Moet & Chandon and the Kentucky Derby® Partner to Celebrate Winning Moments

NEW YORK, April 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --  Moet & Chandon and the Kentucky Derby® announced today that Moet & Chandon will be the first champagne ever to be a partner of the  Kentucky Derby®, aligning the world's most beloved champagne with one of the most prestigious sporting competitions in existence. Moet & Chandon, the champagne of success and glamour since 1743, is continuing to enhance its rich heritage as an icon of victorious celebration and global winning moments with this first foray in Thoroughbred horse racing at the 138th running of the Kentucky Derby®, otherwise known as "The Greatest Two Minutes in Sports."

Moet & Chandon's status as the ultimate symbol of success and victory was created through its presence at many of the world's most esteemed competitions. For nearly a century, Moet & Chandon has been at the finish line of international boating and car racing competitions, including the Vanderbilt Cup, Formula One, 24 Hours of Le Mans and the America's Cup. Moet & Chandon has also symbolized triumph atop the world's most revered podiums, including the Cannes International Film Festival, the Golden Globe Awards and the Academy Awards.

Now, Moet & Chandon is joining the respected traditions of the horsemen and millions of Kentucky Derby fans worldwide by becoming an integral part of the celebration experience by introducing the "Moet & Chandon Toast to the Kentucky Derby®"; a salute that will take place from the winners circle to lead the stadium in raising their (champagne) glass to the Derby competitors before the running of the 11th race. 

"Moet & Chandon is pleased to be entering its inaugural year as partner of the Kentucky Derby," said Ludovic du Plessis, Vice President of Moet & Chandon USA. "It is with great pride that we look forward to starting a new tradition with the "Moet & Chandon Toast to the Kentucky Derby®."

Other initiatives include:

• Moet & Chandon brings its "Sign for the Roses" philanthropic initiative to the 2012 Kentucky Derby® Red Carpet. "Sign for the Roses" honors the Kentucky Derby® and benefits the initiatives funded by the races official charity, The Churchill Downs Incorporated Foundation (CDIF). For each celebrity signature on the 6 Liter bottle on the Red Carpet, Moet & Chandon will donate to the charity benefiting industry needs concentrating on education, health & welfare, the industry and the local arts such as Thoroughbred retirement, therapeutic funds for the horse as well as programs for local children and education. 
• Attendees of the 2012 Kentucky Derby® will have the opportunity to cheer on their favourite contenders and place their bets all the while celebrating with limited edition, commemorative Kentucky Derby® themed minis available at the Moet & Chandon bars at Churchill Downs. For those celebrating at home, consumers will have the opportunity to purchase limited edition, commemorative magnums available in early May at local retailers Liquor Barn and Party Mart at suggested retail prices ranging from $114.99-$119.99.
• To celebrate its first year as a partner with the Kentucky Derby® The Spirit of 1743 Moet & Chandon's signature hot-air balloon has arrived in Kentucky and is soaring high near the prestigious home of the races. The Spirit of 1743 hot-air balloon is part of a worldwide voyage that started in China last September and will end in 2013, year of the Houses 270th Anniversary.

About Moet & Chandon

For over a century, Moet & Chandon has embodied victory in a bottle. From the christening of new racing vessels with a shower of Moet & Chandon before it first sets sail, to celebrating winning moments, Moet & Chandon have gone hand-in-hand with the pomp and circumstance of premier sporting events.  Celebrations and champagne have always been the perfect pairing - the first champagne spray, was conceived at the Le Mans auto race in 1966, when winning driver Jo Siffert shook a bottle of champagne and inadvertently sprayed the crowd.  Subsequently, drinking directly from a bottle of champagne after a win became customary.  Moet has continued to support luxury sporting events including the Louis Vuitton Cup, the America's Cup and the French Open.

As the world's leading champagne House, Moet & Chandon takes an innovative approach to sharing magic and celebration with the world.  Since its founding days in 1743 by Claude Moet, the House has taken daring steps and created new celebratory traditions, including sabering, the champagne fountain and vessel christenings.   Moet is often cited as the world's first international luxury brand, given Jean-Remy Moet's expansion to international markets from the late 1700s.  With the largest vineyard holdings in the Champagne region, Moet creates the world's most-loved champagne from the very best grapes and terroir that the region has to offer.    

About the Churchill Downs

Churchill Downs, the world's most legendary racetrack, has conducted Thoroughbred racing and presented America's greatest race, the Kentucky Derby, continuously since 1875. Located in Louisville, the flagship racetrack of Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ: CHDN) also operates Trackside at Churchill Downs, which offers year-round simulcast wagering at the historic track. Churchill Downs will conduct the 138th running of the Kentucky Derby on May 5, 2012, and its Spring Meet is scheduled for April 28-July 1. The track has hosted the Breeders' Cup World Championships a record eight times. Information about Churchill Downs can be found on the Internet at www.churchilldowns.com.

SOURCE Moet & Chandon