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of the New
Louisville Jockey Club) to become involved in the reorganization and management of Churchill Downs. Winn came on board as vice president to run the catering operation and summer entertainment and in 1914 he was listed as general manager of the new Louisville Jockey Club. A skilled marketer, in his first year running the racetrack, his promotions for the event saw the business make its first-ever annual profit. A few years later, Winn was involved in changing the wagering from
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Louisville to compete in the Derby. Whitney agreed, and Winn's effort paid off with nationwide publicity surrounding the first filly to ever win the Derby. Winn called Regret's victory a turning point, and he worked to create an event of exotic grandeur that women soon flocked to, coming from both
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A businessman, he had been a racing enthusiast since the day his father brought him to see the first running of the
Kentucky Derby in 1875. In 1902, Matt Winn was operating as a merchant tailor. He was asked by one of his clients, William E. Applegate, (who, at that time, owned over eighty percent
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Matt Winn's picture appeared on the official 1949 Kentucky Derby Mint Julep Glass with the caption "He Has Seen Them All." He had seen every derby run, since the first derby in 1875, when he was 14 years
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Matt Winn used his understanding of marketing to weave an aura of romance around the
Kentucky Derby. In 1915, he convinced the multimillionaire sportsman
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system and in 1911 increased business substantially by reducing the wager ticket from $ 5 to $ 2.
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Matt Winn Dining Room at
Churchill Downs Matt Winn Steakhouse at Churchill Downs (2020-Present)
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for three-year-olds held each May at
Churchill Downs was named in his honor.
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Churchill Downs: A Documentary
History of America's Most Legendary Race Track
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He died in
Louisville on October 6, 1949. He is buried in his family plot in
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Photo of Matt Winn's grave, GPS coordinates: N 38 14 01.2; W 085 43 18.5
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Matt Winn biography at the official
Churchill Downs Incorporated website
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269:. In 1937, Winn and the Derby made the cover of the May 10 issue of
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358:. Louisville, Kentucky: The Standard Printing Company. p. 123
190:(June 30, 1861 – October 6, 1949) was a prominent personality in
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race that he made famous. In 2017, he was inducted into the
381:. Louisville, Kentucky: Kentucky Derby Museum. p. 8.
328:"Phipps, Gaines, Winn Named 2017 Pillars of the Turf"
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List of people from the
Louisville metropolitan area
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285:Down The Stretch: The Story of Col. Matt J. Winn
439:Matt Winn Saves Churchill Downs and the Derby
355:Press Reference Book of Prominent Kentuckians
207:National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
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541:Burials at St. Louis Cemetery, Louisville
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279:In 1944, Colonel Winn collaborated with
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536:Sportspeople from Louisville, Kentucky
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294:, 1215 Barret Avenue, Louisville. The
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402:Dietrich, John (October 7, 1949).
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240:to ship his highly rated filly
16:American horse racing executive
435:Horse Racing's Top 100 Moments
404:"Col. Matt Winn Dies in Sleep"
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463:magazine article on Matt Winn
366:– via Internet Archive.
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521:Businesspeople from Kentucky
412:. Louisville. UP. p. 21
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126:Churchill Downs Incorporated
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420:– via Newspapers.com.
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526:Churchill Downs executives
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377:Thomas, Samuel W. (1995).
97:Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
84:Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
352:LaBree, Ben, ed. (1916).
209:as a Pillar of the Turf.
197:history and president of
195:thoroughbred horse racing
161:Pillar of the Turf )2017)
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443:Blood Horse Publications
201:racetrack, home to the
494:July 16, 2011, at the
477:obituary for Matt Winn
217:Matt Winn was born in
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105:Horse racing executive
409:The Knoxville Journal
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475:St. Petersburg Times
261:bestowed on him the
259:Governor of Kentucky
219:Louisville, Kentucky
121:Board member of
62:Louisville, Kentucky
251:fashionable society
238:Harry Payne Whitney
159:Racing Hall of Fame
292:St. Louis Cemetery
231:Parimutuel betting
221:on June 30, 1861.
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94:St. Louis Cemetery
454:978-1-58150-139-1
253:and the ordinary
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441:by the Staff of
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267:Kentucky Colonel
147:Matt Winn Stakes
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414:. Retrieved
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360:. Retrieved
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135:Mollie Doyle
124:President,
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516:1949 deaths
511:1861 births
283:to publish
505:Categories
314:References
246:New Jersey
102:Occupation
77:1949-10-07
54:1861-06-30
42:Winn, 1912
227:bookmaker
213:Biography
180:Martin J.
30:Matt Winn
492:Archived
302:See also
274:magazine
192:American
445:(2006)
429:Sources
337:May 24,
75: (
26:Colonel
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242:Regret
140:Honors
132:Spouse
64:, U.S.
244:from
461:TIME
450:ISBN
418:2021
383:ISBN
364:2021
339:2017
272:Time
188:Winn
184:Matt
175:old.
113:The
70:Died
48:Born
265:of
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