Churchill Downs Racetrack

Churchill Downs is a thoroughbred horse racing venue found in South Louisville, Kentucky. The racetrack, which is now owned and operated by Churchill Downs Incorporated, officially opened its doors in 1875 and is celebrated for being the home of the Kentucky Derby; the world's most famous horse race. Although boasting such a rich history, the venue is also at the epicentre of modern horse racing in America, with the 170,000 capacity venue attracting racegoers from across the world each year.

A brief history of Churchill Downs

Churchill Downs was founded by Colonel Meriwether Lewis Clark who was inspired to open a racing venue after attending the Epsom Derby in England. Wanting to showcase the Kentucky breeding industry on the main stage, Clark took great influence from the UK horse racing industry when creating this famous course.

On his return to America, he leased the track's land from his uncles, John and Henry Churchill. To build the race track, Clark raised a total of $32,000 from various donors. This money funded the venue's grandstand, clubhouse, stables and the Porter’s Lodge.

In 1875, the first horse racing event was held at Churchill Downs. Over the course of the meet, the Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks and Clark Handicap took place; all of which paid homage to English races; the Epsom Derby, Epsom Oaks and St. Leger Stakes respectively.

The Derby is still held at Churchill Downs today, making it the longest continuously held sporting event in the US! The winner of this inaugural race was a three-year-old chestnut, Aristides; a colt that has gone down in American horse racing history. This race welcomed a crowd of close to 10,000 spectators.

In 1895, further work was conducted at the famous racetrack. It was during this time that the Twin Spires were erected. These are now symbolic of Churchill Downs and the iconic Kentucky Derby.

Notable races at Churchill Downs

Churchill Downs hosts live racing throughout the year. While the Kentucky Derby is without doubt the feature race, this is just one of the hundreds of fixtures hosted at the iconic Louisville venue.

Kentucky Derby: As mentioned, Churchill Downs is commonly known as "The Home of the Kentucky Derby". This is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old horses. The event takes place every year, usually on the first Saturday of May. The race, which is regarded as a notable event on the international horse racing calendar, is one of the most bet-on horse racing events across the world. The Kentucky Derby is run over a distance of one and a quarter miles. This equates to 2.0 km. The race is often referred to as "The Run for the Roses" which refers to the blanket of roses wrapped around the winning horse. The Kentucky Derby is also the first piece of the American Triple Crown, accompanied by the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes.

Clark Stakes: The Clark Stakes is a Grade 1 horse race held each November at Churchill Downs. Like the Derby, it is famed for being one of the oldest races in the US, having been run at Churchill Downs since 1875. The race is open to horses aged three and older and covers a distance of 9 furlongs on a dirt track.

Kentucky Oaks: The Kentucky Oaks is staged annually at Churchill Downs and is held on the Friday before the famous Derby. Steeped in history, this race is another popular fixture for the venue, having also been run since the venue first opened. The Kentucky Oaks is run over 1 and a 1/8th miles, with the winner of the event being adorned in a blanket of lilies. This has influenced the race's nickname; "Lillies for the Fillies."

Other highly-anticipated races held at Churchill Downs include:

  • Derby City Distaff Stakes
  • La Troienne Stakes
  • Turf Classic Stakes
  • Churchill Downs Stakes

Interesting facts about Churchill Downs

There are many interesting facts about this famous racecourse, some of which we have covered below.

  • Charity fundraising - Churchill Downs is constantly fundraising for worthwhile organisations and charities. From 1940-1950, the venue famously raised $1.5million for charity. Since then, the Churchill Downs Foundation has been formed which provides stewardship for the thoroughbred racing industry.
  • Millionaires Row - Millionaires Row is an interior dining room found on the 4th and 5th floor of the venue. It is regarded as the most exclusive and elite horse racing hospitality suite in the US. It is so exclusive that you can not buy a ticket to this area, but have to be personally invited!
  • Mint Juleps - The Mint Tulip is a cocktail that has over the years become synonymous with Churchill Downs. In fact, more than 120,000 Mint Juleps are consumed at Churchill Downs every year. The drink is created from a mixture of Kentucky bourbon, syrup, sugar, mint and ice.
  • Thanksgiving - As well as being a symbol of horse racing excellence, Churchill Downs is a hugely popular hospitality venue, with various events outside of sports hosted at the racecourse. The venue hosts an annual Thanksgiving dinner that has been held at Churchill Downs since 1969. 3,000 pounds of turkey is consumed during this single event.
  • Caricatures - The venue’s clubhouse walls are adorned with caricatures of winning trainers and jockeys. Each year, Pierre Bellocq, a French-American cartoonist, comes to Churchill Downs to draw that year’s winners.

Betting on races held at Churchill Downs

Hosting such eagerly-awaited fixtures, Churchill Downs races are understandably interesting from a betting point of view. While having been taking pari-mutuel bets at the track for decades, in 2007 Churchill Downs launched its own online sportsbook; Twin Spires. Twin Spires is now one of the biggest US betting sites to place horse racing bets on. Via the betting site, users can wager on local and international Thoroughbred, Quarter Horse, and Harness races.

You can sign up to Twin Spires on horseracing.us now and claim the generous free bets available to new players. Alternatively, compare the many other horse racing betting sites available to you on our homepage.