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Steve Sexton brings a wealth of experience and knowledge in the horse racing industry to his position as president of two historic Kentucky racetracks - Churchill Downs and Ellis Park. Sexton oversees all of Churchill Downs Incorporated's pari-mutuel operations in Kentucky and manages the Company's interests in Kentucky Off-Track Betting Inc., a collection of OTB facilities owned in partnership by Kentucky's Thoroughbred racetracks, and Kentucky Downs, a Thoroughbred racing and simulcast facility located in Franklin, Ky.
Sexton joined the Churchill Downs management team after serving as president of Arlington Park and head of CDI's Illinois operations since August 2001. During his tenure at Chicago's premier racing oval, Sexton guided the Arlington team through preparations for the first Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships to be presented by an Illinois racetrack. Throughout his extensive racing career, Sexton has marketed and managed top horse racing facilities throughout the country including Santa Anita, Golden Gate Fields and Lone Star Park, which he helped establish as a new and vibrant Southern racing center.
A graduate of Claremont McKenna College, with a double major in economics and psychology, Sexton first became involved in racetrack management at Santa Anita in 1983 as sales promotion manager.
In 1985, Sexton was appointed assistant marketing director at Ladbroke's Canterbury Downs. He was promoted to assistant general manager/director of marketing for Ladbroke's Golden Gate Fields in 1986. In 1991, Sexton was appointed general manager at Thistledown.
In May 1994, he was appointed vice president/assistant general manager at Lone Star Park and was heavily involved in the start-up of the Texas racetrack. He was promoted to executive vice president and general manager there in January 2000 and served in that capacity until joining the Arlington team as executive vice president in April 2001. Sexton was promoted to president of the Arlington Heights, Ill., racetrack four months later. | 