Tornado hits Churchill; Racing resumes Friday night..
 

Can anyone verify? Thanks. Multiple tornadoes in the area.

Darren Rogers says this: Storm rips through Churchill Downs, multiple barns suffer roof damage, downed trees, water main busted. More to come as details surface.

A few more folks said security confirms a tornado "touched down" in the infield.

News link:
http://msn.foxsports.com/horseracing...Downs-45001391

No damage reported at Derby Museum.
http://twitter.com/#!/derbymuseum/status/83698859141898240

UPDATE: Asher is headed to Churchill Downs right now to address media.

It's the Twitterverse, but numerous reporting that Steve Margolis' barn collapsed and that there is a gas leak on the backside as well.

Trees, a couple of buildings, wires etc...

LIVE COVERAGE: http://www.wave3.com/

Just showed what's left of Barn 23.

Saw pictures....looks very scary. They are trying to get the horses out of the barns right now.

Does Chuck have a stable at Churchill?

No. But he had a bad day today himself losing a horse.

Thanks Steve.

Sorry for your loss Chuck.

Hopefully everyone else is okay down there.

http://yfrog.com/kl2t6gj Holy cow. Horses were apparently running loose. I hope no one was hurt.

Thursday's races have been cancelled.

Picture is a shot of the Steve Margolis stable. Luckily all people and horses are okay.

Chuck, I'm sorry to hear that you lost one of your horses today.

Please everyone pray for those at Churchill; humans, horses, dogs, cats and whatever else. This is so awful. Sad news all around. And here all we can do is sit at your computers. I wish I was at CD so I could contribute and do something to help.

Chuck, Dave, real sorry for your loss.

Brads Kitten??:(

:(

Sorry for your loss, Chuck.

Torrential rain in downtown Louisville. Storm is a river crawler.

Report is now, according to Churchill, that nine barns have "significant" damage.

Here is the press briefing from an hour ago:

Part 1
Part 2

Any word on Friday nights card? I had planned to go....

Darren Rogers just off line with me on ATR said a decision should be reached by early this afternoon.

Watch his Derby Media twitter and CD.com for update(s).

Churchill Friday night card a go..
 

Per Darren Rogers, Churchill Downs will conduct it's scheduled Downs After Dark night racing program on Friday as scheduled.

News release

Wow that's great news.
Makes me think that things aren't as bad everything sounded last night.

Woooo Hoooooooooo!!!!

No. They're bad on the backstretch. But the front side was unaffected and there's only 9 days left in the meet, so they need to race. And Darren Rogers just told ATR that Donnie Richardson talked to EVERY trainer with a horse entered Friday, and they all want to run.

Looks pretty bad but guess they dodged a bullet...no horsey injuries?

wow... absolutely amazing that there were no injuries.

I was talking more from the perspective of no injuries and more importantly no deaths.

It was pretty bad. Chaotic at one point.

cant believe no people or horses were hurt.

Word on Twitter of tornado warnings in Versailles and Lexington.

me too, seems impossible.

We're getting pop up supercell thunderstorms (like what hit CD last night) - so far just funnel clouds, may worsen this afternoon.

Was anyone else in the infield on Derby day 2004? I guess there wasn't officially a tornado, but that was a nasty storm in the middle of the afternoon with 50,000 people exposed to some scary lightning. Good thing it was after 3 so most of the people took it in stride and fired the party right back up when the winds died down. Fond memories of wading through knee deep water to get a mint julep before the Derby.

There are horses that are hurt and mentally alot of the horses are a mess.