Last updated: October 2026
Churchill Downs Incorporated, the Louisville company behind the Kentucky Derby, TwinSpires and a chain of racing and casino properties, doesn't run one big posted intern class. Its student roles appear one at a time. On 3 October 2026 its job board held 450 openings and exactly one internship: a Social Media Intern at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots in New Orleans, posted 6 September for the live racing meet. Summer internships in Louisville are real, though: in 2025 the company hosted a Marketing & Partnerships intern and a CRM Analyst intern, both Ed Brown Society scholars. In plain words: the nearest open door is the Fair Grounds role right now, and summer 2027 Louisville roles are expected to post around spring 2027.
Quick Facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Where to apply | jobs.churchilldowns.com (one board for corporate, tracks, TwinSpires and casinos). Search by job title; the site's "intern" keyword search returns unrelated jobs |
| Application window (summer 2027) | Fair Grounds Social Media Intern: open now (posted 6 Sep 2026). Summer 2027 Louisville internships: expected ~spring 2027 (low confidence). CDImmerse June 2027 cohort: expected ~Oct 2026 |
| Rolling? | Yes for the Social Media Intern (no deadline in the posting); unknown for summer roles |
| Eligibility | Social Media Intern: 21+, Louisiana racing license, pursuing a college degree. CDImmerse: recent Bachelor's grads (2024 posting named a 3.5 GPA example) |
| Duration | Social Media Intern: the live racing meet. Summer internships: summer, extendable (one 2025 intern stayed through September). CDImmerse: two years |
| Compensation | Not published for any intern role |
| Return offers | Rate not published; documented 2024 and 2025 interns later joined CDImmerse or full-time staff |
| Locations | Louisville, KY (corporate, Churchill Downs Racetrack); New Orleans, LA (Fair Grounds) |
| # Programs | One seasonal internship live; summer internships posted ad hoc; CDImmerse graduate rotation |
One internship is open now, at Fair Grounds in New Orleans. Summer 2027 corporate internships in Louisville aren't posted yet and are expected around spring 2027; graduating seniors should watch for the CDImmerse rotation, which last posted in October.
Externships are short, remote programs where you finish a real project for a real company, most running 8 weeks at 5–10 hours a week. The TikTok Social Media Content & Brand Strategy Externship matches the short-form content work the Fair Grounds role asks for, and the Breaking Games E-Commerce Data Analysis & Strategy Externship builds the customer-data skills behind a CRM analyst internship.
What Is a Churchill Downs Internship?
A Churchill Downs internship is a student placement with Churchill Downs Incorporated (Nasdaq: CHDN), the Louisville company that has run the Kentucky Derby for nearly 150 years and now also operates TwinSpires online wagering and regional casinos. There are two kinds. Summer internships sit in Louisville corporate teams; the company's Director of Equine Relations has publicly named "our summer internships" alongside the CDImmerse program as a talent pipeline, and 2025 roles covered marketing research and CRM analytics. Seasonal racing-meet internships sit at individual tracks, like the Fair Grounds social media role open now. A 2025 marketing intern had her internship extended through September, came back part-time in February 2026 and joined full-time in June 2026. CDImmerse itself isn't an internship: it's a two-year rotation for new graduates.
When Do Churchill Downs Internship Applications Open for 2027–2028?
Churchill Downs runs three separate calendars. Racing-meet internships post about two months before a meet starts; the Fair Grounds Social Media Intern went up on 6 September 2026. Summer internships in Louisville don't follow a dated pattern we could recover, so the spring 2027 estimate for summer 2027 roles is low confidence. The CDImmerse graduate rotation last posted on 9 October 2024 for a June 2025 start, so its June 2027 cohort may post within weeks, about eight months ahead of the start.
One internship is open right now: Social Media Intern at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, New Orleans, for the live racing meet (21+ and a Louisiana racing license required). No summer 2027 Louisville internship and no CDImmerse posting were live on 3 October 2026.
CDImmerse posting for the June 2027 cohort expected, based on one prior posting dated 9 October 2024. This is for graduating seniors, not current interns.
Build a Derby-season portfolio: reels, event content or a data project. Ed Brown Society scholars should ask their program contacts about summer placements.
Summer 2027 corporate internships in Louisville expected to post, one role at a time. Search jobs.churchilldowns.com by title every week.
Summer internships and the CDImmerse cohort start around June. The 2025 CDImmerse class began on 2 June 2025, and the 2025 marketing intern started that month too.
How to read this page: our dates come from tracking previous recruiting cycles and daily posting data. Treat them as informed estimates based on historical patterns, not confirmed dates. The company's official careers page is always the most current source. If a role is posted there, go by that, even if this page suggests the window hasn't opened yet.
Why You Must Apply the Week Applications Open
The open Fair Grounds role is rolling: its posting names no deadline, and it supports the live racing meet, so it fills as the meet approaches. It has already been live for four weeks. Summer roles are the harder problem because they appear one at a time with no announced window, and a single posting can come and go between your checks. That's why weekly title searches matter more than a calendar here. For CDImmerse, an aggregator listed the 2024 posting as closed exactly one month after it went up; that looks like the listing's expiry rather than a company deadline, but it's a sign the window can be short.
Which Churchill Downs Internship Programs Should You Target?
Churchill Downs student roles split by location and purpose; only the first was posted on 3 October 2026.
| Program | Focus | Duration | Key skills |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social Media Intern, Fair Grounds (open) | Reels, stories, interviews with jockeys and trainers, race-day coverage, community management | Live racing meet | Short-form video, Canva or CapCut, writing |
| Marketing & Partnerships Intern (summer 2025) | Research and strategy side of marketing, Kentucky Derby support | Summer, extendable | Research, social media, communication |
| CRM Analyst Intern (summer 2025) | Data and technology for fan engagement | Summer | CRM data, analysis, storytelling |
| Derby-season event interns (2023) | Event coordination and luxury concierge for owners during Derby week | Spring season | Hospitality, organization |
| CDImmerse (new graduates) | Four six-month rotations in Business (finance, FP&A, gaming operations) or IT | Two years, full-time | Finance, accounting, analysis |
CDImmerse details are on Churchill Downs' CDImmerse page. The 2025 summer roles come from the company's own Ed Brown Society story, and the 2023 roles from UofL News.
What Are the Eligibility Requirements?
Rules differ by track because the racing floor is regulated.
• Age (racing and gaming floor roles): the Fair Grounds Social Media Intern must be 21 or older.
• Licensing: that role requires a Louisiana State Racing License; Fair Grounds marketing roles also cite the Louisiana racing commission.
• Education: a Bachelor's degree or currently pursuing a college degree (Social Media Intern). CDImmerse wanted a Bachelor's in business, finance, accounting or related, completed within six months of the start.
• Schedule: evenings, weekends, holidays and the live racing calendar for the track role.
• Work authorization: not stated in the postings we read.
Is the GPA a Hard Cutoff?
For internships, no GPA appears in any posting we read. The one number on record is from the October 2024 CDImmerse posting, as mirrored on an aggregator, which named a minimum GPA such as 3.5. Treat that as a likely bar for the graduate rotation, not for summer or racing-meet internships. For those, a portfolio and availability carry more weight than grades.
What Skills Does Churchill Downs Look For, and How Do You Build Them?
With only one intern posting live, we read it alongside the four entry-level marketing descriptions on the same board on 3 October 2026, across Louisville, New Orleans, Erie and Terre Haute properties. Every one asks for clear communication, detail under deadlines, and running promotions or events. Guest-facing service shows up in four. The content tools layer is smaller: social media in three, photo and video, Canva or Adobe, and database marketing in two each.
What Churchill Downs looks for in interns
Skills across 5 Churchill Downs intern & analyst job descriptions · live postings on jobs.churchilldowns.com, 3 Oct 2026 (1 intern + 4 entry-level marketing roles)
Method: full-text read of the Fair Grounds Social Media Intern plus four entry-level marketing descriptions live on 3 Oct 2026 (Advertising & Promotions Coordinator, Promotions Coordinator, Marketing Specialist, Marketing Coordinator). Casino marketing roles dominate, so promotions and guest service are over-weighted relative to Louisville corporate internships, whose descriptions weren't recoverable.
How Is Demand for Marketing Interns Moving Right Now?
Marketing intern postings · Sep vs Aug 2026
vs 1,424 in August
Most summer 2027 marketing internships opened in September, while Churchill Downs posts its Louisville roles later and one at a time. Apply to a few fall roles elsewhere now and keep checking the Churchill Downs board weekly.
Daily US job-posting counts, Sep 1–30 vs Aug 1–31, 2026. Covers under half of US postings; shows direction, not market size.
Build These Skills Before You Apply
Each skill maps to a remote Externship you can finish before summer roles post.
| Skill (from real JDs) | JD evidence | Externship that builds it |
|---|---|---|
| Short-form content & social | Social Media Intern: "Film, photograph, edit, and publish social media posts, reels, videos, and stories" | TikTok Social Media Content & Brand Strategy |
| CRM & customer data | 2025 CRM Analyst Intern: data and technology for fan engagement; Marketing Specialist: "database marketing campaigns" | Breaking Games E-Commerce Data Analysis & Strategy |
| Guest and consumer insight | Promotions roles: market amenities and build guest rapport | Consumer Behavior Insights with Generous Brands |
| Finance & FP&A (CDImmerse) | CDImmerse Business rotations: Finance, Accounting, Corporate FP&A | Attronica Financial Planning & Analysis |
For a company that posts one role at a time, a ready portfolio means you can apply the week a posting appears.
What Is the Churchill Downs Application and Interview Process Like?
There's no published interview format; these are the routes students have used.
1. Search the board by title. On jobs.churchilldowns.com, search "Intern" in the title or browse by property; the keyword search pads results with unrelated jobs.
2. Apply through SuccessFactors. Each property's roles post on the same board, so set a weekly reminder to check.
3. Use the Ed Brown Society route if eligible. The company credits EBS as a pipeline into summer internships and CDImmerse, and UofL's career center says EBS recommendations carry real weight.
4. Work your campus career fair. The 2025 marketing intern's path started at a University of Louisville career fair.
5. Clear the licensing step. Racing-floor roles need a state racing license and proof you're 21 or older.
The Kentucky Derby Museum and the Kentucky Derby Festival are separate organizations with their own internships, so apply to them separately.
What the Community Says
Reddit has little on Churchill Downs internships, so two cards come from Indeed intern reviews.
A Louisville intern reviewing in January 2026 called it a great place to learn, said staff encourage you to explore different parts of operations, and described the team as supportive and welcoming, with real racing experience.
A TwinSpires Club marketing intern in Louisville wrote that they enjoyed the internship and were promoted to a full-time job inside the company. The review dates from 2013, so treat it as history rather than current policy.
On a Louisville jobs thread, a commenter suggested applying to Churchill Downs corporate. The poster, who watches the board, said most openings are temporary, customer-service or senior roles, which matches what the board shows today.
How Do You Stand Out at Churchill Downs?
Three moves. First, be ready before a posting exists. Roles appear one at a time, so keep a resume and a short portfolio on hand: reels from a live event for content roles, or a small customer-data analysis for CRM roles. Second, use the routes that have worked. The 2025 interns came through the Ed Brown Society and a University of Louisville career fair, and the company says EBS recommendations carry weight. Third, show you understand the business beyond Derby Day. Churchill Downs runs racing, historical racing machines, casinos and TwinSpires, and the 2025 CRM intern worked on fan engagement across that mix. Ask about extensions, too: one 2025 intern stayed through September, then part-time, then full-time. The company doesn't publish applicant counts or a conversion rate.
What Other Companies Should You Consider?
Students interested in racing and gaming often compare these employers.
- FanDuelsports wagering and horse racing media; campus roles via RippleMatchGuide →
- Caesars Entertainmentcasino and sportsbook operator with structured summer rolesGuide →
- MGM Resorts Internationalcasino resorts and BetMGM; hospitality and analytics tracksGuide →
- Las Vegas Sandsintegrated resorts; gaming and hospitality internshipsGuide →
- KeenelandLexington racing and sales company, the closest racing peerCareers site
Our sports internships summer 2027 guide lines up league, racing, media and betting programs.
FAQ
Can I still apply for a summer 2026 Churchill Downs internship?
No. Summer 2026 internships have finished, and no summer 2027 Louisville internship is posted yet; we expect those around spring 2027. One internship is open now: the Fair Grounds Social Media Intern in New Orleans, posted 6 September 2026 for the live racing meet. It requires applicants to be 21 or older.
When do Churchill Downs summer 2027 internships open?
We don't have a dated pattern, so our spring 2027 estimate is low confidence. Churchill Downs posts summer roles one at a time on jobs.churchilldowns.com rather than as a class. Check the board weekly by job title from January 2027, and ask your career center or the Ed Brown Society about upcoming roles.
Is any Churchill Downs internship open right now?
Yes, one. On 3 October 2026 the board's 450 openings included a single internship: Social Media Intern at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots in New Orleans. It covers content for the live racing meet, needs a Louisiana racing license and requires applicants to be 21 or older. The posting lists no deadline.
What is CDImmerse at Churchill Downs?
CDImmerse is a two-year program for new graduates with four six-month rotations in a Business or IT track, leading to a full-time role. It isn't an internship. Its last posting appeared on 9 October 2024 for a June 2025 start, so the June 2027 cohort could post around October or November 2026.
Do Churchill Downs interns get paid?
Churchill Downs doesn't publish pay for any intern role, and the Fair Grounds posting shows a pay label with no figure. Aggregator listings that call it paid aren't employer statements. Ask the recruiter about pay and schedule early, since racing-meet roles include evenings, weekends and holidays.
Do I need to be 21 for a Churchill Downs internship?
For racing and gaming floor roles, yes. The Fair Grounds Social Media Intern requires applicants to be 21 or older and able to get a Louisiana State Racing License. Corporate summer internships in Louisville haven't posted age rules we could find, so read each posting before applying.
Do Churchill Downs interns get hired full-time?
There's no published rate, but there are documented cases. A 2025 Marketing & Partnerships intern was extended through September, hired part-time in February 2026 and full-time in June 2026. A 2024 marketing intern joined the CDImmerse rotation in 2025. Both came through the Ed Brown Society.
Is a Kentucky Derby Museum internship the same thing?
No. The Kentucky Derby Museum and the Kentucky Derby Festival are separate organizations with their own internship programs and applications. Churchill Downs Incorporated posts its student roles on jobs.churchilldowns.com. If you want Derby-related experience, apply to all three, but track them as different employers with different timelines.
Churchill Downs posts student roles one at a time, so readiness wins. A remote Externship finished this fall gives you a portfolio piece to send the week a posting appears.
About the Author
Bifei Wang has spent 17 years focused on human flow and the growth of young professionals, spanning international education, career training and coaching, and recruitment process outsourcing. Over 7 years at Extern, he has had one-on-one sessions with thousands of students exploring careers in consulting, finance, tech, marketing, and data, giving him a firsthand view of how the job market has shifted for early-career professionals and what it actually takes to break in.
