Woodford Reserve® Named Official Bourbon of the Belmont Stakes®

Louisville, KY — Woodford Reserve®, one of America’s fastest growing bourbons, is proud to return as a sponsor of the 143rd running of the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, June 11 at Belmont Park® in Elmont, NY. Woodford Reserve will serve as the “Official Bourbon of the Belmont Stakes” for 2011 and will be included in the signature drink of the Belmont Stakes, the Belmont Jewel.

Woodford Reserve will also sponsor the race immediately preceding the running of the Belmont Stakes. Named the Woodford Reserve Manhattan Handicap, the 1 1/4th mile turf race carries a purse of $400,000 and is for three-year-olds and up. The Manhattan Handicap was inaugurated at Morris Park in 1896 and is named after the principal borough of New York City. The race will be nationally televised on NBC with post time set for 5:39 p.m. ET.

“Woodford Reserve is proud to partner with Belmont Park and a distinguished race such as the Manhattan Handicap,” said Laura Petry, senior brand manager for Woodford Reserve. “This partnership continues Woodford Reserve’s commitment to the thoroughbred industry and extends it to the East Coast.”
Woodford Reserve will also toast race day with the Belmont Jewel, the Official Drink of Belmont Park and the Belmont Stakes.

Woodford Reserve Belmont Jewel
Official Cocktail of the Belmont Stakes

1 ½ oz. Woodford Reserve
2 oz. Lemonade
1 oz. Pomegranate juice

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain over ice into a rocks glass. Garnish with a lemon wedge or cherry.

The Woodford Reserve Belmont Jewel will be available in the clubhouse on the second floor near the Player’s Club, on the clubhouse third floor next to the food court, in the grandstand on the second floor near the escalators and at Backyard Brews in the Belmont Park Backyard.

Hal Handel, NYRA Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, said, “Woodford Reserve is a premium brand with strong commitment to the thoroughbred industry. This partnership is a perfect fit. We are very pleased to be able to offer our patrons access to Woodford Reserve’s first-class bourbon.”

Belmont Park
Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, is the home of the third leg of horse racing’s storied Triple Crown and one of three racetracks operated by The New York Racing Association (NYRA). NYRA also operates Aqueduct Racetrack and Saratoga Race Course. Founded in 1955, and franchised to run thoroughbred racing in New York through 2033, NYRA contributes more than $2 billion annually to the State’s urban, suburban and rural economy. In 2007, nearly two million people attended the live races at NYRA tracks, and the average daily betting handle on NYRA races totals more than $10.9 million. To learn more about NYRA, please visit www.NYRA.com.

About Woodford Reserve

Woodford Reserve is a super-premium Kentucky “small batch” bourbon distilled at the Woodford Reserve Distillery in Versailles, KY. It is a bourbon of craftsmanship and the embodiment of substance and style. Woodford Reserve is also the Official Bourbon of the Kentucky Derby and its distillery is the oldest bourbon distillery in America. Woodford Reserve is one of the fine spirits produced and marketed by Brown-Forman Corporation, a producer and marketer of fine quality beverage alcohol brands, including Jack Daniel’s, Southern Comfort, Finlandia, Tequila Herradura, Sonoma-Cutrer, Chambord and Tuaca. Please enjoy your bourbon responsibly. For more information on Woodford Reserve, visit www.woodfordreserve.com.

Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 45.2% Alc. by Vol., The Woodford Reserve Distillery, Versailles, KY ©2011