<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"&lt;p&gt;               &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- The home of the Kentucky Derby wants to make sure every fan attending the famous race actually sees the horses running.    &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; Churchill Downs said Monday it will install a video board bigger than three basketball courts to give fans a giant-size view of the thoroughbreds stampeding along the track.    &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; The track is teaming with Panasonic for the $12 million project expected to be done early next year - well ahead of the Run for Roses on the first Saturday in May.    &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; \"It's going to present coverage of the race unlike anything we've ever been able to do before,'' said Ryan Jordan, the track's general manager.    &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; Track officials said the 15,224-square-foot, high-definition LED video board will be installed about midway along the backstretch and outside the dirt course.    &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; The video board's position will maximize the viewing angle for fans in the 55,638 clubhouse and grandstand seats and the tens of thousands of fans packed in the track's 26-acre infield for the Derby and the Kentucky Oaks. The Oaks is a race for 3-year-old fillies run the day before the Derby.    &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; The two days of racing are a revenue bonanza for the track's parent company, Louisville-based Churchill Downs Inc.    &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; Attendance at this year's Derby - the first leg of the Triple Crown - was 151,616, down slightly because of rain. Last year's attendance was 165,307. The Kentucky Oaks drew 113,820 spectators this year.    &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; The new giant screen is meant to accommodate some infield fans lucky to get a glimpse of the horses, and those in the grandstands who see only parts of the track.    &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; \"It's a common phrase you used to hear, especially for fans who were participating in the Oaks or the Derby in the infield, a phrase like, `You might come out to the Oaks and Derby and have a great time, but you might not ever see a horse,''' Jordan said. \"And that has to do with the sheer size of our venue.''    &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; The giant screen will replace two smaller video boards facing the clubhouse and grandstand, Jordan said. Churchill also used to bring in about a half-dozen temporary video boards for Oaks and Derby days for fans in the infield and other far-reaching areas of the track. The rentals will no longer be needed, he said.    &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; Once installed, the bottom edge of the 171-foot-wide video board will loom 80 feet above the ground and will top out at 170 feet in height. The video board and supporting steel structure will weigh more than 1 million pounds.    &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; Track officials said the safety of jockeys and horses was the overriding issue while developing the project. The screen's location will avoid disrupting the race, they said.    &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; \"When the horses pass it, it's going to be to the side of them and not in their line of sight,'' Jordan said.    &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; The \"Big Board'' will be larger than three basketball courts, five average-size U.S. homes and 2,200 46-inch flat-screen TVs, the track said.    &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; The new screen also will enhance coverage of the spectacle of the Derby - from celebrity sightings to the flamboyant outfits and hats worn by fans, track officials said.    &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; It also will give Churchill more clout in selling advertising packages shown on the big screen.    &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; As part of the project, the track will improve the sound system to ensure everyone can easily hear the race calls.    &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; The track plans to unveil the video board to the public a week before the May 3 Kentucky Derby next year.    &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; The video board is the latest upgrade at the historic track, which has undergone more than $160 million in renovations since 2005. This past summer, the track said it would add 2,400 grandstand seats, including a rooftop VIP lounge area. Another recently added VIP section fetches thousands of dollars per ticket for the Derby and Oaks.    &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; The track also has renovated the clubhouse and grandstand and installed permanent lighting for the dirt track and turf course in recent years.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Copyright 2014 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.      &lt;/p&gt;"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.si.com/more-sports/2013/10/07/churchill-downs-kentucky-derby-adds-giant-video-board>