From Louisville Business First:

The Kentucky Oaks is moving to primetime.

Churchill Downs and NBC announced today that next year’s race is moving to 8 p.m. Typically post time for the race, which runs the day before the Kentucky Derby, is scheduled shortly before 6 p.m.

NBC executives say the race will move to NBC and Peacock, and the primetime post will allow for a “spectacular twilight finish.”

“We are excited to present the Kentucky Oaks in primetime for the first time ever,” said Jon Miller, president, acquisitions & partnerships, NBC Sports in a news release. “With the Oaks on Friday night leading into the Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May, we can’t wait to get back to Churchill Downs for another historic weekend of racing.”

The Oaks is the annual running of thoroughbred racing’s best three-year-old fillies, and features a $1.5 million purse. This year’s running on Friday, May 2, will be the 152nd iteration of the annual race.

Churchill Downs is really excited about this. It means more money and more national exposure for Derby weekend.

You’d think it’s a win-win situation for the Ville. That’s where you would be wrong.

After the announcement was made, this message was posted by one of the city’s best upscale restaurants:

Let’s face it, Churchill Downs is only interested in the money. Community involvement is irrelevant when television networks are willing to shell over big bucks for broadcast rights. If the network said “Let’s run the race at midnight” the folks at the Downs wouldn’t immediately rule it out before reluctantly saying, “Maybe this isn’t a good idea.”

Even then, the general public wouldn’t lose out that much. They could see the race the next day (or any time they want) on YouTube: