Sheldon S. Shafer

@sheldonshafer

Churchill Downs Inc. has relocated about 70 high-tech jobs to Kentucky from Silicon Valley in California with the consolidation of the staff of its TwinSpires Inc. subsidiary in Kentucky.

And the plans call for adding about 25 more TwinSpires employees by the end of this year, with many of those salaries ranging from $75,000 to $110,000.

TwinSpires is an advance-deposit wagering service for Churchill and its affiliates and facilities. It is billed as the "official mobile betting partner of Churchill Downs Race Track, the Kentucky Derby, and the Breeders' Cup."

It is a leading platform for wagering on thoroughbred, harness and quarter horse racing. Last year, about $1.1 billion was wagered through the TwinSpires network.

The TwinSpires employees have recently settled on a floor at the headquarters of Churchill Downs Inc. at 600 N. Hurstbourne Parkway. The parent company spent about $2.2 million to set up the roughly 15,000 square feet of renovated office quarters.

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Gov. Matt Bevin and Bill Carstanjen, Churchill Downs Inc. CEO, promoted the relocation as a major economic development boost for the Commonwealth. The announcement came at a heavily attended news conference at the headquarters on Hurstbourne.

The parent company and its subsidiaries now have about 4,000 employees in total, with 676 of them in Kentucky, including more than 100 in Lexington.

Carstanjen said that Churchill created TwinSpires in 2007 and almost immediately established the main office in Mountain View, Calif. Frankly, he said, he didn't think that Kentucky had the technical knowhow for the company to grow if left in Louisville.

But now, officials indicated, the city appears to have developed sufficient high-tech infrastructure for TwinSpires to thrive here.

Bevin, who in recent weeks has been trumpeting economic gains across the state, said the relocation of the high-tech jobs is an indication that Kentucky is the place to be for high-paying tech employment. He said the TwinSpires announcement will send a message to other companies that the state is a magnet for attracting young, talented workers.

Reporter Sheldon S. Shafer can be reached at 502-582-7089, or via email at sshafer@courier-journal.com.