WELL, IT’S THE FIRST SATURDAY IN MAY.
SO THAT MEANS IN JUST A FEW HOURS THE KENTUCKY DERBY GETS
UNDERWAY AT CHURCHILL DOWNS.
IT IS THE FIRST JEWEL OF THE TRIPLE CROWN AND THEN IN TWO
MORE WEEKS IT WILL BE BALTIMORE’S TURN TO HOST ITS OWN
RACE THE PREAKNESS AND AFTER A YEAR WITHOUT FANS THOUSANDS OF
SPECTATORS RETURNING TO PIMLICO FOR THE RACE.
THIS YEAR IS AN EXCITING THING AND JOINING US THIS MORNING IS A
FIRST-HAND GIVING HIS FIRST-HAND EXPERIENCE IS CEO JIMMY VARGAS.
GOOD MORNING.
THANKS FOR JOINING US.
GOOD MORNING.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
SO RACIST ACTUALLY BEGAN AT PIMLICO THIS PAST WEEK HOW HAVE
THINGS BEEN GOING SO FAR?
THEY’VE BEEN GOING VERY SMOOTH.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW WITH LIMITED FAN ATTENDANCE RIGHT NOW GUESTS
ARE JUST HAPPY TO BE BACK AND EXPERIENCE AND GREAT LIBRARIES
AND AT PIMLICO AGAIN.
SO BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT WHAT LIFE IS GONNA BE LIKE ON
PREAKNESS DAY THE BIG RACE BEFORE THAT THE BIG DAY IS
BLACK-EYED SUSAN DAY WHAT CAN PEOPLE EXPECT ON THAT DAY?
THE GEORGIE MITCHELL BLACK EYED SUSAN IS YOU KNOW THE KICKOFF TO
THE BIG RACE DAY WEEKEND LIMITED FAN CAPACITY AS WELL.
BUT YOU KNOW AGAIN JUST JUST AS GREAT AN EXPERIENCE THAT YOU
EXPECT SORT OF EVERY YEAR THE EXPERIENCE HASN’T CHANGED MUCH
BUT THE EXCITEMENT IS STILL THERE.
SO WE’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO IT.
AND OF COURSE FOR THE PREAKNESS LIMITED 10,000 AND YOU’VE BROKEN
UP THE INVENT VIEWING INTO PODS, IS THAT CORRECT?
THAT’S CORRECT.
WE HAVE ABOUT 40 400.
SORRY SOCIALLY DISTANT PODS IN THE INFIELD SO A BIT DIFFERENT
FROM MINFIELD FEST, HENCE THE THE REBRAND OF PREAKNESS LINE
FOR THIS YEAR ALONE WHILE WE WAIT FOR OUR BELOVED AND
FIELDFEST TO RETURN NEXT YEAR AT POOL CAPACITY, BUT LIMITED
CAPACITY WITH OUR WITH OUR PODS, BUT STILL A GREAT ENTERTAINMENT
EXPERIENCE.
WHAT’S IT GOING TO BE LIKE WHERE THESE PEOPLE ARE SOME IN THE
GRANDSTAND SOME IN IS THERE STILL GOING TO BE SOME SORT OF A
CORPORATE VILLAGE EFFECT THIS YEAR?
WHAT’S IT GOING TO?
LIKE CORRECT.
YEAH, ACTUALLY ACTUALLY NOTHING CHANGES IN TERMS OF THE LAYOUT.
IT’S A BIT, YOU KNOW, WE REORGANIZE IN TERMS OF SORT OF
WHERE IT ALL POSITIONS, BUT THE EXPERIENCE FOR THE VARIOUS SORT
OF STAKEHOLDERS THAT LOVE THE PREAKNESS IS STILL THERE.
WE HAVE A CORPORATE VILLAGE, WHICH IS NOW OVER ON THE FOURTH.
TURN TURFSIDE TERRENCE STILL REMAINS.
THERE’S STILL FIRST TURN SUITES AND SOME CLUBHOUSE TURN RESERVE
AS WELL AS SOME IT LIMITED INDOOR DINING AND SOME SEATS ON
THE APRON.
WHAT ABOUT THE BEDDING WINDOWS?
HOW’S THAT GOING TO WORK THIS YEAR BEFORE YOU COULD JUST WALK
RIGHT UP TO A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT PLACES.
IS IT GOING TO BE DIFFERENT OR THE SAME?
WELL THE DIFFERENT THAT THEY’LL HAVE OBVIOUSLY PLEXIGAPLEXY
GLASS PROTECTORS FOR BOTH OUR PATRONS AND OUR TELLERS AS WELL
AS THERE IS A BIG PUSH THIS YEAR TO OBVIOUSLY ENCOURAGE OUR
GUESTS TO WAGER ON THE FIRST BET APP WHERE YOU CAN DO YOUR MOBILE
WAGERING RIGHT ON SITE LIVE AND FROM YOUR LOOK FROM YOUR SEAT.
IS IT GOING TO BE CASHLESS OR SHOULD PEOPLE BRING CAN IT BE A
MIX OF CASH AND CARD?
THEY’LL BE CASHLESS F&B FOR THE MOST PART YOU CAN DO MOBILE
ORDERING FOR YOUR FOOD IN THE INFIELD.
OBVIOUSLY MOST OF OUR TICKETS PINCLUDE FMB WITHIN THE PACKAGE
THAT I WOULD EXPECT.
WE DON’T EXPECT CASH EXCHANGE THERE.
HOWEVER, THERE WILL BE SOME OPPORTUNITY FOR CASH WAGER AND
OUT THE WINDOWS.
SO IN THE PAST IN THE CORPORATE BILL ALWAYS DO THINGS LIKE
FORTUNE TELLERS OTHER DIFFERENT SORT OF FUN VENDORS AROUND IS
THAT GOING TO COME BACK THIS YEAR OR IS THAT GONE AWAY IN
FAVOR OF REDUCED CAPACITY WELL, WE’VE CHANGED THE EXPERIENCE A
BIT AND IF YOU ARE IN CORPORATE VILLAGE BEFORE YOU USED TO SIT
AROUND THE CLUBHOUSE TURN SO YOU DIDN’T CATCH THE BEST PART OF
THE RACE.
I WOULD SAY SO WE’VE NOT REPOSITIONED OUR CORPORATE
SUITES TO SIT ON THE FOURTH TURN RIGHT AT THE STARTING GATE.
NO FORTUNE TELLERS, BUT ACTUALLY YOU’RE LITERALLY AT THE STARTING
GATE AS AS A KICKS OFF.
AND IN THE PAST IF YOU DIDN’T HAVE A HAT YOU COULD ALWAYS BUY
ONE AT PREAKNESS.
DO YOU KNOW WHERE THEY’RE GOING TO BE VENDORS THERE AS WELL FOR
FOLKS?
WE WILL HAVE SOME VENDORS THERE.
WE WILL HAVE SOME OF OUR OWN MERCHANDISE BEING SOLD AS WELL,
BUT ALSO BEING ABLE TO BE PURCHASED VRO MOBILE APP.
I HATE TO THROW YOU ON THE SPOT WITH.
THIS BUT FIND OUT ALSO IN THE PAST THERE HAVE BEEN SUNRISE
TOURISTS FOR PEOPLE TO COME IN THAT WEEK LEADING UP TO
PREAKNESS SO THEY CAN COME THEY CAN SEE SOME OF THE HORSES THAT
ARE GOING TO RUN THEY CAN I DON’T KNOW SEE THE BUDWEISER
HORSES WHEN THEY’VE BEEN THERE IN THE PAST ARE THE SUNRISE
TOURISTS COMING BACK.
UNFORTUNATELY THIS YEAR WE DECIDED NOT TO DO THE SUNRISE
TOURS, OBVIOUSLY AND KEEP IT WITH WITH SOME OF THE COVID
PROTOCOLS.
BUT WE HOPE TO HAVE THEM DEFINITELY BACK FOR FOR NEXT
YEAR’S PREAKNESS.
AND HOW ABOUT THOSE BUDWEISER HORSES OR THE CLYDESDALES GOING
TO BE THERE?
NO BUDWEISER HORSES THIS YEAR, UNFORTUNATELY.
OH DOOR VENUE, IS THAT CORRECT?
THAT’S CORRECT.
EVERYBODY’S REQUIRED TO WEAR A MASK UNLESS THEY’RE ACTIVELY
EATING OR DRINKING.
WE PUT TOGETHER MANY COVID PROTOCOLS INCLUDED, YOU KNOW
THOROUGH PROCESS UPON CHECK-IN QUESTIONNAIRES TEMPERATURE
CHECKS.
THERE’S NO SORT OF CROSS-POLLINATION OF AREAS.
SO YOU’RE SORT OF IN YOUR POD.
WE’VE MADE IT AS COMFORTABLE AS POSSIBLE AGAIN WITH MOBILE
ORDERING WITH CASHLESS WAGERING.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE JUST EXPECT YOU TO TAKE ON THE ENERGY OF
WHAT THE RACE IS SAFELY AND SECURE WITHIN YOUR NEEDED AREA.
OKAY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.
YOU ANSWERED A TON OF QUESTIONS FOR US REALLY APPRECIATE IT AND
GOOD LUCK GETTING READY FOR THE PREAKNESS.