Churchill Downs to Offer Kentucky Derby Fans Remote High Speed Internet Access Provided by Darwin Networks.Business Editors LOUISVILLE, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 27, 2000 Convenience of Internet Combined with Horse Racing horse racing, trials of speed involving two or more horses. It includes races among harnessed horses with one of two particular gaits, among saddled Thoroughbreds (or, less frequently, quarterhorses) on a flat track, or among saddled horses over a turf course with Tradition for Special Guests Cyberspace converges with a 126-year American tradition this year when Darwin Networks and Churchill Downs Churchill Downs, Ky.: see Louisville. provide Internet access See how to access the Internet. to special guests at the world-famous Kentucky Derby Kentucky Derby One of the classic U.S. Thoroughbred horse races. It was established in 1875 and run annually on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs track in Louisville, Ky. With the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes, it makes up U.S. racing's coveted Triple Crown. . Churchill Downs' Marquee Village, an exclusive entertainment area for corporate guests at the Kentucky Derby, will house remote Internet kiosks provided by Darwin Networks, a leading provider of high speed Internet access and network solutions. The kiosks, equipped with digital cameras, will allow racing fans fast, reliable and dependable access to the Internet with the capability to e-mail messages and digital photos while they are celebrating Thoroughbred racing's legendary event. "The Kentucky Derby is one of the greatest events in American sports, and Darwin Networks' kiosks will enrich and enhance the Derby experience for our guests in the Marquee Village," said John Asher, Churchill Downs' vice president of racing communications. "The kiosks will allow us to bring the Internet directly to these fans and enable them to instantaneously share the excitement of racing's greatest day." The kiosks will be available for use at the Marquee Village beginning Saturday, April 29 and will remain there through Derby Day the day of the annual race for the Derby stakes, - Wednesday of the week before Whitsuntide. See also: Derby , Saturday, May 6. Darwin Networks and Churchill Downs initially established a relationship in April 1998, when racetrack officials decided to upgrade the company's online capabilities, giving high speed Internet access to its employees, including the Press Box staff, and allowing the company's web editor the ability to make high speed updates during high-traffic periods. Within three days, Darwin Networks had the racetrack connected to its private network and prepared for the weeks leading up to the Kentucky Derby, when the site has the most volume. Since then, Darwin Networks has also installed high speed Internet access and provided network solutions for Turfway Park Turfway Park is an American horse racing track located in Florence, Kentucky, a part of Cincinnati, Ohio's Kentucky suburbs. It conducts live Thoroughbred horse racing during two meets per year, and offers year-round simulcast wagering from tracks across the continent. , another Kentucky racetrack. Darwin entered the Internet public access business with its recent acquisition of iCom Network. The acquisition expanded the company's portfolio of high speed Internet products and services to include public, pay-per-use Internet kiosks, kiosk network operations and management systems, public e-commerce solutions, and custom kiosk application software. Since then, Darwin Networks has expanded its user base by adding clients such as Marriott International Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR) is a worldwide operator and franchisor of a range of value and luxury hotels and related lodging facilities. Marriott currently has 2,300 accommodation properties in North America alone. , the Walt Disney Company, Amtrak Amtrak, the National Railroad Passenger Corp., authorized to operate virtually all intercity passenger railroad routes in the United States. Amtrak was created by Congress in 1970 in response to more than two decades of continuous operating deficits by privately run and Kampgounds of America. "Our kiosks give us the ability to literally bring the Internet within reach of anyone, anywhere," said Eric Wagner, president of Darwin Networks' Public Access Division. "We suspect that as more people continue to utilize the Internet, we will see kiosks become just as widespread as public telephones." Currently, Darwin Networks has over 600 public Internet terminals in use throughout the United States. The Marquee Village Internet users will add to the thousands of consumers who have logged more than 25 million user minutes on Darwin Networks' kiosks. About Darwin Networks Darwin Networks has agreements in place and in progress to launch services in approximately 800 locations in almost 40 states and Canada. The Louisville-based company provides high speed Internet access and network solutions to small and medium-sized businesses; office, flex, industrial and retail properties; apartment, condominium and student housing complexes; hotels and telephone companies; using wireless, wireline, and DSL DSL in full Digital Subscriber Line Broadband digital communications connection that operates over standard copper telephone wires. It requires a DSL modem, which splits transmissions into two frequency bands: the lower frequencies for voice (ordinary technologies. The company offers a full complement of marketing and support services support services Psychology Non-health care-related ancillary services–eg, transportation, financial aid, support groups, homemaker services, respite services, and other services , including training, to assist business owners, property managers and their staffs in marketing and implementing the new services. Additionally, Darwin is the nation's premier provider of public Internet access kiosks. To date, the company has installed hundreds of units throughout the country, in hotels, restaurants, tourist/travel centers, cafes, airports, and more. The company also produces, installs and operates multimedia kiosks designed for retail/eCommerce, interactive information distribution, communications, entertainment, advertising and other uses. Darwin Networks has corporate offices in Louisville, KY, Seattle, WA and Walnut Creek and San Diego, CA. The company's investors include Broadband Solutions, LLC (Logical Link Control) See "LANs" under data link protocol. LLC - Logical Link Control (led by Chrysalis chrysalis (krĭs`əlĭs): see pupa. Ventures, LLC), Paul Allen's Vulcan Ventures, Richland Ventures, River Cities Capital and associates of Moore Capital. For more information about Darwin Networks, please visit www.darwin.net. About Churchill Downs Churchill Downs, the world's most legendary racetrack, continuously has conducted Thoroughbred racing and hosted the Kentucky Derby since 1875. Located in Louisville, the flagship racetrack of Churchill Downs Incorporated Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ: CHDN) is the parent company of Churchill Downs. The company owns several other thoroughbred and standardbred racetracks. History (Nasdaq: CHDN) also operates the Louisville Sports Spectrum, an off-track betting facility. In 2000, Churchill Downs will host the 126th running of the Kentucky Derby on May 6 and the 17th Breeders' Cup Championship on Nov. 4. The racetrack's Spring Meet will be April 29 through July 9 and its Fall Meet will run from Oct. 29 through Nov. 25. Information about Churchill Downs can be found on the Internet at www.kentuckyderby.com. |
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