Sarah Contardo is entering her 12th Kentucky Derby as the Senior Vice President of Sales & Strategy at the Kentucky Derby and Churchill Downs Racetrack. In this role, she oversees ticketing, sales, premium hospitality and suites, event rentals, customer experience, analytics, product development, and international market expansion.
Under Sarah’s leadership, the Kentucky Derby and Churchill Downs have achieved record growth in ticket revenue and attendance, including a historic high of 170,513 attendees at a single Derby. She has championed a world-class customer experience, introducing a fully inclusive food and beverage program for every reserved seating attendee at the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks starting in 2021. Sarah has also played a key role in the concept, design, and execution of over $530 million in facility upgrades, including the ongoing reimagined Paddock project, completed for the 150th Run for the Roses in May 2024.
In recognition of her contributions to the industry, Sarah was named a 2024 Sports Business Journal Game Changer, an honor awarded to only 50 women in sports each year. A graduate of Miami University (OH) with degrees in Marketing and Finance, Sarah joined Churchill Downs after three seasons with the Cincinnati Reds, where she advanced from Director of Group Sales to Senior Director of Ticket Marketing and Development. Before her time with the Reds, she spent 11 years with Feld Entertainment as an Event Marketing and Sales Director.
