Item 1. Legal Proceedings
ITEM 1. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
The following descriptions include updates since the filing of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, relating to the proceedings involving the Company. In addition to the matters described below, we are also involved in ordinary routine litigation matters which are incidental to our business. Refer to Note 16, Contingencies, to our Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements, for further information.
Lassiter v. Kentucky Downs, LLC, et al.
On December 18, 2020, Robert and Patricia Lassiter filed a complaint against Kentucky Downs, LLC, Keeneland Association, Inc., Turfway Park, LLC, Players Bluegrass Downs, LLC, Appalachian Racing, LLC, Ellis Park Race Course, Inc., The Lexington Trots Breeders Association, Inc., and Churchill Downs Incorporated (“Defendants”). Plaintiffs allege that Defendants’ HRMs constitute illegal gambling and assert that they can recover for their losses and the losses of all patrons at those facilities with HRMs over a five-year period under Kentucky Revised Statutes 372.010. The Company filed a motion to dismiss on March 31, 2021. On August 30, 2021, plaintiffs filed a Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Petition with the Western District of Kentucky, and filed a notice of automatic stay in the matter pending against the Company. The Company’s motion to dismiss was remanded because of the automatic stay, which has ended. On February 9, 2022, the Company filed a motion for oral argument on the motions to dismiss. The court granted that motion and oral argument was scheduled for May 11, 2022. However, on May 9, 2022, the parties filed a joint stipulation of dismissal with prejudice.
Louisiana Horsemen's Purses Class Action Suit
On April 21, 2014, John L. Soileau and other individuals filed a Petition for Declaratory Judgment, Permanent Injunction, and Damages-Class Action styled John L. Soileau, et. al. versus Churchill Downs Louisiana Horseracing, LLC, Churchill Downs Louisiana Video Poker Company, LLC (Suit No. 14-3873) in the Parish of Orleans Civil District Court, State of Louisiana (the "District Court"). The petition defined the "alleged plaintiff class" as quarter horse owners, trainers and jockeys that have won purses at the "Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots" facility in New Orleans, Louisiana ("Fair Grounds") since the first effective date of La. R.S. 27:438 and specifically since 2008. The petition alleged that Churchill Downs Louisiana Horseracing, LLC and Churchill Downs Louisiana Video Poker Company, LLC (collectively, the "Fair Grounds Defendants") have collected certain monies through video draw poker devices that constitute monies earned for purse supplements and all of those supplemental purse monies have been paid to thoroughbred horsemen during Fair Grounds’ live thoroughbred horse meets. La. R.S. 27:438 requires a portion of those supplemental purse monies to be paid to quarter-horse horsemen during Fair Grounds’ live quarter-horse meets. The petition requested that the District Court declare that Fair Grounds Defendants violated La. R.S. 27:438, issue a permanent and mandatory injunction ordering Fair Grounds Defendants to pay all future supplements due to the plaintiff class pursuant to La. R.S. 27:438, and to pay the plaintiff class such sums as it finds to reasonably represent the value of the sums due to the plaintiff class. The Louisiana Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the Louisiana Racing Commission's previous ruling that the plaintiffs did not have standing and remanded the matter to the Louisiana Racing Commission for further proceedings on June 13, 2018.
The Company established an accrual for an immaterial amount in the third quarter of 2019. The parties submitted a settlement agreement to the District Court on February 14, 2020, following the Louisiana Racing Commission’s approval to transfer the matter to the District Court for approval and administration of the settlement agreement on February 12, 2020. At a hearing on February 18, 2020, the District Court granted preliminary approval of the settlement agreement and set certain deadlines relating to actions to be taken by class members. The settlement agreement requires, among other items, the Fair Grounds Defendants to (i) pay a certain out-of-pocket amount that is within the amount for which we established an accrual in the third quarter of 2019, and (ii) support legislation that allocates a specified amount of video poker purse funds to quarter horse purses for races at Fair Grounds with maximum annual payout caps that are not deemed material. On June 13, 2020, the legislation addressed in the settlement agreement was passed by the legislature and signed into law by the Governor of Louisiana. The settlement includes a release of claims against the Fair Grounds Defendants in connection with the proceeding, although individual plaintiffs may opt-out. Objecting plaintiffs have filed a notice of appeal of the February 2020 Order appointing class counsel and certifying a class for settlement purposes. On January 28, 2021, the District Court issued a Final Order and Judgement approving the settlement. The objectors filed a notice of appeal of the January 28, 2021 Final Order and Judgment. That appeal has been consolidated with the earlier-filed appeal of the February 2020 Order appointing class counsel and certifying a class for settlement purposes. On December 22, 2021, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal entered an order affirming the orders of the District Court and approving the settlement. On January 7, 2022, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal denied the objectors’ motion for remand and application for rehearing. On February 6, 2022, the objectors filed a writ of certiorari with the Louisiana Supreme Court, which was denied on April 12, 2022. The deadline for the objectors to take further action expired on July 12, 2022 which is the final settlement date.
FORM 10-Q FOR THE QUARTERLY PERIOD ENDED JUNE 30, 2022
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Bob Baffert and Bob Baffert Racing Stables, Inc. v. Churchill Downs Incorporated, Bill Carstanjen and Alex Rankin
On February 28, 2022, plaintiffs Bob Baffert and Bob Baffert Racing Stables, Inc. filed a complaint and motion for preliminary injunction against Churchill Downs Incorporated, its Chief Executive Officer Bill Carstanjen, and its Chairman of the Board of Directors Alex Rankin in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky, arising out of the Company’s decision to suspend Mr. Baffert from entering horses trained by him at any Company-owned racetrack for a period of two years. The Company’s two-year suspension of Mr. Baffert came after Baffert-trained horse, Medina Spirit, finished first in the 147th running of the Kentucky Derby but subsequently tested positive for betamethasone, a banned race-day substance. Plaintiffs allege that the Company’s decisions to suspend Mr. Baffert from racing at any Company-owned racetrack and to prohibit horses trained by him (or any other suspended trainer) from accumulating Derby-qualifying points were unlawful. Plaintiffs assert claims for (i) violation of the due process clause, (ii) unlawful exclusion, (iii) violations of the federal antitrust laws, (iv) tortious interference with contract, and (v) tortious interference with prospective business advantage.
In addition to and separate from the Company’s suspension of Mr. Baffert, on February 21, 2022, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (“KHRC”) Board of Stewards suspended Mr. Baffert from racing in Kentucky for 90 days and issued a fine to him. The KHRC rejected Mr. Baffert’s requests to stay the suspension. Mr. Baffert unsuccessfully sought judicial intervention relieving him from the KHRC suspension. On March 21, 2022, the Franklin County Circuit Court concluded Mr. Baffert was not entitled to a stay of the KHRC suspension and that he had not satisfied a single element required for a temporary injunction of the KHRC suspension. This decision was affirmed by the Kentucky Court of Appeals on April 1, 2022 in an order denying Mr. Baffert’s motion for emergency relief. After the Kentucky Court of Appeals allowed the KHRC’s 90-day suspension of Mr. Baffert to stand, plaintiffs voluntarily withdrew their motion for preliminary injunction against the Company without prejudice.
On May 2, 2022, the Company filed a motion to dismiss plaintiffs’ complaint. As of June 6, 2022, the motion was fully briefed. The Company, Mr. Carstanjen, and Mr. Rankin intend to defend this matter vigorously and believe that there are meritorious legal and factual defenses against plaintiffs' allegations and requests for relief.
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