Side Story: Restoring the 'Grand Dame' of Racing

Words: Dan KamysSeptember 2008

Cleaners and Sealants

clean-sb2-1 Churchill Downs, the world's most legendary racetrack, has conducted thoroughbred racing and presented America's greatest race, the Kentucky Derby, continuously since 1875. As other state-of-the-art entertainment and sports attractions have cropped up throughout the region, it was in need of restoration and modernization to effectively compete and attract fans to the track. Signature races, the Kentucky Derby and Oaks, have had an economic impact of approximately $217 million, and the renovation would help ensure that both events continue to grow and serve as significant drivers for the regional economy. Hosting 750,000 visitors each year, all caulking done on the terraces overlooking the racetrack had to withstand extensive movement as well as retain the stunning revitalized look, despite the high traffic. clean-sb2-2The fast-track construction schedules on a project like Churchill Downs required that product be on hand when it is needed. Custom matching of colors adds time, cost and complications that slow the process. Spectrem 4-TS Field-Tintable Silicone Sealant from Tremco not only provided all the performance required, it offered a standard color, which would perfectly match the traffic coating being used on the job. Being field-tintable, it also gave the contractor, Martin & McDonald, the freedom to mix just the amount needed on-site and blend as necessary to meet the exacting requirements of the architect for the appearance of a mortar joint. In addition, its excellent adhesion and movement capabilities made it ideal for the suspended pre-cast panels in the suite section where terraces overlook the track. With a variety of control joints between dissimilar materials, a product was needed that could provide superior adhesion between not only brick to brick, but brick to EIFS and EIFS to mortar. Spectrem 3 Silicone Sealant and Spectrem 4-TS, both formulated with Tremco's proprietary Advanced Silicone Technology (AST), are suited for the porous substrates as well as materials having a high coefficient of linear expansion such as EIFS, and they last for decades. The AST formulation also ensures that they are easy to work with, tooling joints is fast, the finish is superior, and the color is retained dirt-free for years to come. Now, with the help of new advanced technology in sealants, Churchill Downs has been restored to the Winners Circle of racing venues with a look that's formulated to last for a long time.   Return to Table of Contents
Chairman’s Message: SELF TALK
July 2025

My wife, Sheryl, listens to podcasts often. Sometimes she uses earbuds but also listens through her cellphone speaker as she does countless other things around the house. As a result, very often I have no choice but to listen to the podcasts along with he

Dick Dentinger
Chairman’s Message
Read More
Outreach Outlook: Momentum in Motion
July 2025

As we move into the heart of summer, the masonry industry continues to thrive—fueled by innovation, partnership, and a growing commitment to excellence in education and workforce advancement. June has been a remarkable month, marked by events that not onl

Conner Birdsong
Read More
Building More: Slow, Fast, or Consistent. What is Tempo?
July 2025

It was a drizzly midweek day when I rolled up to the project we were working on just outside of town. The foreman paced the scaffolding, rain hood half-zipped, barking at two laborers who were sprinting bricks like they were late for a flight. Forty feet

Corey Adams
Building More
Read More
Marvelous Masonry: Belém Tower
July 2025

The Belém Tower in Lisbon, Portugal, stands as a testament to stone construction's enduring artistry and technical prowess. Erected between 1514 and 1519, this iconic structure served as a defensive bastion at the mouth of the Tagus River and as a ceremon

Cass Stern
Marvelous Masonry
Read More