William C. Carstanjen
Analyst · Truist
Thanks, Sam. Good morning, everyone. With me today are several members of our team, including Bill Mudd, our President and Chief Operating Officer; Marcia Dall, our Chief Financial Officer; and Brad Blackwell, our General Counsel. I will begin with a high-level overview of our first quarter performance and key strategic developments. Marcia will then walk through our financial results and capital management strategy in more detail, and then we will open up the call for your questions. Let me start with a few key highlights from the quarter. First, we delivered a strong start to the year with record first quarter net revenues of $663 million and record adjusted EBITDA of $257 million. These results reflect strong execution across our portfolio and continued momentum with our growth strategy. Second, we successfully opened our Marshall Yards historical racing machine venue in Calvert City, Kentucky, on time and on budget. This marks our eighth HRM facility in the Commonwealth. Early performance has been encouraging, and the property is already contributing to job creation, increased purse funding for Kentucky's horse racing industry and long-term shareholder value. Third, we continue to see strong progress in Virginia, where we remain committed to supporting the renaissance of Thoroughbred racing. We will host 48 race dates in 2026 and expect to generate significant purse funding from our HRM operations across the state that will be distributed during our race meet at Colonial Downs. We also ran a successful Virginia Derby in March, and we are excited that the winner, Incredibolt, will have the opportunity to compete in this year's Kentucky Derby. We were very pleased with several positive developments in Virginia during the closing stages of the 2026 legislative session. The Governor vetoed legislation related to skill games and a proposed new casino in Fairfax County. iGaming also did not receive approval. These outcomes support a more attractive operating environment, and we remain committed to continued investment in job creation in Virginia. Another example of our strategy around smart transformative investments in the Thoroughbred industry is reflected in our announcement earlier this week. We signed a definitive agreement to acquire the intellectual property rights to the Preakness Stakes and the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes from a subsidiary of The Stronach Group. This includes all trademarks and associated rights with respect to the Preakness stakes, which is the second leg of the Triple Crown stakes, which is the second leg of the 3 related races for the Phillies. We expect -- second most wagered on race in the country. The Kentucky Derby is, of course, first by a very wide margin, followed by the 2 other Triple Crown races, the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes and then our own Kentucky Oaks race. Let me now turn to the Kentucky Derby and our vision for long-term growth. We continue to invest in enhancing the Derby experience. And for this year's event, we are unveiling several exciting upgrades. We have completed renovations of The Mansion, one of the most exclusive hospitality areas, offering exceptional views of the track and finish line. Our Finish Line Suites have also been significantly upgraded, creating a more integrated high-energy hospitality experience with improved flow and premium amenities. These are our most exclusive suites, and we are very excited to show our customers a reimagined and unique setting. Following this year's Derby Week, we will accelerate the work on the Victory Run project. As I discussed on our call in February, we will finish this project in time for the 2028 Kentucky Derby. This new structure will offer spectacular premium suites on the first level. The guests in these suites will be able to walk to the rail to watch the races. Victory Run will also incorporate covered box seating and multiple high-end dining experiences on the second through fourth levels of the building. These projects are designed to deliver strong long-term returns while offering exceptional guest experiences. Looking ahead, we remain focused on expanding Derby Week into an even broader week-long national and international event. Last year, we welcomed more than 370,000 guests across Derby Week, roughly the equivalent of 5 Super Bowls in 1 week. We see significant opportunities to continue growing the entire week with respect to attendance, wagering, viewership, sponsorship and EBITDA. As part of that strategy, we are expanding Derby Week with the addition of racing on Sunday, April 26. And for the first time, the Kentucky Oaks will be broadcast in prime time on NBC and Peacock, giving us a powerful platform to expand the reach of this prestigious race and the broader Derby experience. At the same time, the continued growth of Derby Week is attracting innovative global partnerships. These partners are increasingly focused on premium experience-driven engagement and the Derby Week offers a unique platform to deliver that at scale. Our partners recognize that activations at live sporting events have become more coveted given the significant growth in the experience economy. When coupled with premium hospitality offerings during Derby Week, our partners can provide once-in-a-lifetime experiences for their customers during one of the most marquee live sporting and entertainment weeks in the world. Over 152 years, the Kentucky Derby has become an iconic event in sports and entertainment. We are going to build on that legacy by continuing to expand its reach and relevance for future generations. Turning to our HRM portfolio. Our venues in Kentucky and Virginia are performing well and play an important role in supporting the horse racing industry in their respective states. They generate first funding, support the local agricultural industries, create jobs and drive meaningful economic impact in the communities where we operate. We will continue to invest in HRM venues and product offerings. We introduced roulette electronic table games or ETGs based on historical horse races at 6 of our Kentucky HRM properties during the first quarter. Early indications are very encouraging, and the new ETGs are certainly accretive to our GGR in Kentucky. We will be rolling out additional machines throughout 2026 and beyond. We are increasing our marketing of this new offering and awareness is building at each of our properties. We are also working on developing additional HRM-based ETGs, including Craps and then Blackjack to attract an even broader customer base. Looking ahead, our Rockingham Grand Casino project in Salem, New Hampshire remains on track for a mid-2027 opening. This development represents another compelling opportunity to expand into an attractive market with a high-quality entertainment offering. In summary, this was a strong start to 2026. We delivered record results, executed on key strategic initiatives and continue to invest in high-return growth opportunities across our portfolio. Churchill Downs remains exceptionally well positioned with a strong core portfolio of businesses and a clear path for long-term growth. We are confident in our ability to deliver consistent and meaningful value for our shareholders. And before I turn it over to Marcia, a quick reminder. Derby Week begins this Saturday, April 25 with opening day and culminates on Saturday, May 2, with the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby. We have an exciting week of racing and events planned, and we look forward to hosting many of you in person. We are anticipating an exceptional Derby and Derby Week, significantly outpacing not only last year, but also Derby 150 in 2024. If you have not secured your tickets yet, we encourage you to do so, we expect to be fully sold out. With that, I'll turn this over to Marcia. Marcia?