. Thurby is NOT all-inclusive so bring cash and card.
Great food, Great weather! Everyone looked nice and it was such a vibe!!!!! I look forward to going back next year.
We have been coming out to Churchill during Derby Week for a long time. But the disorganization and actual chaos we witnessed on Thurby -- especially regarding the food and drink delivery -- really shocked us. Instead of an unlimited buffet as had been offered in previous years when they had temporary stands in this location, Churchill switched to a fast-food type delivery so every plate of food had to be hand-delivered one at a time. Lines built up so far that they stretched into the seating area and created actual dangerously packed areas. Also, the food was COLD. The people handing it out weren't Churchill Downs employees. They were some sort of volunteers. The layout of the concession area -- with drink lines on both ends, made a reasonable flow of people impossible. We can't imagine how much worse it must have been on Oaks and Derby days! This was a pretty bad mistake but the problems didn't end there. Video monitors were hard to see or non-existent. And there were no video monitors in the areas where people had to miss races just to get to the front of the food or drink lines. The new stadium is impressive overall. But we hope Churchill gets to work and overhauls this deplorable delivery of concessions. Or abandon the food and drink package all together, in which case, we'll consider not going next year after years of patronage. The fast-food booths had very
Food drinks seating excellent!!!! Loved the beautiful day with family and friends. Betting lines with out any problems!!!! Loved the meatballs, strawberry blackberry salad!!!! Great variety of food choices!!!!
Utilized the free parking and shuttle from the Expo Center to Churchill Downs, where we visiting for the first time. Totally enjoyed seeing all the people, the gorgeous ladies' dresses and hats, and men in floral jackets and suits. A show in inself! The horses were so beautiful, and the excitement watching them on the big screens and then live in front of us in the straightway and across the Finish Line was so exciting! Thurby-day was the best!!!!
The lines to get into the track were ridiculous. I have been every Thursday for at least 35 years and never seen it like this. The Aristides Lounge food package was horrible. The food was bland and there were no choices. The drink lines were ridiculous for such a small venue. The wait was over 30 minutes to get a drink, hardly making for a pleasant experience considering the drinks and food were included in the price. The food and the drink service on Champions Day in the Homestretch Club was so much better.
The Homestretch club is beautiful. Our experience was waiting in lines most of the day. I feel there were too many people for the accommodations.
Churchill Downs website stated first floor was General Admisson seating. 502’s day worked out well for my group but others were being moved out of their seats several races in, were told someone paid for the GA seats. Then on Thurby, I asked at the trailer outside about where GA was. The workers said all of first floor are GA. Then later told by another worker only GA if no one bought the box. Very confusing and frustrating. Shame on Churchill Downs for selling GA for the first floor, then selling the GA seats. We would have paid the $6 more for a guaranteed seat. Churchill downs communication was horrible this year. If you’re going so sell GA seats, don’t have GA as an option unless you indicate no seat or standing room only. I’ve been going to CD for derby week for over 30 years. Very disappointed.
The experience was great except for long lines to get food. The alcohol area should not beside the food area. We had to squeeze through people to get to the food line. There should be a curved line instead of going straight back for alcohol. There is no place for people to stand. We were in the first turn (section 2011 area.). The food options were great, but we had to get everything @ once because the lines were too long to stand in twice. Thank you
Crowded lines for food and drinks. When buying all inclusive tickets there should be a way to make lines faster. 45min in line for a drink is unsatisfactory. Not being able to see odds/Screens or hear winners is not satisfactory for sure. I paid for a ticket and could never tell who was leading or even running for that matter. I realize First Turn is new but make sure to give guests similar experiences to other seats. Ticket prices were high enough that I didn’t expect to be so clueless while in my seat.
Hospitality was wonderful, food was top notch and the venue was beyond my imagination. My wife and I are already planning for Thurby 2024!!!!!
Had fun! Beautiful weather! Next time 1st turn! Fun with friends and family!
We were very excited to be the first to experience First Turn on Thurby Day. Great view of the track and Churchill! Love the covered area for seating as well. However, we left after being there for two hours. Stood in line for almost all of that time to get a drink and sub-par food. Chicken tenders is great for some but definitely did not a good fit the venue and clientele. Will not return to the reserved seating area but possibly try the club dining level next year.
We were very pleasantly surprised at the beautiful new facility added to Churchill Downs. The buffet food was scrumptious. I don’t like to be wasteful so I took very small portions and planned to return for seconds. Unfortunately the very slow moving line had grown to 3-5 deep and at least 50’-60’ long. The buffet line was closed at 3 PM. The bar was even more crowded and there was no bottled water long before the end of the day. I still enjoyed the day tremendously because we were with friends and so many sights: horses racing, stylish, and sometimes outrageous, clothing, perfect weather and the delicious, though overcrowded, buffet.