[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 57 (Thursday, April 29, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4675-S4677]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO TOM MEEKER

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to a fellow 
Kentuckian and UofL alumnus, Tom Meeker. Tom is the President of 
Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby. This Saturday, horse 
lovers from around the world will watch with anticipation as Tom 
presides over the 130th Run for the Roses.
  In September of 1984, Tom was named President of Churchill Downs. Two 
decades later he oversees one of horseracings largest operations. His 
success didn't come easily or without personal struggles. When Tom 
assumed the reins at Churchill Downs, the 109-year-old racetrack was in 
need of a facelift. Today, the track is entering the final stage of a 
$121 million renovation.
  Under Tom's leadership, Churchill Downs Inc. has also expanded its 
operations and now owns six tracks in five States, as well as its own 
simulcast network. And the company continues to give back to the 
Louisville community through philanthropic donations.
  Tom has been described as a hard working, aggressive, loyal and 
forceful leader. He has had some tangles over the years with the 
Kentucky General Assembly regarding expanded gambling and other 
business issues. But these encounters pale in comparison to the 
personal battle he fought with alcohol. Fifteen years ago he sought 
help, and returned a month later a changed man.
  Churchill Downs is lucky to have Tom Meeker. Under his direction, it 
has matured and thrived to become the place we all come home to, 
particularly the first Saturday in May.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the article, 
``Churchill's Hard Charger; Tom Meeker rebuilt the track--and his 
life'' from The Courier-Journal, be printed in the Congressional 
Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

         [From the Louisville Courier-Journal, April 24, 2004]

  Churchill's Hard Charger; Tom Meeker Rebuilt the Track--and His Life

                           (By Marcus Green)

       Tom Meeker was a 41-year-old lawyer with little racetrack 
     experience when he took the top job at Churchill Downs in 
     1984.
       The 109-year-old track ``was about ready to fall down,'' 
     said Meeker, who didn't think he'd last too long either.
       But in two decades Meeker has built Churchill Downs Inc. 
     into one of the three big players in the sport, along the way 
     eliciting both great praise and sharp criticism.
       Some who know Meeker describe him as a visionary, a bold 
     and aggressive executive whose legacy at Churchill might 
     rival that of the legendary Derby promoter Col. Matt Winn.
       ``If you look at Churchill Downs then and you look at 
     Churchill Downs today, the only similarity is the name, the 
     Twin Spires and the fact that the Kentucky Derby is there,'' 
     said Gerald Lawrence, the track's former general manager and 
     executive vice president.
       ``The place has just been completely changed. It's a 
     foresight and a vision that (Meeker) had.''
       Today Churchill owns six tracks in five states and beams 
     its races live to bettors at tracks, off-track betting 
     parlors and homes across the country.
       Despite having one year left in a $121 million renovation 
     of the flagship track in Louisville, Churchill still has the 
     resources to offer $45 million to buy the Fair Grounds in New 
     Orleans, one of the last independently owned, top-tier 
     thoroughbred tracks in the country.
       In addition, Churchill Downs has emerged as a leading 
     corporate citizen with Meeker at the helm, contributing more 
     than $7.7 million to charity over the last five years, 
     including $2 million to the local community.
       ``Tom is a great leader,'' said Churchill Downs Inc. board 
     Chairman Carl Pollard. ``And I think we have to give him 
     credit--most of the credit, if not all of the credit--for 
     recognizing that the industry was changing and that in order 
     to take advantage of the change in the industry we had to be 
     more than one racetrack.''
       Meeker, who commanded Marines in Vietnam, has been 
     described as a hard-working, aggressive, loyal and forceful 
     leader.
       Meeker volunteers another word.
       `` `Arrogant' has come up any number of times,'' he said. 
     ``I think that's a function of being action-oriented. I mean, 
     if there's one thing you can't criticize about our team is we 
     do things.''
       But Meeker said he would not have been able to guide the 
     company's expansion if he didn't get help for his drinking 
     after the 1989 Kentucky Derby.
       ``The taint that I painted on the company--you know, `Here 
     is some drunk running the company. What can he do?'--at that 
     point, I kind of figured it would be short-lived before I 
     moved on,'' Meeker said.
       Change, for Meeker, often meant breaking with tradition.
       During his first year as president, Meeker rankled some 
     when he raised Derby ticket prices to fund on-track 
     improvements.
       He called the track's neighborhood ``blighted'' and 
     promoted Sunday races to the dismay of area ministers.
       And critics note that the same man who now embraces 
     simulcasting was initially opposed to it--a fact Meeker 
     readily admits.
       ``Change is such a tough taskmaster. It truly is,'' Meeker 
     said. ``You have to have the sense of purpose, conviction and 
     risk-taking to be able to weather some of those storms and 
     believing what you are doing is the right thing.''
       Most recently, the track's multimillion-dollar renovation 
     has given Churchill a much-needed face-lift--but it also adds 
     mammoth stacks of luxury suites that come close to 
     overshadowing the famed Twin Spires and has left some 
     longtime Derby ticket holders without a view of the race.
       The changes have upset some traditionalists.
       Meeker argues that replacing the patchwork of clubhouse and 
     grandstand additions that had been bolted on to previous 
     expansions will enhance the track's architectural integrity.
       ``If we don't move,'' Meeker said, ``we're going to get 
     lost in the wash.''
       Under his leadership, Churchill also expanded its portfolio 
     by buying other tracks and later formed a separate simulcast 
     network.
       ``He's taken Churchill Downs from just a facility that was 
     used two days a year: the Oaks and Derby,'' said trainer John 
     T. Ward Jr., a former Kentucky racing commission member. ``. 
     . . He's continued to promote quality racing in everything 
     he's done, and he understands there's a definite relationship 
     between the racing and the horsemen--even though he's made a 
     few horsemen mad.''
       Ed Flint, who negotiated with Meeker when he was president 
     of the Kentucky Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective 
     Association, would partially agree.
       ``He did some great things for Churchill Downs. He's made a 
     lot of changes out there that have been good for the 
     industry,'' Flint said. ``But at the same time, I think his 
     negotiating tactics and his style have hurt the industry 
     some.''
       Added Flint: ``He had the mentality of a go-get- `em, hard-
     nosed type of person, and he let that run over into trying to 
     negotiate a lot of things that pertain to a lot of people. 
     You know, racing touches a lot of people--owners, trainers, 
     grooms, backside workers.''
       Louisville businessman J. David Grissom, a Churchill Downs 
     director since 1979, said Meeker used to be impatient with 
     average or mediocre performance but has become more patient 
     through the years. Still, Grissom said: ``He does not suffer 
     fools gladly.''
       Not overlooked as a priority when Meeker took over 20 years 
     ago was refocusing Churchill as a community player.

[[Page S4676]]

       ``We were not contributing,'' Meeker said. ``We did a 
     modest amount of token contributions to this charity or that 
     charity, but we were not involved in our community at all.''
       In 2003, Churchill Downs Inc. donated $424,460 to 
     Louisville philanthropy, bringing the total contributions to 
     $1.5 million over the last 3 years. The company recently 
     contributed $125,000 to a new Junior Achievement center in 
     the Russell neighborhood that is expected to teach financial 
     skills and business basics to 24,000 elementary and middle 
     school students each year.
       But its generosity didn't help Churchill win friends when 
     it began its support in 1993 for expanded gambling as a way 
     to generate more revenue and boost purses for horsemen.
       Bills to expand gambling at racetracks failed to advance in 
     the General Assembly in 2002, 2003 and again in this year's 
     session.
       Churchill was a lightning rod during debate on Kentucky 
     House Speaker Pro Tem Larry Clark's casino bill, which 
     stalled in the General Assembly this year. Clark's measure 
     would have put the issue before voters as an amendment to the 
     State constitution.
       Clark, D-Okolona, wanted Churchill to locate its casino in 
     downtown Louisville. Meeker said a better location would be 
     the refurbished track or property the company owns at Fourth 
     and Central Avenues.
       Rep. Tom Burch, D-Buechel, who praised Meeker's role in 
     building up Churchill Downs, said Meeker's style has agitated 
     some lawmakers during the General Assembly's consideration of 
     additional gambling.
       ``Tom is very confrontational, and he shows it,'' Burch 
     said. ``Most legislators don't want to have him around.''
       Burch said legislators are dealing with potential 
     repercussions in their areas of the State, and ``I don't 
     think (Meeker) understands that.''
       But Meeker says he understands there will be friction 
     between a business person who wants to move fast and a 
     legislator who wants to build consensus.
       ``One of my weakest skills is dealing with the legislative 
     body in Kentucky,'' he said. ``(In) every other jurisdiction 
     we have famous relationships. I talk to governors, speakers, 
     leaders, and we work well together. . . . For whatever reason 
     we haven't been able to achieve a collaborative, open 
     dialogue with our leaders in Frankfort. Why that is I don't 
     know. I'll accept the blame for it.''
       Uninspired by his first trip to a horse track--a visit to 
     Churchill Downs with his future wife Carol's family in 1962--
     Meeker had not seemed destined for a career in racing.
       Nothing excited me about it,'' Meeker said, ``I mean, I 
     didn't know who to bet or any of that stuff.''
       Meeker graduated summa cum laude from the University of 
     Louisville School of Law in 1973 and practiced corporate and 
     health-care law as an attorney with Wyatt Tarrant & Combs.
       He began going to the track regularly when later serving as 
     understudy to John Tarrant, the longtime lawyer for Churchill 
     Downs, before being named general counsel in 1981.
       It was a tumultuous time for the track. Summer racing 
     produced small fields and turned off bettors. There were two 
     separate attempts by others to take over Churchill. Meeker 
     was in the thick of the action, helping the track organize 
     its defense.
       ``I came to understand,'' he said, ``exactly what the 
     potential of the company was.''
       Meeker was named interim president following his friend 
     Lynn Stone's resignation. ``The deal was; I'd stay out here 
     for three or four months, get some visibility, meet people.''
       But in the span of two months, Meeker's performance was 
     enough to sway the track's board. He was named to the post 
     permanently on Sept. 28, 1984.
       There were some personally embarrassing moments along the 
     way. In a highly publicized incident in 1986, Meeker ejected 
     Kentucky state Sen. Greg Higdon from Churchill's suite during 
     a University of Louisville basketball game.
       Meeker thought Higdon was crashing the party. Higdon hadn't 
     identified himself and neither man knew the other, Meeker 
     later apologized.
       A new turf course inside the dirt oval, new paddock and 
     Turf Club helped boost Churchill's image. So did a new paint 
     job.
       The turf course helped Churchill land the first of its 
     record five Breeders' Cups in 1988. The top four Breeders' 
     Cup crowds--all greater than 70,000--have been in Louisville, 
     including a then-record attendance of 71,237 in 1988.
       In just four years, Churchill had made a quick turnaround. 
     By spring of 1989, Churchill had posted nine straight meets 
     with increased betting handle and attendance.
       Meeker, however, was starting to get bored. Four years into 
     the job at Churchill Downs, Meeker simply didn't see running 
     a racetrack in his future.
       ``I just didn't think I could be happy out here for the 
     long haul,'' he said. ``Then things started happening.''
       Intertrack wagering, or simulcasting, was a new system that 
     allowed horse tracks to televise their races to other tracks 
     and take bets on races run elsewhere.
       William King, then-president and general manager of the 
     Louisville Downs harness track on Poplar Level Road, 
     introduced simulcasting in Louisville with broadcasts of 
     races from Turfway Park in Northern Kentucky in 1988. The 
     experiment generated $8 million wagered at Louisville Downs.
       Meeker originally opposed simulcasting, arguing that it 
     could diminish on-track attendance and weaken purses for 
     horsemen. His preference was establishing a network of off-
     track betting parlors across the state, but he changed his 
     mind after seeing Louisville Downs' results.
       Louisville Downs and Churchill Downs wrangled over 
     splitting simulcasting revenue and broadcast dates. The 
     bickering ended when Churchill bought Louisville Downs for $6 
     million in 1992.
       The purchase ended harness racing in Louisville, but it 
     gave Churchill much-needed barn space and a training 
     facility. A refurbished simulcasting center, which opened 
     later that year at the Louisville Downs site, was the heart 
     of the deal.
       ``It was state of the art, the big screens and all that 
     stuff,'' Meeker said. ``We were kind of the darling child of 
     the industry. And it was cranking off tons of money. It was 
     doing well, which allowed us then to internally finance some 
     of these other capital improvements.''
       Simulcasting set the stage for the company's push into the 
     1990s. But Meeker now believes he might not have seen the 
     growth that followed--buying and developing other tracks and 
     expanding its simulcast business--if he had not gotten help 
     for a drinking problem that threatened to spiral out of 
     control.
       Meeker remembers the late Churchill Downs board Chairman 
     Warner L. Jones Jr. as an irascible, hard-nosed man who 
     cursed like a sailor and gave like a saint.
       ``And he was the one that got me sober--truth be known.''
       Fifteen years later, Meeker has put his drinking into 
     perspective. He is candid. He said his drinking never spilled 
     over to the office, but he acknowledged that it had to hurt 
     in other ways.
       On occasion, Meeker would have a few drinks during Derby 
     Week before heading out to speak to groups. He believed, he 
     said, that he was being eloquent.
       The reality was vastly different.
       ``I was at the cusp of really just falling right off the 
     edge,'' he said.
       It was May 7, 1989, the day after Sunday Silence won the 
     Kentucky Derby. Meeker decided he needed help to conquer his 
     alcohol abuse.
       He called Jones, who in turn called his friend Wheelock 
     Whitney, a philanthropist and former co-owner of the National 
     Football League's Minnesota Vikings.
       Through Whitney, a thoroughbred owner and breeder whose 
     wife sought treatment for a drinking problem, Jones arranged 
     a place for Meeker at the Hazelden alcohol and drug 
     rehabilitation center in Center City, Minn.
       ``It was kind of tough in those days (to get in),'' Meeker 
     said. ``Everybody was drunk. They needed treatment.''
       When Meeker arrived at the Louisville airport Tuesday 
     morning to fly to Minnesota, Jones was waiting to accompany 
     him. Jones, Meeker recalled, wanted to ensure that Meeker 
     made it to rehab.
       Whitney met the two men in Minnesota and drove them to 
     Hazelden. Whitney and Jones carried on a lively conversation 
     in the front seat of the car. Meeker sat in the back, he 
     said, scared half to death.
       Soon the three were lost. The Hazelden sign was small, and 
     the car passed it by. When they finally found the clinic, 
     Whitney said Jones tried to cut a deal with Hazelden's 
     president:
       ``Tom Meeker means a lot to me, and we want to see him get 
     well. And I'll tell you what. If he gets well here, I'm going 
     to give you a new sign out on the road, because that one you 
     got is not what a place like this needs.''
       Several years after Meeker left Hazelden, Jones made good 
     on his promise.
       ``Warner did provide a brand new sign out on the highway 
     for Hazelden in honor of Tom Meeker's recovery,'' Whitney 
     said. ``It still stands there today.''
       Meeker returned to Churchill Downs after a month of 
     treatment with ``my head screwed on right.''
       By the early 1990s, Churchill Downs was posed to grow. In 
     1993 the company unveiled a four-part business strategy that 
     included increasing Churchill's share of the simulcast market 
     and acquiring additional racetracks.
       The company explored the possibility of building a track in 
     Virginia Beach, Va., but that state's racing commission 
     awarded the license to a competing group that later built 
     Colonial Downs.
       ``It was the first time where we actually in a 
     businesslike, methodical way targeted a development project, 
     and our skill sets were low-level,'' Meeker said. ``We had 
     not done any major acquisitions. We were good operators (but) 
     we didn't have a real strong finance component.''
       Meanwhile, Churchill set its sights on Indiana. Any pari-
     mutuel wagering or gambling in Indiana posed a direct threat 
     to Churchill Downs and Kentucky racing.
       Churchill financed the development of a thoroughbred and 
     standardbred track in Anderson, Ind., then became majority 
     owner when the license holders defaulted. Hoosier Park, 
     Churchill's first track outside Louisville in the modern era, 
     held its first harness race on Sept. 1, 1994.
       ``We had our operation up and running in Indiana before 
     Colonial Downs raced their first race,'' Meeker said. 
     ``That's how quick we responded, and many of the things that 
     we learned in Virginia we applied in Indiana.''
       Indiana has since become a battleground state.

[[Page S4677]]

       The state's gaming commission granted the first license for 
     riverboat gambling in 1995, paving the way for fierce 
     competition for Kentucky's gambling dollar. And Churchill's 
     monopoly on live racing ended in late 2002 when Indiana Downs 
     in Shelbyville, Ind., opened the state's second pari-mutuel 
     track.
       But the maturation of Churchill Downs Inc., came in a 
     string of acquisitions that began in the late 1990s. Starting 
     with Ellis Park in 1998, the company bought Calder Race 
     Course in Miami and Hollywood Park in Inglewood, Calif.
       A merger with Arlington Park near Chicago in 2000 ballooned 
     Churchill's portfolio to six racetracks in five states, 
     including three in major U.S. markets.
       ``It was one of those incredible times in business where 
     you actually invent new ways of doing things on the fly,'' 
     said John Long, chief operating officer at Churchill Downs 
     Inc., from 1999 to 2003.
       Churchill's strategy shifted several years ago, considering 
     acquisitions in places where expanded gambling is likely.
       Documents filed this week in a Louisiana bankruptcy court 
     show the company made the highest offer in private talks for 
     the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans.
       Churchill still could buy the bankrupt New Orleans track at 
     an upcoming bankruptcy auction, a move that would give it 
     winter racing and a facility soon to install hundreds of slot 
     machines.
       Meeker is 60 and his contract will be up for renewal in 
     2006. He's already made money--his salary this year is 
     $463,499, he got a $200,000 bonus last year and his Churchill 
     stock is worth more than $10 million.
       He and his wife have a daughter and two grandchildren. But 
     he jokes when asked when he might retire and shrugs off 
     serious talk of retirement for now.
       ``I want to make sure that when I leave the company,'' 
     Meeker said, ``that it's left at a time when everything is 
     pointing north.''

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