Undercover Boss (2010) s01e05 Episode Script
Churchill Downs
Male announcer: The economy is Through tough times.
Many hardworking Americans Blame wealthy CEOs, Out of touch with what's going on In their own companies.
But some bosses are willing to take extreme action To make their businesses better.
Each week we follow the boss Of a major corporation as they go undercover into their own company.
This week, the boss of Churchill Downs, host of the Kentucky Derby, A $500 million business with racetracks, casinos, And offtrack betting parlors across america.
The boss will trade in his executive office And expense account For a pair of jeans and a feed bucket.
He'll assume a new identity.
Hi, Billy.
Roxanne.
Nice to meet you.
And pose as a new recruit.
You're not scared to work? I'm not scared.
I want to do it.
Do you know anything about a horse? Not very much.
Do you have a brain? Uh, yes.
Can you spell "horse"? Boss Kenny.
Look, when we're busy, don't disappear.
I don't blame him if he is a little mad at me.
I let him down.
By working on the front lines, He'll find out what's really going on Inside his company.
It's a very stressful business in the money department.
That's a problem to hear people say that.
He will find the good.
What are you hoping to do in racing? Oh, gosh, I mean, president of Churchill Downs would be fine.
He will find the bad.
How much do you get paid an hour? Um, it's not a lot.
It's a lot of hard work.
And he'll discover the unsung heroes That make his company run.
When Kenny showed me the picture That I'd been looking at all day She's an angel in heaven.
I just teared up.
I shoulda noticed, but How will his coworkers react When they find out he's really the boss? I'm the chief operating officer Of Churchill Downs incorporated.
Someone recognizes all the hard work I do.
And how will it change their lives? I learned some important lessons.
I am absolutely gonna be better at my job Because of this experience.
Find out next on undercover boss.
Churchill Downs Owns some of the best-known racetracks in the world, And is home to the st famous horse race, The Kentucky Derby.
And they're off.
Go! Holding the reins to this company Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky Is one man.
I'm Bill Carstanjen.
I'm the chief operating officer of Churchill Downs.
I think most people in america Know our company because of the Kentucky Derby.
And here they go.
The oldest continuous sporting event In the United States.
It's been conducted every single year since 1875.
This is an industry steeped in tradition, And the people who work in it are passionate about it.
Unfortunately, I have to make sure It's run as a profitable business, Which means sometimes questioning those traditions.
After I finished up in law school, I went to work doing corporate law And mergers and acquisitions, And I didn't grow up on the backside of a horse track.
And I didn't grow up on a horse farm.
For a lot of the folks that work here, This is much, much more than a job, And sometimes that's a bit intimidating.
There's a lot of responsibility in working in an environment Where people have such a strong passion For what they're doing.
I haven't been on a horse in about 15 years.
I'm embarrassed to admit this, But they're a little bit intimidating.
They're really big, And I like to watch them from afar.
My daughters in particular are big horseback riders.
They know a lot about horses.
My family is my core.
Nice.
What I try to focus on as best I can.
Yeah, you are right here.
I think this will be a very interesting experience for him, Because he does like to control his environment.
Keep eating those vegetables.
I'm really curious to see How he's going to react To things that he can't control, 'cause he's very used to doing that.
When you're the C.
O.
O.
, Most of the problems you're solving Really happens in conference rooms.
One of the great things about going undercover Is the opportunity to see how the employees Feel about all the changes that are happening.
The owners and trainers on the back stretch Of the property tend to be traditionalists.
They are very set in their ways, And they've been doing things the same way For a long period of time.
Contrast that with the frontside Where the customers are where we're constantly Trying to introduce new amenities, New entertainment options And a different and better experience.
Sometimes change isn't easy.
Sometimes those two worlds clash.
I'm walking to the boardroom right now To tell the team I'm going to be going undercover.
I'm excited about it, And I'm pretty sure they're gonna be very surprised.
Thanks for coming, everyone.
I bet you're wondering why I asked you to come here.
I'm going to be leaving the corporate offices for a week To go undercover in the company.
The purpose of this is really to, um, Cut through the spreadsheets and the powerpoints, And it's gonna be a chance to be a fly on the wall.
Have you thought at all about, like, What if you hear something from an employee That's shocking to you? And does that scare you a little bit? Yes.
I expect that to happen.
But more concerned About whether there are things we can fix.
Of course keeping it absolutely quiet is critical Because if I'm recognized or discovered, The whole experience melts down And it's all for naught.
I'm gonna see you guys in a week, okay? Okay, bye, daddy.
Oh, I love you so much.
I love you.
I'll miss you.
I love you.
While I'm undercover, I'm going to be going By the name of Billy Johns, And my background is that I had a moving company that's now gone out of business.
My coworkers will be told that I am making a documentary About entry-level jobs.
Hi there, I'm Bill Johns.
I have a reservation.
By the pool.
Great, thank you.
While I'm undercover, I'll be staying in budget motels Just like a new employee to the area.
Takes me back, Spring break 1989.
But it's okay.
My main concern is being recognized today.
I haven't been down here in a couple of months.
But I think without my glasses on And with a couple days without shaving, I think we'll be okay, I hope.
Calder's a facility that's undergoing a lot of change.
We noticed several years ago That business is starting to slip, So we're putting $100 million into Calder.
We're building a huge casino That will bring in new customers And also allow us to recruit superstar horses, Because we'll be able to pay more in prize money To the winning horses.
But I'm going undercover to see how it's affecting The people on the backside As this facility around them is changing.
Hi there.
Hey.
How are you? Doing great.
I'm Billy.
I'm Gillian.
Nice to meet you.
I'll help you out however I can today.
Well, your first horse is going down the shed row.
So why don't we go down there, And we'll set up their breakfast.
Do you know anything about a horse? Not very much.
Do you have a brain? Uh, yes.
Can you spell "horse"? Think of a trainer as the coach of a professional athlete, And the professional athlete is the horse.
This is the fun part, cooking for the children.
Take one level scoop of this, sweet feed, And one level scoop of oats.
In each bucket you get two scoops.
You don't have to do it so neatly.
Oh, sorry.
Are you nervous? A little bit.
Oh, he knows it's time.
Oh, yeah.
Don't show him any fear.
They know that you're nervous.
Hold on, hold on.
No, I'm not the food, buddy.
Hopefully they'll cut me some slack here.
He will.
Hold on, hold on.
Push it in his face, and he will move.
All right.
Get back.
When you climb into a little stall With a 1,200-pound animal that really doesn't like The fact that you're in there to begin with, Your blood pressure's gonna go up a little bit.
Ah, this thing's stuck.
Hold on, hold on.
You got to feed everybody equally, 'cause they'll start getting angry.
I don't know how that looked, But my heart is pounding.
Ah, maybe you don't want to feed her.
Give me this.
Okay.
I'm probably not doing as well as I'd like, And it's probably gonna be worse from here, But I'm doing the best I can.
All right, this gentleman is in the forth race today.
We're gonna scrub him.
Okay, you want to try to bathe him? Right here, hon.
Oh, over here.
Okay, whoa, whoa.
Don't come too close to him.
He's gonna get skittish.
Watch out, watch out, watch out, watch out.
Go on that side, hose him.
Yep.
Ah! And you don't get your boss wet.
Sorry, boss.
Right now Bill's future is not looking the greatest.
He just has a lot to learn.
How do you get to be a trainer? Well, my mom had racehorses when I was little.
And there's just something About racehorses that are hard to step away from.
You ever see yourself doing anything different? No.
I love this.
How's it work? How do you make a living as a trainer? I get a day rate based on my owners.
And out of that, I have to pay for the feed, Their bedding, their hay.
At the end of the month, I get a bonus, the horses make.
How many horses you have? We have eight total.
Just take a halter and wipe it off.
Okay.
So seven days a week, huh? Seven days a week.
They eat, they sleep.
They need me as much as my son needs me.
Well, working with you so far this morning, I realize how tough this work is.
Not a game you probably want to jump into Full feet forward for the fact that It's a very stressful business in the money department.
At the end of the month When you're down to your last couple hundred dollars And you got to feed your horses, and your children, And pay your car, and pay your house, You got to be able to take the stress, 'cause it will drive you insane.
You think most people back here are struggling? Oh, yeah, I guarantee you.
Yeah, I can really see it in your face And some of the folks back here, you guys love doing this.
If you didn't, You wouldn't be back here.
Yeah.
There are easier jobs out there That probably pay more money.
The happiness they bring you, I know it sounds goofy, But they do bring me happiness.
This morning's been a tough lesson, Because she'd recommend to me that I not get into this game, That I not become a trainer.
For us as the company that owns the tracks, That's not what we want to hear.
We want people to be encouraged To come into this game, To want to be a part of it.
At the end of the day our future is gonna depend on that.
We can't just rely on passion of a few folks.
That's a problem.
This race has been taken off the turf.
Will be run on the main track.
Gillian has told me that she gets 10% Of her horses' winnings.
Since she only has a few horses, It's really important that her horses do well.
Okay, so this is reality.
This is what it comes down to.
How do you feel about that casino? Think it'll get more people owning horses And more horses to train? Hopefully.
You know, probably the big outfits Will come down to Calder, And the little outfits won't be shoved out.
So we'll just keep-- the better we do today, The better chance we got to just get more stalls And stay at Calder.
We allocate most of our stalls To the most successful trainers.
Gillian wants more stalls, But she needs to win more races To get access to those stalls.
This is where it gets to the nit and grit of the business That you need your horse to do good Just so our Bills are paid.
I desperately need him to come through financially for us.
This is what we do now.
It's time for the race.
We're four minutes to post.
Very nerve-racking.
There's our boy, holding the check.
You watch him warm up.
He's warming up well.
They'll start to line up, they'll load, And you pray you get a good break, And off we go.
This is a very nervous part.
Please, God.
They're in.
There we go.
Bill finds out if all his hard work paid off.
Come on, five! We need to go now if we're gonna go.
And later Bill sees the frontside Like never before.
At this job, you got to be quick.
Billy wouldn't be good at this.
He's just not cleaning material.
Bill Carstanjen, C.
O.
O.
Of Churchill Downs, Is a boss undercover.
He's just met a trainer who's struggling to get by.
You need your horse to do good Just so our Bills are paid.
His journey continues at the starting Gate.
They'll start to line up, they'll load, And you pray you get a good break, And off we go.
Please, God.
They're in.
There we go.
And they're off.
Come on, five! No, you have patience till the end.
Come on, five! This is where you learn your patience.
Holding the check is on the move.
He's inside of undefeated.
I think I see him bunched up.
Somewhere in the pack.
About a half a mile to go left and-- Here we go.
He's green, he's fourth.
He's starting to roll.
He's starting to make his move.
We need to go now if we're gonna go.
We're on the rail.
We're-- Come on, five! And Agra will win it, here down by And don't look too good today For the race.
Now we got to go talk to the jockey And see what happened.
The backstretch is an environment With a huge amount of passion and commitment.
Sometimes loving what you do And having a passion for something isn't enough.
With the horse not running well, It does not look good for our finances right now.
Oh, I'm sorry, Gillian.
Oh, not very happy with what happened.
I wish that horse out there had finished stronger Than it did, Because it matters.
It matters to these people out here How that horse finishes.
Today was a long day in the sun.
I'm tired.
It was an honest day's work without any expectations Put on me because I'm from corporate.
It was a chance to work alongside Some people that normally wouldn't even be comfortable If I offered to work alongside them.
Bill takes his undercover journey North For his next job.
Today I'm outside of Arlington Park, Beautiful, iconic track, One of the tracks we're most proud of In the Churchill Downs family.
This week I'm gonna be trying out all kinds of jobs That are important to this business.
But I can't think of one job that's more historic Or important than my next job.
No race starts without the bugle's call to the post.
The only problem is I have never played A musical instrument in my life.
I don't think this is gonna go well, But it's something that I want to try.
Hi, I'm Billy.
Hi, Billy.
I'm jean.
Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you as well.
Well, I'm the bugler here at Arlington Park.
And I'm gonna teach you how to play the call to post.
Great.
I'm gonna put this down and start from, you know, The beginning stages, all right? So this, we have some kazoos.
Great.
All right, so No, so what you do, is you don't blow air.
You hum into it.
Call to post, okay.
All right.
I won't have high expectations for you yet.
Billy might have some stage fright.
He seemed a little nervous even in there.
And so once we get in front of people, I think he might be a little scared.
Very nice.
Lookin' good.
Whatever you do, If you try and just blow air into it like it's not gonna work.
You're gonna have to actually buzz your lips.
What do you mean by buzz? What's a buzz? And the tighter your lips are, The higher you go.
Just think "buzz" and "air.
" That's the game, all right? You nervous? Petrified, actually.
Yeah? I don't remember the last time I had a feeling like this In the pit of my stomach.
My heart was pounding, And I felt nauseous When I headed down the tunnel to play that bugle.
Thank you, thank you.
Thank you very much.
Whoo! To fail spectacularly Is actually a liberating experience.
Yes, I hate to fail.
It's taken me well beyond my comfort zone, But you got to go out there and do your best.
Just underway.
Go! Go! Go! Look at her go! Dixie wins it.
We're at the end of another busy race day, And everybody has gone home for the night Except for the cleaning crew.
Today I'm gonna go work with the crew upstairs, Taking care of the luxury suites.
Core to Arlington Park Is it's a luxury environment.
That's key to what happens here.
So part of my mission is to get a sense Of how that's working.
Hi, I'm Billy.
Hi, I'm Denise.
Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you as well, Denise.
Hi.
This is the suite level.
Suite level has to be very well kept, Very clean.
Nothing is to be left on floors, on tables, On bar areas, 'cause up here is the more upper class.
Understood.
Vacuum, we dust tvs.
Anything that you're able to clean, we clean.
We brush off the chairs.
This is a lot of work, Denise.
Yeah, it's a lot of work.
There's tickets.
There's stuff laying everywhere.
And it gets dirty.
When you accomplish it and you look back at that room, It's like a work of art.
Okay, now we can vacuum out.
Did you clean everything over there? I didn't get the bar over here though.
I did the bar area.
Okay.
Okay, help me with my technique.
And hit your button.
Go under the table.
Denise has a difficult job.
She has a lot of work to get done quickly.
So I'm doing my best to keep up with her.
Okay.
We'll move on to the next suite.
We'll move into a smaller one.
I didn't finish.
We okay? We've got a lot of ground to cover, And at this job you got to be quick.
Billy wouldn't be good at this.
He's just not cleaning material, And he's slowing me down tremendously.
I just want to get moving.
We here by ourselves, Denise? Uh, yes, we are.
I work this floor and the fourth floor by myself.
The sheer size of the place Really struck home at that time of night.
There's nobody there.
There's nobody around.
The crowds are gone.
The employees are gone.
Everybody's gone.
It's just a massive, massive place, And Denise and I were alone, cleaning it tonight.
We'll finish off this suite.
We'll take this into there.
Let me turn the lights on.
Yeah, I used to work down on the lower levels, And then they moved me up to the higher level.
I thought it would be more money, But it wasn't.
How much do you get paid an hour? Um, only-- you only get $8 an hour.
$8 an hour? Yes.
It's not a lot.
It's a lot of hard work.
Sometimes I'm here till midnight.
But, yeah, you know, when you accomplish it And look back at that room, you know, you're like, "wow, I did that.
" What's it like going home late at night? It's Scary, 'cause I walk through the parking lot.
It's pretty dark.
There's nobody out there.
Do you feel unsafe? I don't like it.
Do you live close by? I don't live close by right now, But I could live close by.
Yeah, that's what I'm looking to do.
I live pretty far from the area.
Oh, yeah, where do you live? Um, in Chicago.
So it takes me about an hour and a half to get here.
Denise driving 90 minutes to get here, Yet her attention to detail And her commitment when she's here Are really extraordinary.
So it's the end of the day.
So now we're gonna walk out to the car.
I'll show you how to get out there.
I would like, you know, to have security Escort us out to the car sometimes but-- No security here though, right? There's security always here.
I guess there's not enough manpower.
'cause you never know if someone's hiding by bushes Or dumpsters.
This is quite a walk here.
Yeah, it's quite a walk.
I admire and respect Denise as much as any of the people That grew up on the backstretch And learned to love this industry And love this company from a different perspective.
A strong example of the fact That it's not just horse people that makes this place go.
It was very nice meeting you.
Oh, thanks, Denise.
You have a safe drive home tonight, okay? Yep, I will.
Thank you.
Okay.
Bill meets his competition.
What are you hoping to do in racing? Oh, gosh, I mean, president of Churchill Downs would be fine.
And later, Bill learns an important lesson.
When he showed that to me, I just teared up, 'cause I-- Bill Carstanjen, is a boss undercover.
In his own company.
His coworkers think he's being filmed For a documentary about people trying out Entry-level jobs.
I'm on the backstretch of Arlington Park this morning.
I'm gonna be going undercover To work with a young woman who's new to the industry.
It's important to work with the younger people It'in the industrywork because they're our future.
I need to get their perspective on what's going on here.
Hi.
Hi, I'm Billy.
Hi, Billy.
Roxanne.
Nice to meet you, Roxanne.
This is shorty.
Shorty.
I think the first thing we're gonna do, we're gonna Go ahead and get shorty out of his tack right here, 'cause we got to give him a bath.
Okay, unbuckle that.
Reach under there, grab him.
And we're gonna pull the saddle off.
Okay, so we'll take him outside.
Now, I jt recently learned how to give a bath, So you take the sponge And you just start scrubbing.
Have at it.
Make sure you get all aspects of him.
What are you hoping to get out of a racing career? You're young.
You could go into a lot of different industries.
Oh, gosh, I mean, president of Churchill Downs would be fine.
Run Churchill Downs, huh? Yeah, Churchill Downs.
I mean, a female in charge, right? Wow.
You ever met the president of Churchill? Um, no, I haven't, so How do you think you'd get to a place like that to-- I don't know, good question.
Run a racetrack or be in racetrack management, How do you think that works? I don't know.
Do you know? I'm probably the wrong guy to be asking that.
Uh-oh.
Well, any help I'm thankful for, so I'm fortunate to have this experience To meet people like Roxanne.
She's willing to let a stranger understand What she's doing back here and where she wants to be Five and ten years down the road.
What's next for you on your day? Head to the frontside.
Head up to the press box and start work there.
So you work for the track and you're out here-- I do.
I actually am the press box coordinator.
No rest for the weary.
You got a long day.
Yeah, but it's a pretty fun day.
It is? Yeah.
In my time visiting the backstretch, It's always been in the capacity of As a senior executive of Churchill Downs.
There's a level of formality That has now disappeared.
So there's no need for me to be tense About the interactions with people here.
They're actually very quick to accept you.
See, you've already made a new friend.
I know.
See you in a few minutes.
Okay.
I'm likely to be recognized on the frontside.
So I'm gonna go take a quick tour Of the press box before anybody else shows up.
Hey, Billy.
How are you? You look a lot different.
A little different.
We're now on to the second job of the day.
This is where all the press meet and greet And watch the races, have a good time.
As you can see, we got an awesome view Of the racetrack up here.
The press are able to see at every angle That they possibly could want to enjoy.
Right here on the finish line.
Yeah.
So does working on the backstretch Help you in the press room? Oh, yeah, definitely.
Frontside people, I don't think at all, Get the people on the backside.
When you have someone that's versatile And can go back and forth like that, it really helps.
I want to be one of those people That can kinda help out with that.
It's really important to have someone like Roxanne Working for us who can bridge the two sides of the business.
We really need more people like her.
So okay, well.
It's time to kick me outta here.
Yeah, it's time to kick you out.
You're not dressed appropriate at all.
Thanks, Roxanne.
I really appreciate it.
Bye, Billy.
Take care now.
I've come to realize that looking at numbers And spreadsheets Really only tells half the story.
This is a people business.
And knowing how people feel is vital If we want to run it well.
Today I'm gonna be working as a jockey's assistant Or a valet.
A jockey's valet helps the jockey Get prepared for every race, And there is a lot of preparation To get a jockey ready to go out on that racecourse.
If we didn't have jockeys' valets, We wouldn't have races.
Hi there.
How you doing? I'm doing great.
I'm Billy.
I'm looking for a job as a valet.
You're not scared to work? I'll do exactly what you tell me to do, sir.
Okay, go ahead and get changed, And then we're gonna go to work.
All right, thanks, sir.
I'll go change right over here.
We often make decisions in the boardroom That really affect the jockeys and the valets.
But honestly, I've never spent time With the valets in the jockeys' quarters Uarters To understand the consequences Of the decisions we've made.
I'm ready to go.
Okay, now follow me.
We need to go in the girls' room, Which we're gonna be most of the day, 'cause we work for the girls.
How many girls are there? Just one girl.
This is Inez.
This is my jockey who we're working for, okay? The goal with Inez is-- inez, the only thing she got To worry about is grabbing her silks and helmet.
Okay, we do everything else.
I'm a tough cookie.
Like, if you do something wrong and I get pissed, I will tell you.
Pay attention race by race what's going on And follow me.
Let's go.
We got work to do.
Now five minutes away from post time.
Four race clean, no changes.
Come on, let's go.
The silks.
These are all owners' silks.
These are the races right here.
Sixth race, seventh race, eighth race, Ninth race, tenth race.
Get the number I tell you.
Seventh race, seven.
Give me those.
Okay.
Eighth race, six.
Ninth race, give me number eight.
Okay.
There you go.
So she's riding all these races today? All them races.
You mix those up, the owners will scream.
We gotta go get the helmets ready.
Second race, five, what are the colors? What do the colors say? The color of the hat.
Get away from your program, 'cause it's too many pages to turn.
This is your life source for the day, The clipboard.
I'm getting my butt kicked in there.
This is tough.
You got two minutes.
Come on, we got two minutes.
Go put her grass goggle on.
It's right on top of the table there.
Make sure it's clean.
You'll never make it.
Okay, riders up.
Go give that to her.
I think it's good.
Good luck out there.
Thank you.
We're rooting for you.
I need it.
Where are you, Kenny? Where are you? Boss Kenny.
One minute to post time.
One minute.
You seen Kenny? Ah.
Where's Billy? Where are you, Kenny? Where are you? Where'd our valet go? Ugh.
Billy? Billy? There he is.
I'm sorry, Kenny.
I lost track of you.
You're moving so fast, I lost track of you.
Look, you can't wander away.
When we're busy, don't disappear.
I lost track of Kenny.
I don't blame him if he is a little mad at me.
It cost him.
I let him down a little bit.
Teach you to be a valet.
You want to be a valet? I'll teach you to be a valet.
The horses at the start.
It's post time.
All right, we can go up over here, watch the race.
When your jockeys win, you do good.
And we got 5% of what they make.
Two ninety five Has joined Relvado.
This is the fun part.
This is where we get to root for Inez.
Go! And they're off.
Relvado ranks well.
Two ninety five, classic recital, Still together Through a half mile and 49 and 2.
Wistful smile.
passes close.
Said she was going to the front.
Polished still five lengths down.
Relvado and Brilliantbrilliant, They've turned the corner.
Ten to one.
Wow.
As they race inside the final yards, Inez Karlsson and two ninety five At ten to one.
Two ninety five would not be denied.
All right.
She win it.
She hung on there.
Huh? That was a nice win.
Ten to one.
Yeah, ten to one.
Did you get your bet down? No, we don't bet.
We're not allowed to bet.
We can't bet, but so what.
That's a winner on a paycheck.
Congratulations.
That was awesome.
I knew he could run that hard.
Way to go, kid.
Kenny's an amazing guy.
He's doing something that takes incredible attention to detail.
We're gonna have about three minutes To clean that saddle.
I can't believe one guy does all of this.
You're all set.
Good luck, kiddo.
Thank you.
She's got a horse.
Oh, she ain't getting through.
Ah, she got stuck down in there.
We ain't done yet.
We still got some more chances.
Come on.
Hey, we sit right here, huh? All right, we had a good day.
Huh? We won three races.
You kinda got away from your board, okay? This is your life source for the day.
And other than that, you did a good job.
Well, thanks, Kenny.
I mean, I'm good at it Because I was a jockey when I was a little kid.
I grew up at Arlington Park.
My little girl here, see, I was gonna teach her To be a rider, Meghan.
Yeah.
That's my little angel.
She passed away in March.
Oh, my God.
I'm sorry, Kenny.
I didn't know that.
She was gonna be my jockey.
That's my Meghan.
She was skinny just like me.
She was a little hundred-pounder.
She had a heart defect when she was born, And she wasn't really supposed to live as a baby.
She wanted to be a jockey.
She was fragile, but I was gonna teach her this year.
She come out and watched Inez every day and everything.
She was 20 years old.
Beautiful girl.
Well, she's an angel in heaven.
You know, I mean, she's-- I know she's in a better place.
She went to heaven.
I'll see her again one day.
When Kenny showed me the picture That I'd been looking at all day, I knew it was his daughter.
I was so focused on the words on that clipboard, I never read on the picture That it was in memoriam, And it had the years of her life.
And so when he showed that to me, I-- I shoulda noticed, but It's a real irony in life that you learn A lot about yourself from other people.
I'm stunned how personal this experience was.
I pride myself to be able To draw a distinction between personal and business.
But I come away from this experience Thinking I've got that line wrong, Because I got a better insight Into what makes this place tick.
People opened up their hearts.
The acceptance that you get In the backstretch from people who are there, Really overwhelming.
There was no corporate desk between us.
We were just two human beings, And they feel you're a part of their world.
And if I feel anything, It's guilty that I don't think I can give back what these people gave me.
Bill summons his coworkers to headquarters.
I don't know what's going on at all.
And reveals his true identity.
I'm the chief operating officer Of Churchill Downs incorporated.
My experience is coming to an end, And now it's time for me to go back And report on what I've found.
We have a huge amount of work to do, Because we're losing track, we're losing connection With what is making our employees tick in the field.
I've called together the company's top managers To tell them what I've been doing And what I've learned this week.
I've been undercover Within the facilities, Getting to know the people that work here.
And I wanted to talk to you guys about that today.
I would trade this experience For anything in the world.
To walk around and work beside our employees And have them share with me their feelings about their jobs And their personal stories, That was just incredible.
We've got a huge obligation To do better.
Bill, how do you think you're gonna change How you operate and manage the company? Here's the problem with my job.
A lot of the way I access information And work with employees is very impersonal.
It's spreadsheets and presentations.
To really be the best team member that you can be, It's got to be a little bit personal.
Even though any time you get a little bit personal, You lose a little bit of control.
But sometimes it's worth that to get to the truth.
I'll be back in touch very soon.
Thank you.
Now it's time to reveal my true identity To the people I've been working with over the last week.
I don't know what to expect.
I don't know what's going on at all.
Well, it's my first time in a limo.
I'm quite nervous here.
I have no idea what I'm walking into today.
Oh, Billy.
You remember me? Yes, I do.
Hi.
My valet.
How's my valet? Billy, how are you? Pleasure.
I like the suit.
I have a little bit of a surprise for you.
Okay.
I'm Bill Carstanjen.
I'm the chief operating officer Of Churchill Downs incorporated.
For real? Yes.
Wow.
You did a good job.
I've gone undercover.
The point was to allow me to see The company from a different perspective And getting a chance to see Who really is the heartbeat of the company.
So Gillian, I really admired your determination and grit, And you're following a career That you love.
The better we do today, the better chance we got To just get more stalls and stay at Calder.
When we open up the casino, I want to help you with the stalls.
I think you need three or four more stalls.
Thank you.
You don't know how much that means to me.
Well, you're very welcome.
And I hope it helps.
I also, um-- If you want to come work for us full-time at the track, I have a job for you.
Keep that in mind, that you've got a helping hand As you work to build your business.
Thank you so much.
You're welcome.
I'm gonna cry.
Thank you very much, sir.
Thank you.
It's been a pleasure.
I'll see you soon.
I don't know what the word is.
I don't know if I want to cry or if I want to laugh.
I don't know what to say.
Denise, you've given me An opportunity to get to know you And learn how the night shift works.
So I want to offer you a couple things too in return.
With respect to the fact that you feel unsafe at night, We're gonna have a new policy here.
So anytime one of our employees at night wants an escort, Somebody will walk with you to your car, So you don't have to worry about that anymore.
Thank you.
That'd be nice.
And also, I noticed that your commute is very difficult.
You have a long drive.
And we have offtrack betting parlors That are closer to your home than here.
If you're interested, We will make you an offer for a position In one of those facilities.
That's very cool.
That's very nice of you to do stuff like that, And see what it's like, You know, recognize us, 'cause we do work hard.
Your passion really came through.
I feel good about myself now.
Well, great.
It feels good That someone recognizes All the hard work I do, 'cause I do work hard.
Roxanne, I like how you just rolled up your sleeves And started working different jobs.
And I want to offer you a role In Churchill in the marketing department To stay with us through the derby.
And I know also you're very interested in Kentucky And interested in Churchill Downs racetrack.
So I've warned the racetrack president that you're coming And that he should look out for his job.
Outstanding.
This is awesome.
What's going through your mind? This is crazy.
My mom and dad are gonna be really happy.
I feel excited, Um, scared, But super stoked.
I can't wait to get to Louisville, Kentucky And learn something new.
Kenny, I don't think I could do your job.
It really came through that you loved doing it.
You are an incredible guy.
And you told me about Meghan.
Oh, yeah.
She was my heart and soul.
I thought maybe one thing we could do here At Arlington Park that you might appreciate And might have meant something to Meghan, We'd like to name a race after Meghan On opening day next year.
Wow, wow.
And we'd like you to come to the winner's circle With Inez and whoever else you'd like to bring with you, Other valets, family, friends, Whoever else you'd like to bring, And present the winner's trophy.
Wow.
That'd be special.
She'd be up there.
She'd see that.
Now you're gonna make me cry.
But-- Sorry, but I do miss her.
I'm impressed.
It's gonna be fantastic.
It'll be a special day.
It will be.
I'm definitely gonna be here.
Now I'm looking forward to it.
Been great.
Kenny, thanks so much.
Been a pleasure.
Anytime you want to come be a valet for the day, You come see me, huh? I will.
Thank you.
I'm so happy inside.
Nobody's ever done this before.
And to recognize my daughter, Really makes you feel good.
It does.
And now we're gonna have a race named after her.
That'll be great.
That'll be a special day, Especially in my heart.
Now I'm going to address the employees of the company, And I'm going to share with them my undercover experiences.
At this time, I'd like to introduce Our chief operating officer, Bill Carstanjen.
Bill.
Afternoon, everybody.
I see a lot of familiar faces out thertoday.
But for those of you I haven't met before, I'm Bill Carstanjen.
I'm the chief operating officer Of Churchill Downs incorporated.
I actually didn't just get here today.
Over the last week, I've been undercover in Churchill Downs.
I worked a variety of different jobs, Got to know a bunch of you, and got to learn Whether I have what it takes to work at a racetrack.
Let's take a look at the results.
What are you hoping to do in racing? Oh, gosh, I mean, president of Churchill Downs would be fine.
Billy wouldn't be good at this.
He's too slow.
Put that on there.
No, no, no.
Make sure that's clean.
You'll never make it.
I would just say that I'm-- I'm a real fish out of water.
I'm not from the backstretch, and I didn't grow up here On the back of a horse track.
So many of these folks took me in And showed me their world, But you didn't hold it against me And you still gave me a chance.
And I learned some important lessons.
The most important things in life Start with human interaction.
It starts with talking.
It starts with caring.
That's something we all need to understand better.
It's something that I just lost sight of a little bit.
I am absolutely gonna be better at my job Because of this experience.
I had a great week, And you guys are a great organization.
Thank you.
Words can't express what I'm feeling right now.
I mean, I've just been given one of the greatest things That's ever been given to me, And I'm gonna take it And hopefully do big things with it.
I mean, you can't ask for anything better.
It makes you want to come to work every day.
It makes you excited about being here.
It was fun.
It was fun.
They gonna still do that for Meggy opening day? Yeah, absolutely.
Good deal, good deal.
I'll tell my family.
Going undercover is the only way to get truth, Real, honest, unfiltered, unvarnished truth.
Many hardworking Americans Blame wealthy CEOs, Out of touch with what's going on In their own companies.
But some bosses are willing to take extreme action To make their businesses better.
Each week we follow the boss Of a major corporation as they go undercover into their own company.
This week, the boss of Churchill Downs, host of the Kentucky Derby, A $500 million business with racetracks, casinos, And offtrack betting parlors across america.
The boss will trade in his executive office And expense account For a pair of jeans and a feed bucket.
He'll assume a new identity.
Hi, Billy.
Roxanne.
Nice to meet you.
And pose as a new recruit.
You're not scared to work? I'm not scared.
I want to do it.
Do you know anything about a horse? Not very much.
Do you have a brain? Uh, yes.
Can you spell "horse"? Boss Kenny.
Look, when we're busy, don't disappear.
I don't blame him if he is a little mad at me.
I let him down.
By working on the front lines, He'll find out what's really going on Inside his company.
It's a very stressful business in the money department.
That's a problem to hear people say that.
He will find the good.
What are you hoping to do in racing? Oh, gosh, I mean, president of Churchill Downs would be fine.
He will find the bad.
How much do you get paid an hour? Um, it's not a lot.
It's a lot of hard work.
And he'll discover the unsung heroes That make his company run.
When Kenny showed me the picture That I'd been looking at all day She's an angel in heaven.
I just teared up.
I shoulda noticed, but How will his coworkers react When they find out he's really the boss? I'm the chief operating officer Of Churchill Downs incorporated.
Someone recognizes all the hard work I do.
And how will it change their lives? I learned some important lessons.
I am absolutely gonna be better at my job Because of this experience.
Find out next on undercover boss.
Churchill Downs Owns some of the best-known racetracks in the world, And is home to the st famous horse race, The Kentucky Derby.
And they're off.
Go! Holding the reins to this company Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky Is one man.
I'm Bill Carstanjen.
I'm the chief operating officer of Churchill Downs.
I think most people in america Know our company because of the Kentucky Derby.
And here they go.
The oldest continuous sporting event In the United States.
It's been conducted every single year since 1875.
This is an industry steeped in tradition, And the people who work in it are passionate about it.
Unfortunately, I have to make sure It's run as a profitable business, Which means sometimes questioning those traditions.
After I finished up in law school, I went to work doing corporate law And mergers and acquisitions, And I didn't grow up on the backside of a horse track.
And I didn't grow up on a horse farm.
For a lot of the folks that work here, This is much, much more than a job, And sometimes that's a bit intimidating.
There's a lot of responsibility in working in an environment Where people have such a strong passion For what they're doing.
I haven't been on a horse in about 15 years.
I'm embarrassed to admit this, But they're a little bit intimidating.
They're really big, And I like to watch them from afar.
My daughters in particular are big horseback riders.
They know a lot about horses.
My family is my core.
Nice.
What I try to focus on as best I can.
Yeah, you are right here.
I think this will be a very interesting experience for him, Because he does like to control his environment.
Keep eating those vegetables.
I'm really curious to see How he's going to react To things that he can't control, 'cause he's very used to doing that.
When you're the C.
O.
O.
, Most of the problems you're solving Really happens in conference rooms.
One of the great things about going undercover Is the opportunity to see how the employees Feel about all the changes that are happening.
The owners and trainers on the back stretch Of the property tend to be traditionalists.
They are very set in their ways, And they've been doing things the same way For a long period of time.
Contrast that with the frontside Where the customers are where we're constantly Trying to introduce new amenities, New entertainment options And a different and better experience.
Sometimes change isn't easy.
Sometimes those two worlds clash.
I'm walking to the boardroom right now To tell the team I'm going to be going undercover.
I'm excited about it, And I'm pretty sure they're gonna be very surprised.
Thanks for coming, everyone.
I bet you're wondering why I asked you to come here.
I'm going to be leaving the corporate offices for a week To go undercover in the company.
The purpose of this is really to, um, Cut through the spreadsheets and the powerpoints, And it's gonna be a chance to be a fly on the wall.
Have you thought at all about, like, What if you hear something from an employee That's shocking to you? And does that scare you a little bit? Yes.
I expect that to happen.
But more concerned About whether there are things we can fix.
Of course keeping it absolutely quiet is critical Because if I'm recognized or discovered, The whole experience melts down And it's all for naught.
I'm gonna see you guys in a week, okay? Okay, bye, daddy.
Oh, I love you so much.
I love you.
I'll miss you.
I love you.
While I'm undercover, I'm going to be going By the name of Billy Johns, And my background is that I had a moving company that's now gone out of business.
My coworkers will be told that I am making a documentary About entry-level jobs.
Hi there, I'm Bill Johns.
I have a reservation.
By the pool.
Great, thank you.
While I'm undercover, I'll be staying in budget motels Just like a new employee to the area.
Takes me back, Spring break 1989.
But it's okay.
My main concern is being recognized today.
I haven't been down here in a couple of months.
But I think without my glasses on And with a couple days without shaving, I think we'll be okay, I hope.
Calder's a facility that's undergoing a lot of change.
We noticed several years ago That business is starting to slip, So we're putting $100 million into Calder.
We're building a huge casino That will bring in new customers And also allow us to recruit superstar horses, Because we'll be able to pay more in prize money To the winning horses.
But I'm going undercover to see how it's affecting The people on the backside As this facility around them is changing.
Hi there.
Hey.
How are you? Doing great.
I'm Billy.
I'm Gillian.
Nice to meet you.
I'll help you out however I can today.
Well, your first horse is going down the shed row.
So why don't we go down there, And we'll set up their breakfast.
Do you know anything about a horse? Not very much.
Do you have a brain? Uh, yes.
Can you spell "horse"? Think of a trainer as the coach of a professional athlete, And the professional athlete is the horse.
This is the fun part, cooking for the children.
Take one level scoop of this, sweet feed, And one level scoop of oats.
In each bucket you get two scoops.
You don't have to do it so neatly.
Oh, sorry.
Are you nervous? A little bit.
Oh, he knows it's time.
Oh, yeah.
Don't show him any fear.
They know that you're nervous.
Hold on, hold on.
No, I'm not the food, buddy.
Hopefully they'll cut me some slack here.
He will.
Hold on, hold on.
Push it in his face, and he will move.
All right.
Get back.
When you climb into a little stall With a 1,200-pound animal that really doesn't like The fact that you're in there to begin with, Your blood pressure's gonna go up a little bit.
Ah, this thing's stuck.
Hold on, hold on.
You got to feed everybody equally, 'cause they'll start getting angry.
I don't know how that looked, But my heart is pounding.
Ah, maybe you don't want to feed her.
Give me this.
Okay.
I'm probably not doing as well as I'd like, And it's probably gonna be worse from here, But I'm doing the best I can.
All right, this gentleman is in the forth race today.
We're gonna scrub him.
Okay, you want to try to bathe him? Right here, hon.
Oh, over here.
Okay, whoa, whoa.
Don't come too close to him.
He's gonna get skittish.
Watch out, watch out, watch out, watch out.
Go on that side, hose him.
Yep.
Ah! And you don't get your boss wet.
Sorry, boss.
Right now Bill's future is not looking the greatest.
He just has a lot to learn.
How do you get to be a trainer? Well, my mom had racehorses when I was little.
And there's just something About racehorses that are hard to step away from.
You ever see yourself doing anything different? No.
I love this.
How's it work? How do you make a living as a trainer? I get a day rate based on my owners.
And out of that, I have to pay for the feed, Their bedding, their hay.
At the end of the month, I get a bonus, the horses make.
How many horses you have? We have eight total.
Just take a halter and wipe it off.
Okay.
So seven days a week, huh? Seven days a week.
They eat, they sleep.
They need me as much as my son needs me.
Well, working with you so far this morning, I realize how tough this work is.
Not a game you probably want to jump into Full feet forward for the fact that It's a very stressful business in the money department.
At the end of the month When you're down to your last couple hundred dollars And you got to feed your horses, and your children, And pay your car, and pay your house, You got to be able to take the stress, 'cause it will drive you insane.
You think most people back here are struggling? Oh, yeah, I guarantee you.
Yeah, I can really see it in your face And some of the folks back here, you guys love doing this.
If you didn't, You wouldn't be back here.
Yeah.
There are easier jobs out there That probably pay more money.
The happiness they bring you, I know it sounds goofy, But they do bring me happiness.
This morning's been a tough lesson, Because she'd recommend to me that I not get into this game, That I not become a trainer.
For us as the company that owns the tracks, That's not what we want to hear.
We want people to be encouraged To come into this game, To want to be a part of it.
At the end of the day our future is gonna depend on that.
We can't just rely on passion of a few folks.
That's a problem.
This race has been taken off the turf.
Will be run on the main track.
Gillian has told me that she gets 10% Of her horses' winnings.
Since she only has a few horses, It's really important that her horses do well.
Okay, so this is reality.
This is what it comes down to.
How do you feel about that casino? Think it'll get more people owning horses And more horses to train? Hopefully.
You know, probably the big outfits Will come down to Calder, And the little outfits won't be shoved out.
So we'll just keep-- the better we do today, The better chance we got to just get more stalls And stay at Calder.
We allocate most of our stalls To the most successful trainers.
Gillian wants more stalls, But she needs to win more races To get access to those stalls.
This is where it gets to the nit and grit of the business That you need your horse to do good Just so our Bills are paid.
I desperately need him to come through financially for us.
This is what we do now.
It's time for the race.
We're four minutes to post.
Very nerve-racking.
There's our boy, holding the check.
You watch him warm up.
He's warming up well.
They'll start to line up, they'll load, And you pray you get a good break, And off we go.
This is a very nervous part.
Please, God.
They're in.
There we go.
Bill finds out if all his hard work paid off.
Come on, five! We need to go now if we're gonna go.
And later Bill sees the frontside Like never before.
At this job, you got to be quick.
Billy wouldn't be good at this.
He's just not cleaning material.
Bill Carstanjen, C.
O.
O.
Of Churchill Downs, Is a boss undercover.
He's just met a trainer who's struggling to get by.
You need your horse to do good Just so our Bills are paid.
His journey continues at the starting Gate.
They'll start to line up, they'll load, And you pray you get a good break, And off we go.
Please, God.
They're in.
There we go.
And they're off.
Come on, five! No, you have patience till the end.
Come on, five! This is where you learn your patience.
Holding the check is on the move.
He's inside of undefeated.
I think I see him bunched up.
Somewhere in the pack.
About a half a mile to go left and-- Here we go.
He's green, he's fourth.
He's starting to roll.
He's starting to make his move.
We need to go now if we're gonna go.
We're on the rail.
We're-- Come on, five! And Agra will win it, here down by And don't look too good today For the race.
Now we got to go talk to the jockey And see what happened.
The backstretch is an environment With a huge amount of passion and commitment.
Sometimes loving what you do And having a passion for something isn't enough.
With the horse not running well, It does not look good for our finances right now.
Oh, I'm sorry, Gillian.
Oh, not very happy with what happened.
I wish that horse out there had finished stronger Than it did, Because it matters.
It matters to these people out here How that horse finishes.
Today was a long day in the sun.
I'm tired.
It was an honest day's work without any expectations Put on me because I'm from corporate.
It was a chance to work alongside Some people that normally wouldn't even be comfortable If I offered to work alongside them.
Bill takes his undercover journey North For his next job.
Today I'm outside of Arlington Park, Beautiful, iconic track, One of the tracks we're most proud of In the Churchill Downs family.
This week I'm gonna be trying out all kinds of jobs That are important to this business.
But I can't think of one job that's more historic Or important than my next job.
No race starts without the bugle's call to the post.
The only problem is I have never played A musical instrument in my life.
I don't think this is gonna go well, But it's something that I want to try.
Hi, I'm Billy.
Hi, Billy.
I'm jean.
Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you as well.
Well, I'm the bugler here at Arlington Park.
And I'm gonna teach you how to play the call to post.
Great.
I'm gonna put this down and start from, you know, The beginning stages, all right? So this, we have some kazoos.
Great.
All right, so No, so what you do, is you don't blow air.
You hum into it.
Call to post, okay.
All right.
I won't have high expectations for you yet.
Billy might have some stage fright.
He seemed a little nervous even in there.
And so once we get in front of people, I think he might be a little scared.
Very nice.
Lookin' good.
Whatever you do, If you try and just blow air into it like it's not gonna work.
You're gonna have to actually buzz your lips.
What do you mean by buzz? What's a buzz? And the tighter your lips are, The higher you go.
Just think "buzz" and "air.
" That's the game, all right? You nervous? Petrified, actually.
Yeah? I don't remember the last time I had a feeling like this In the pit of my stomach.
My heart was pounding, And I felt nauseous When I headed down the tunnel to play that bugle.
Thank you, thank you.
Thank you very much.
Whoo! To fail spectacularly Is actually a liberating experience.
Yes, I hate to fail.
It's taken me well beyond my comfort zone, But you got to go out there and do your best.
Just underway.
Go! Go! Go! Look at her go! Dixie wins it.
We're at the end of another busy race day, And everybody has gone home for the night Except for the cleaning crew.
Today I'm gonna go work with the crew upstairs, Taking care of the luxury suites.
Core to Arlington Park Is it's a luxury environment.
That's key to what happens here.
So part of my mission is to get a sense Of how that's working.
Hi, I'm Billy.
Hi, I'm Denise.
Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you as well, Denise.
Hi.
This is the suite level.
Suite level has to be very well kept, Very clean.
Nothing is to be left on floors, on tables, On bar areas, 'cause up here is the more upper class.
Understood.
Vacuum, we dust tvs.
Anything that you're able to clean, we clean.
We brush off the chairs.
This is a lot of work, Denise.
Yeah, it's a lot of work.
There's tickets.
There's stuff laying everywhere.
And it gets dirty.
When you accomplish it and you look back at that room, It's like a work of art.
Okay, now we can vacuum out.
Did you clean everything over there? I didn't get the bar over here though.
I did the bar area.
Okay.
Okay, help me with my technique.
And hit your button.
Go under the table.
Denise has a difficult job.
She has a lot of work to get done quickly.
So I'm doing my best to keep up with her.
Okay.
We'll move on to the next suite.
We'll move into a smaller one.
I didn't finish.
We okay? We've got a lot of ground to cover, And at this job you got to be quick.
Billy wouldn't be good at this.
He's just not cleaning material, And he's slowing me down tremendously.
I just want to get moving.
We here by ourselves, Denise? Uh, yes, we are.
I work this floor and the fourth floor by myself.
The sheer size of the place Really struck home at that time of night.
There's nobody there.
There's nobody around.
The crowds are gone.
The employees are gone.
Everybody's gone.
It's just a massive, massive place, And Denise and I were alone, cleaning it tonight.
We'll finish off this suite.
We'll take this into there.
Let me turn the lights on.
Yeah, I used to work down on the lower levels, And then they moved me up to the higher level.
I thought it would be more money, But it wasn't.
How much do you get paid an hour? Um, only-- you only get $8 an hour.
$8 an hour? Yes.
It's not a lot.
It's a lot of hard work.
Sometimes I'm here till midnight.
But, yeah, you know, when you accomplish it And look back at that room, you know, you're like, "wow, I did that.
" What's it like going home late at night? It's Scary, 'cause I walk through the parking lot.
It's pretty dark.
There's nobody out there.
Do you feel unsafe? I don't like it.
Do you live close by? I don't live close by right now, But I could live close by.
Yeah, that's what I'm looking to do.
I live pretty far from the area.
Oh, yeah, where do you live? Um, in Chicago.
So it takes me about an hour and a half to get here.
Denise driving 90 minutes to get here, Yet her attention to detail And her commitment when she's here Are really extraordinary.
So it's the end of the day.
So now we're gonna walk out to the car.
I'll show you how to get out there.
I would like, you know, to have security Escort us out to the car sometimes but-- No security here though, right? There's security always here.
I guess there's not enough manpower.
'cause you never know if someone's hiding by bushes Or dumpsters.
This is quite a walk here.
Yeah, it's quite a walk.
I admire and respect Denise as much as any of the people That grew up on the backstretch And learned to love this industry And love this company from a different perspective.
A strong example of the fact That it's not just horse people that makes this place go.
It was very nice meeting you.
Oh, thanks, Denise.
You have a safe drive home tonight, okay? Yep, I will.
Thank you.
Okay.
Bill meets his competition.
What are you hoping to do in racing? Oh, gosh, I mean, president of Churchill Downs would be fine.
And later, Bill learns an important lesson.
When he showed that to me, I just teared up, 'cause I-- Bill Carstanjen, is a boss undercover.
In his own company.
His coworkers think he's being filmed For a documentary about people trying out Entry-level jobs.
I'm on the backstretch of Arlington Park this morning.
I'm gonna be going undercover To work with a young woman who's new to the industry.
It's important to work with the younger people It'in the industrywork because they're our future.
I need to get their perspective on what's going on here.
Hi.
Hi, I'm Billy.
Hi, Billy.
Roxanne.
Nice to meet you, Roxanne.
This is shorty.
Shorty.
I think the first thing we're gonna do, we're gonna Go ahead and get shorty out of his tack right here, 'cause we got to give him a bath.
Okay, unbuckle that.
Reach under there, grab him.
And we're gonna pull the saddle off.
Okay, so we'll take him outside.
Now, I jt recently learned how to give a bath, So you take the sponge And you just start scrubbing.
Have at it.
Make sure you get all aspects of him.
What are you hoping to get out of a racing career? You're young.
You could go into a lot of different industries.
Oh, gosh, I mean, president of Churchill Downs would be fine.
Run Churchill Downs, huh? Yeah, Churchill Downs.
I mean, a female in charge, right? Wow.
You ever met the president of Churchill? Um, no, I haven't, so How do you think you'd get to a place like that to-- I don't know, good question.
Run a racetrack or be in racetrack management, How do you think that works? I don't know.
Do you know? I'm probably the wrong guy to be asking that.
Uh-oh.
Well, any help I'm thankful for, so I'm fortunate to have this experience To meet people like Roxanne.
She's willing to let a stranger understand What she's doing back here and where she wants to be Five and ten years down the road.
What's next for you on your day? Head to the frontside.
Head up to the press box and start work there.
So you work for the track and you're out here-- I do.
I actually am the press box coordinator.
No rest for the weary.
You got a long day.
Yeah, but it's a pretty fun day.
It is? Yeah.
In my time visiting the backstretch, It's always been in the capacity of As a senior executive of Churchill Downs.
There's a level of formality That has now disappeared.
So there's no need for me to be tense About the interactions with people here.
They're actually very quick to accept you.
See, you've already made a new friend.
I know.
See you in a few minutes.
Okay.
I'm likely to be recognized on the frontside.
So I'm gonna go take a quick tour Of the press box before anybody else shows up.
Hey, Billy.
How are you? You look a lot different.
A little different.
We're now on to the second job of the day.
This is where all the press meet and greet And watch the races, have a good time.
As you can see, we got an awesome view Of the racetrack up here.
The press are able to see at every angle That they possibly could want to enjoy.
Right here on the finish line.
Yeah.
So does working on the backstretch Help you in the press room? Oh, yeah, definitely.
Frontside people, I don't think at all, Get the people on the backside.
When you have someone that's versatile And can go back and forth like that, it really helps.
I want to be one of those people That can kinda help out with that.
It's really important to have someone like Roxanne Working for us who can bridge the two sides of the business.
We really need more people like her.
So okay, well.
It's time to kick me outta here.
Yeah, it's time to kick you out.
You're not dressed appropriate at all.
Thanks, Roxanne.
I really appreciate it.
Bye, Billy.
Take care now.
I've come to realize that looking at numbers And spreadsheets Really only tells half the story.
This is a people business.
And knowing how people feel is vital If we want to run it well.
Today I'm gonna be working as a jockey's assistant Or a valet.
A jockey's valet helps the jockey Get prepared for every race, And there is a lot of preparation To get a jockey ready to go out on that racecourse.
If we didn't have jockeys' valets, We wouldn't have races.
Hi there.
How you doing? I'm doing great.
I'm Billy.
I'm looking for a job as a valet.
You're not scared to work? I'll do exactly what you tell me to do, sir.
Okay, go ahead and get changed, And then we're gonna go to work.
All right, thanks, sir.
I'll go change right over here.
We often make decisions in the boardroom That really affect the jockeys and the valets.
But honestly, I've never spent time With the valets in the jockeys' quarters Uarters To understand the consequences Of the decisions we've made.
I'm ready to go.
Okay, now follow me.
We need to go in the girls' room, Which we're gonna be most of the day, 'cause we work for the girls.
How many girls are there? Just one girl.
This is Inez.
This is my jockey who we're working for, okay? The goal with Inez is-- inez, the only thing she got To worry about is grabbing her silks and helmet.
Okay, we do everything else.
I'm a tough cookie.
Like, if you do something wrong and I get pissed, I will tell you.
Pay attention race by race what's going on And follow me.
Let's go.
We got work to do.
Now five minutes away from post time.
Four race clean, no changes.
Come on, let's go.
The silks.
These are all owners' silks.
These are the races right here.
Sixth race, seventh race, eighth race, Ninth race, tenth race.
Get the number I tell you.
Seventh race, seven.
Give me those.
Okay.
Eighth race, six.
Ninth race, give me number eight.
Okay.
There you go.
So she's riding all these races today? All them races.
You mix those up, the owners will scream.
We gotta go get the helmets ready.
Second race, five, what are the colors? What do the colors say? The color of the hat.
Get away from your program, 'cause it's too many pages to turn.
This is your life source for the day, The clipboard.
I'm getting my butt kicked in there.
This is tough.
You got two minutes.
Come on, we got two minutes.
Go put her grass goggle on.
It's right on top of the table there.
Make sure it's clean.
You'll never make it.
Okay, riders up.
Go give that to her.
I think it's good.
Good luck out there.
Thank you.
We're rooting for you.
I need it.
Where are you, Kenny? Where are you? Boss Kenny.
One minute to post time.
One minute.
You seen Kenny? Ah.
Where's Billy? Where are you, Kenny? Where are you? Where'd our valet go? Ugh.
Billy? Billy? There he is.
I'm sorry, Kenny.
I lost track of you.
You're moving so fast, I lost track of you.
Look, you can't wander away.
When we're busy, don't disappear.
I lost track of Kenny.
I don't blame him if he is a little mad at me.
It cost him.
I let him down a little bit.
Teach you to be a valet.
You want to be a valet? I'll teach you to be a valet.
The horses at the start.
It's post time.
All right, we can go up over here, watch the race.
When your jockeys win, you do good.
And we got 5% of what they make.
Two ninety five Has joined Relvado.
This is the fun part.
This is where we get to root for Inez.
Go! And they're off.
Relvado ranks well.
Two ninety five, classic recital, Still together Through a half mile and 49 and 2.
Wistful smile.
passes close.
Said she was going to the front.
Polished still five lengths down.
Relvado and Brilliantbrilliant, They've turned the corner.
Ten to one.
Wow.
As they race inside the final yards, Inez Karlsson and two ninety five At ten to one.
Two ninety five would not be denied.
All right.
She win it.
She hung on there.
Huh? That was a nice win.
Ten to one.
Yeah, ten to one.
Did you get your bet down? No, we don't bet.
We're not allowed to bet.
We can't bet, but so what.
That's a winner on a paycheck.
Congratulations.
That was awesome.
I knew he could run that hard.
Way to go, kid.
Kenny's an amazing guy.
He's doing something that takes incredible attention to detail.
We're gonna have about three minutes To clean that saddle.
I can't believe one guy does all of this.
You're all set.
Good luck, kiddo.
Thank you.
She's got a horse.
Oh, she ain't getting through.
Ah, she got stuck down in there.
We ain't done yet.
We still got some more chances.
Come on.
Hey, we sit right here, huh? All right, we had a good day.
Huh? We won three races.
You kinda got away from your board, okay? This is your life source for the day.
And other than that, you did a good job.
Well, thanks, Kenny.
I mean, I'm good at it Because I was a jockey when I was a little kid.
I grew up at Arlington Park.
My little girl here, see, I was gonna teach her To be a rider, Meghan.
Yeah.
That's my little angel.
She passed away in March.
Oh, my God.
I'm sorry, Kenny.
I didn't know that.
She was gonna be my jockey.
That's my Meghan.
She was skinny just like me.
She was a little hundred-pounder.
She had a heart defect when she was born, And she wasn't really supposed to live as a baby.
She wanted to be a jockey.
She was fragile, but I was gonna teach her this year.
She come out and watched Inez every day and everything.
She was 20 years old.
Beautiful girl.
Well, she's an angel in heaven.
You know, I mean, she's-- I know she's in a better place.
She went to heaven.
I'll see her again one day.
When Kenny showed me the picture That I'd been looking at all day, I knew it was his daughter.
I was so focused on the words on that clipboard, I never read on the picture That it was in memoriam, And it had the years of her life.
And so when he showed that to me, I-- I shoulda noticed, but It's a real irony in life that you learn A lot about yourself from other people.
I'm stunned how personal this experience was.
I pride myself to be able To draw a distinction between personal and business.
But I come away from this experience Thinking I've got that line wrong, Because I got a better insight Into what makes this place tick.
People opened up their hearts.
The acceptance that you get In the backstretch from people who are there, Really overwhelming.
There was no corporate desk between us.
We were just two human beings, And they feel you're a part of their world.
And if I feel anything, It's guilty that I don't think I can give back what these people gave me.
Bill summons his coworkers to headquarters.
I don't know what's going on at all.
And reveals his true identity.
I'm the chief operating officer Of Churchill Downs incorporated.
My experience is coming to an end, And now it's time for me to go back And report on what I've found.
We have a huge amount of work to do, Because we're losing track, we're losing connection With what is making our employees tick in the field.
I've called together the company's top managers To tell them what I've been doing And what I've learned this week.
I've been undercover Within the facilities, Getting to know the people that work here.
And I wanted to talk to you guys about that today.
I would trade this experience For anything in the world.
To walk around and work beside our employees And have them share with me their feelings about their jobs And their personal stories, That was just incredible.
We've got a huge obligation To do better.
Bill, how do you think you're gonna change How you operate and manage the company? Here's the problem with my job.
A lot of the way I access information And work with employees is very impersonal.
It's spreadsheets and presentations.
To really be the best team member that you can be, It's got to be a little bit personal.
Even though any time you get a little bit personal, You lose a little bit of control.
But sometimes it's worth that to get to the truth.
I'll be back in touch very soon.
Thank you.
Now it's time to reveal my true identity To the people I've been working with over the last week.
I don't know what to expect.
I don't know what's going on at all.
Well, it's my first time in a limo.
I'm quite nervous here.
I have no idea what I'm walking into today.
Oh, Billy.
You remember me? Yes, I do.
Hi.
My valet.
How's my valet? Billy, how are you? Pleasure.
I like the suit.
I have a little bit of a surprise for you.
Okay.
I'm Bill Carstanjen.
I'm the chief operating officer Of Churchill Downs incorporated.
For real? Yes.
Wow.
You did a good job.
I've gone undercover.
The point was to allow me to see The company from a different perspective And getting a chance to see Who really is the heartbeat of the company.
So Gillian, I really admired your determination and grit, And you're following a career That you love.
The better we do today, the better chance we got To just get more stalls and stay at Calder.
When we open up the casino, I want to help you with the stalls.
I think you need three or four more stalls.
Thank you.
You don't know how much that means to me.
Well, you're very welcome.
And I hope it helps.
I also, um-- If you want to come work for us full-time at the track, I have a job for you.
Keep that in mind, that you've got a helping hand As you work to build your business.
Thank you so much.
You're welcome.
I'm gonna cry.
Thank you very much, sir.
Thank you.
It's been a pleasure.
I'll see you soon.
I don't know what the word is.
I don't know if I want to cry or if I want to laugh.
I don't know what to say.
Denise, you've given me An opportunity to get to know you And learn how the night shift works.
So I want to offer you a couple things too in return.
With respect to the fact that you feel unsafe at night, We're gonna have a new policy here.
So anytime one of our employees at night wants an escort, Somebody will walk with you to your car, So you don't have to worry about that anymore.
Thank you.
That'd be nice.
And also, I noticed that your commute is very difficult.
You have a long drive.
And we have offtrack betting parlors That are closer to your home than here.
If you're interested, We will make you an offer for a position In one of those facilities.
That's very cool.
That's very nice of you to do stuff like that, And see what it's like, You know, recognize us, 'cause we do work hard.
Your passion really came through.
I feel good about myself now.
Well, great.
It feels good That someone recognizes All the hard work I do, 'cause I do work hard.
Roxanne, I like how you just rolled up your sleeves And started working different jobs.
And I want to offer you a role In Churchill in the marketing department To stay with us through the derby.
And I know also you're very interested in Kentucky And interested in Churchill Downs racetrack.
So I've warned the racetrack president that you're coming And that he should look out for his job.
Outstanding.
This is awesome.
What's going through your mind? This is crazy.
My mom and dad are gonna be really happy.
I feel excited, Um, scared, But super stoked.
I can't wait to get to Louisville, Kentucky And learn something new.
Kenny, I don't think I could do your job.
It really came through that you loved doing it.
You are an incredible guy.
And you told me about Meghan.
Oh, yeah.
She was my heart and soul.
I thought maybe one thing we could do here At Arlington Park that you might appreciate And might have meant something to Meghan, We'd like to name a race after Meghan On opening day next year.
Wow, wow.
And we'd like you to come to the winner's circle With Inez and whoever else you'd like to bring with you, Other valets, family, friends, Whoever else you'd like to bring, And present the winner's trophy.
Wow.
That'd be special.
She'd be up there.
She'd see that.
Now you're gonna make me cry.
But-- Sorry, but I do miss her.
I'm impressed.
It's gonna be fantastic.
It'll be a special day.
It will be.
I'm definitely gonna be here.
Now I'm looking forward to it.
Been great.
Kenny, thanks so much.
Been a pleasure.
Anytime you want to come be a valet for the day, You come see me, huh? I will.
Thank you.
I'm so happy inside.
Nobody's ever done this before.
And to recognize my daughter, Really makes you feel good.
It does.
And now we're gonna have a race named after her.
That'll be great.
That'll be a special day, Especially in my heart.
Now I'm going to address the employees of the company, And I'm going to share with them my undercover experiences.
At this time, I'd like to introduce Our chief operating officer, Bill Carstanjen.
Bill.
Afternoon, everybody.
I see a lot of familiar faces out thertoday.
But for those of you I haven't met before, I'm Bill Carstanjen.
I'm the chief operating officer Of Churchill Downs incorporated.
I actually didn't just get here today.
Over the last week, I've been undercover in Churchill Downs.
I worked a variety of different jobs, Got to know a bunch of you, and got to learn Whether I have what it takes to work at a racetrack.
Let's take a look at the results.
What are you hoping to do in racing? Oh, gosh, I mean, president of Churchill Downs would be fine.
Billy wouldn't be good at this.
He's too slow.
Put that on there.
No, no, no.
Make sure that's clean.
You'll never make it.
I would just say that I'm-- I'm a real fish out of water.
I'm not from the backstretch, and I didn't grow up here On the back of a horse track.
So many of these folks took me in And showed me their world, But you didn't hold it against me And you still gave me a chance.
And I learned some important lessons.
The most important things in life Start with human interaction.
It starts with talking.
It starts with caring.
That's something we all need to understand better.
It's something that I just lost sight of a little bit.
I am absolutely gonna be better at my job Because of this experience.
I had a great week, And you guys are a great organization.
Thank you.
Words can't express what I'm feeling right now.
I mean, I've just been given one of the greatest things That's ever been given to me, And I'm gonna take it And hopefully do big things with it.
I mean, you can't ask for anything better.
It makes you want to come to work every day.
It makes you excited about being here.
It was fun.
It was fun.
They gonna still do that for Meggy opening day? Yeah, absolutely.
Good deal, good deal.
I'll tell my family.
Going undercover is the only way to get truth, Real, honest, unfiltered, unvarnished truth.