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A tasty $1 million Derby bonus
01/05/2007 |
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Yum! Brands, Inc., parent of KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Long John Silver's and A&W; Restaurants, announced Monday the YUMFECTA for the 133rd Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands.
The YUMFECTA is a new, $1-million bonus that will be paid by Yum! Brands to any horse that wins this year?s Kentucky Derby and beats 2006 Derby winner Barbaro?s winning margin of 6 ½ lengths over Bluegrass Cat.
YUMFECTA is the first bonus tied solely to the Derby race, margin of victory and winnings where the $1 million will be split evenly between the horse?s owner (25%), trainer (25%), jockey (25%) and charitable nonprofit organization, the NTRA Charities ? Barbaro Memorial Fund (25%).
Barbaro?s 2006 winning margin of 6 ½ lengths during last year?s Kentucky Derby was the biggest since 1946 when Assault won by 8 lengths. It was also the 5th largest winning margin in 132 years of the Kentucky Derby?s history.
The world fell in love with Barbaro at last year?s Kentucky Derby. While his injury during the Preakness dashed all hopes of winning the Triple Crown, millions held their breath as he gallantly tried to recover. Tragically, Barbaro lost his battle, but his legacy as a champion lives.
?We?re really excited about our second year as presenting sponsor of the Kentucky Derby ? it?s the greatest two minutes in sports and a perfect way to create awareness among individual investors,? said David C. Novak, Chairman and CEO, Yum! Brands, Inc. ?While just about everybody knows KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, not everyone knows Yum! Brands. Barbaro was such a hero, winning the hearts of Americans and those around the world, we wanted to celebrate that victory. You?ve heard of the Perfecta, Trifecta and Superfecta ? now there?s the ultimate million-dollar YUMFECTA. We hope there will be a million-dollar YUMFECTA winner at this year?s Kentucky Derby,? said Novak.
?Churchill Downs Incorporated is again pleased to partner with Yum! Brands in the presentation of America's greatest horse race, the Kentucky Derby,? said Churchill Downs Incorporated President and Chief Executive Officer Bob Evans. ?Besides being long-time supporters of the Kentucky Derby and Churchill Downs racing, David Novak and his team at Yum! Brands are helping us raise national awareness for the 'Greatest Two Minutes in Sports' through this season's YUMFECTA promotion. There will be even more excitement watching this year's Kentucky Derby field race towards the finish line, knowing that another $1 million is at stake for the winning connections and The Barbaro Memorial Fund, which was established to advance medical treatment for horses of all breeds and abilities in the name of Barbaro, the heroic colt who claimed the roses and the hearts of millions of racing fans one year ago in Derby 132.?
The Barbaro Memorial Fund, established by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, is a national fundraising program to raise awareness and money for equine health and safety research in the name of Barbaro, whose gallant struggle to overcome a catastrophic injury following the second leg of the Triple Crown captivated horse enthusiasts around the world.
Yum! Brands became the first-ever presenting sponsor of the Kentucky Derby in 2006 because it is a premier sporting event watched by millions of people around the globe. Traditional Kentucky Derby television viewers match the profile of individual investors who may be interested in purchasing shares of YUM Brands.
Individual investors typically buy shares of companies whose products they loyally consume. While KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell restaurant brands have more than 90% awareness, many investors do not know that Yum! Brands is the parent company that owns them.
At the end of 2006, Yum! Brands had 268 million shares outstanding, traded on the New York Stock Exchange. The company?s stock has increased 20% on a 5-year compounded annual growth rate through 2006.
Individual investors tend to hold onto stock longer and invest in companies they know with products they use. Yum! Brands? individual investor base is only about 20%, the balance held by institutional investors. The company?s goal is to increase that individual investor number to as much as 30% over time.
Yum! Brands is airing five 30-second television commercials with the message ?The world says Yum!? on Saturday, May 5, on NBC and in programming leading up to the Kentucky Derby on ESPN and ESPN 2. The ads will run in six different time slots before, during and after the race, including an ad immediately prior to the historic Kentucky Derby race. Also as part of the sponsorship agreement, the Company has logo placement around the track and on television billboards before and throughout the broadcast.
On Derby Day, Yum! Brands, KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Long John Silver?s and A&W; Restaurants logos will again appear across the entire third-floor railing of Churchill Down?s third floor clubhouse. Additionally, the YUM Brands logo will appear on the starting gate; finish line; main tote boards; paddock tote boards, saddle blanket and on the jackets of the pony riders who escort the Kentucky Derby horses and jockeys during the post parade. David Novak will be invited into the Winners Circle with Kentucky Governor Ernie Fletcher and Churchill CEO Robert Evans, to present the trophy to the owner of the Kentucky Derby winning horse.
The Kentucky Derby, which holds the distinction of being America's longest continuously held sporting event, has been run without interruption at Churchill Downs since the track's first race meet in 1875. The race for 3-year-old Thoroughbreds offers a $2 million-guaranteed purse.
(Source: Sportsbusinessnews.com)
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