Churchill Downs is a

horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...

complex located on Central Avenue in south

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...

, United States, famed for hosting the annual Kentucky Derby. It officially opened in 1875 and was named for Samuel Churchill, whose family was prominent in Kentucky for many years. The first Kentucky Derby, a

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...

sweepstakes and part of today's horse racing

Triple Crown Triple Crown may refer to: Sports Horse racing * Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing * Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States) ** Triple Crown Trophy ** Triple Crown Productions * Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing * Tri ...

, and the first

Kentucky Oaks The Kentucky Oaks is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies staged annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. The race currently covers at Churchill Downs; the horses carry . The Kentucky Oaks is held on the Friday ...

were held in the same year. Churchill Downs has also hosted the renowned

Breeders' Cup The Breeders' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Grade I Thoroughbred horse races, operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was a single-day event; starting in 2007, ...

on nine occasions, most recently on November 2 and 3, 2018. The racetrack is owned and operated by

Churchill Downs Incorporated Churchill Downs Incorporated is the parent company of Churchill Downs. The company has evolved from one racetrack in Louisville, Kentucky, to a multi American-state-wide, publicly traded company with racetracks, casinos and an online wagering comp ...

. With the infield open for the Kentucky Derby, the capacity of Churchill Downs is roughly 170,000. In 2009 the Horseplayers Association of North America introduced a rating system for 65 Thoroughbred racetracks in North America, which ranked Churchill Downs number 5 on its list. In 2014, prior to the start of their spring meet, Churchill Downs announced an increase in

parimutuel Parimutuel betting or pool betting is a betting system in which all bets of a particular type are placed together in a pool; taxes and the "house-take" or "vigorish" are deducted, and payoff odds are calculated by sharing the pool among all winnin ...

takeout rates. As a result of the takeout increase, Churchill Downs ranked number 22 in that year's Horseplayers Association of North America Track Ratings.

History

The track is named for John and Henry Churchill, who leased of land to their nephew, Colonel

Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr. Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr. (January 27, 1846 – April 22, 1899) was the founder of the Louisville Jockey Club and the builder of Churchill Downs, where the Kentucky Derby is run. Life and career He was grandson of explorer and Missouri govern ...

(grandson of explorer

William Clark William Clark (August 1, 1770 – September 1, 1838) was an American explorer, soldier, Indian agent, and territorial governor. A native of Virginia, he grew up in pre-statehood Kentucky before later settling in what became the state of Misso ...

). Clark was president of the Louisville Jockey Club and Driving Park Association, which formed in 1875. His father-in-law, Richard Ten Broeck, was an accomplished

horse breeder Horse breeding is reproduction in horses, and particularly the human-directed process of selective breeding of animals, particularly purebred horses of a given breed. Planned matings can be used to produce specifically desired characteristics in ...

and trainer, and introduced Clark to

, attending the English Derby at

Epsom Downs Epsom Downs is an area of chalk upland near Epsom, Surrey; in the North Downs. Part of the area is taken up by the racecourse, the gallops are part of the land purchased by Stanly Wootton in 1925 and are open to users such as ramblers, model ...

outside

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

Churchill Downs filled a void in Louisville left by the closing of Oakland and Woodlawn, two earlier race courses. The then-rural location was along

Louisville and Nashville Railroad The Louisville and Nashville Railroad , commonly called the L&N, was a Class I railroad that operated freight and passenger services in the southeast United States. Chartered by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1850, the road grew into one of the ...

tracks, allowing for easy transport of horses. Clark, who preferred longer races to the relatively short ones that had become popular by the 1890s, was running short of funds, and in 1894 sold the track to a syndicate led by William E. Applegate. The new ownership would soon institute many changes, such as commissioning the famous twin spire grandstand in 1895, shortening the length of the signature race to its modern in 1896, and adorning the winner of the Derby with a garland of roses, a tradition that also began in 1896. stands of Churchill Downs 1951

In early 1902, Applegate, who had made his fortune as a bookmaker, turned over the day-to-day operation of the track to Charles F. Grainger, then the

mayor of Louisville The history of Louisville, Kentucky, United States, as a city is considered to have started on February 13, 1828, the date of the first city charter. From the time of its first organization as a village, on February 7, 1781, until its incorporati ...

, in an effort to move Churchill Downs away from being primarily known for gambling. Among the new people Applegate brought on board to help him run the rack was Col. Matt Winn of Louisville. Churchill Downs prospered and the Kentucky Derby then became the preeminent stakes race for three-year-old thoroughbred horses in North America. During that early period, a new clubhouse was built in order to promote social interaction, and new events such as steeplechases, automobile races, and band concerts were held at the track. The

State Fair A state fair is an annual competitive and recreational gathering of a U.S. state's population, usually held in late summer or early fall. It is a larger version of a county fair, often including only exhibits or competitors that have won in th ...

was held on the grounds, featuring the odd spectacle of two locomotives being intentionally crashed head-on in the infield. University of Louisville marching band, Churchill Downs Twin Spires

University of Louisville marching band, Churchill Downs Twin Spires

On June 5, 1907,

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

jockey James Lee set a record that has never been beaten when he won the entire six-race card at Churchill Downs. In 1908,

parimutuel betting Parimutuel betting or pool betting is a betting system in which all bets of a particular type are placed together in a pool; taxes and the "house-take" or "vigorish" are deducted, and payoff odds are calculated by sharing the pool among all winnin ...

machines were introduced as gambling began to be less controversial again, and the wagering portion of the track's business became more profitable. Churchill Downs was designated a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

in 1986. On Friday, June 19, 2009, Churchill Downs hosted its first-ever night race with an attendance of over 27,000. Churchill Downs ventured into the music business, organizing the inaugural HullabaLOU Music Festival, held on the weekend of July 23–25, 2010. The track had planned to make this an annual event to compete with other summer music festivals. HullabaLOU attracted 78,000 people but that fell short of the more than 100,000 expected by the company. The company attributed this to the brutal heat, but others cited high ticket prices in a poor economy. The entertainment division lost more than $5 million int its first year and was discontinued. On Wednesday, June 22, 2011, an EF2 tornado hit the Louisville area, striking the stables and chapel at Churchill Downs, at EF1 intensity. Several stables were badly damaged, as was the chapel. Over 200 horses had to be evacuated from the damaged stables and be relocated to other stables that were not damaged by the tornado. The tornado did not cause any damage to the twin spires or the clubhouse. ''Thurby'' is a portmanteau for ''Thursday'' plus ''Derby'', and this name for the Thursday racing in Derby week has been recognized by Churchill Downs since 2014.

Graded events

The following Graded events will be held at Churchill Downs in 2022. Grade I *

Arlington Million The Arlington Million is a Grade 1 flat horse race in the United States for thoroughbred horses aged three years and upward on the turf. It was originally raced at the now-closed Arlington Park in Arlington Heights, Illinois over a distance of ...

* Beverly D. Stakes *

Churchill Downs Stakes The Churchill Downs Stakes is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for four-year-old and older sprinters run over a distance of seven furlongs on the dirt annually in early May at Churchill Downs racetrack in Louisville, Kentucky as an und ...

Clark Handicap The Clark Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in late November at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Among the oldest races in the United States, it was first run in 1875, the year the racetrack opened for business. C ...

* Derby City Distaff Stakes * Kentucky Derby *

La Troienne Stakes The La Troienne Stakes is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares, age four and older, over a distance of miles held annually in early May on the Kentucky Oaks day meeting at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky du ...

Turf Classic Stakes The Turf Classic Stakes is a Grade I American thoroughbred horse race for open to horses aged four and older, over a distance of one and one-eighth miles, on the turf held annually in early May on the Kentucky Derby day meeting at Churchill Down ...

Grade II *

Alysheba Stakes The Alysheba Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged three and older over a distance of miles on the dirt held annually in early May on the Kentucky Oaks day meeting at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky duri ...

American Turf Stakes The American Turf Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run over a distance of miles on turf held annually in early May on the Kentucky Derby day meeting at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky during the sp ...

* Churchill Distaff Turf Mile Stakes *

Edgewood Stakes The Edgewood Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies run over a distance of miles on turf held annually in early May on the Kentucky Oaks day meeting at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky during th ...

Eight Belles Stakes The Eight Belles Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old filly sprinters run at a distance of 7 furlongs at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky each year on Kentucky Oaks Day. History The inaugural running ...

* Falls City Handicap * Fleur de Lis Stakes *

Golden Rod Stakes The Golden Rod Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in late November at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. A Grade II event open to two-year-old fillies, it is currently contested on dirt over a distance of miles (8.5 ...

Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes The Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually during the last week of November at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. A Grade II event, the race is open to two-year-olds willing to race one and one-sixtee ...

Mrs. Revere Stakes The Mrs. Revere Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies run over a distance of miles on turf held annually in November at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky during the fall meeting. Currently offers ...

Pat Day Mile Stakes The Pat Day Mile Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on dirt over a distance of one mile scheduled on Kentucky Derby Day at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The current purse is $500,000. Histo ...

* Secretariat Stakes * Stephen Foster Stakes * Twin Spires Turf Sprint Stakes * Wise Dan Stakes Grade III *

Ack Ack Stakes The Ack Ack Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three years old and older, over a distance of one mile on the dirt held annually in September at Churchill Downs, in Louisville, Kentucky. The event currently carries a purse ...

* Arlington Stakes *

Bashford Manor Stakes The Bashford Manor Stakes is a six furlong sprint for two-year-old thoroughbred horses run each year toward the end of the Spring meet at Churchill Downs. It is a Listed race on the dirt and currently offers a purse of $100,000, (plus $7,500 add ...

* Cardinal Handicap *

Chicago Stakes The Chicago Stakes is a Graded stakes race, Grade III United States, American Thoroughbred horse race for Filly, fillies and mares, four years old and older over a distance of seven furlongs on the dirt track scheduled annually in June at run annua ...

Chilukki Stakes The Chilukki Stakes is a Graded stakes race, Grade III American thoroughbred horse race for Filly, fillies and Mare (horse), mares age three and older over a distance of one mile on the dirt held annually in November at Churchill Downs in Louisvil ...

Commonwealth Turf Stakes The Commonwealth Turf Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run over a distance of one and one sixteenth miles on turf held annually in November at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky during the fall m ...

Dogwood Stakes The Dogwood Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies run over a distance of seven furlongs held annually in late May or early June at Churchill Downs racetrack in Louisville, Kentucky. History The event ...

* Iroquois Stakes *

Louisville Stakes The Louisville Stakes is Graded stakes race, Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for horses age four years and older run over a distance of one and one half miles (12 furlongs) on the Grass, Turf scheduled annually in late May or early Ju ...

Lukas Classic Stakes The Lukas Classic Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for three years old and older, over a distance of miles on the dirt held annually in September at Churchill Downs, in Louisville, Kentucky. The event currently carries a pu ...

* Matt Winn Stakes * Mint Julep Handicap * Modesty Stakes * Pocahontas Stakes * Pucker Up Stakes *

Regret Stakes The Regret Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies over a distance of one and one-eighth miles (9 furlongs) on the Turf scheduled annually in mid-June near the end of the Spring Meet at Churchill Downs i ...

* River City Handicap * Winning Colors Stakes

Chief Executive Officers

From 1875 through 2019 Churchill Downs has had twelve CEOs. * M. Lewis Clark 1875–1894 * William F. Schulte 1895–1901 * Charles F. Grainger 1902–1917 * Johnson N. Camden Jr. 1918–1927 * Samuel Culbertson 1928–1937 *

Matt Winn Martin J. "Matt" Winn (June 30, 1861 – October 6, 1949) was a prominent personality in American thoroughbred horse racing history and president of Churchill Downs racetrack, home to the Kentucky Derby race that he made famous. In 2017, he was ...

1938–1949 *

Bill Corum Martene Windsor "Bill" Corum" (July 20, 1895 – December 16, 1958) was a sports columnist for the ''New York Evening Journal'' and the ''New York Journal-American'', a radio and television sportscaster, and racetrack executive. He served as pres ...

1950–1958 * Wathen Knebelkamp 1959–1970 * Lynn Stone 1970–1984 * Thomas H. Meeker 1984–2006 * Robert L. Evans 2006–2014 * William C. Carstanjen 2014–present

Facilities

The twin spires atop the grandstands are the most recognizable architectural feature of Churchill Downs and are used as a symbol of the track and the Derby. They were designed by architect Joseph Dominic Baldez and built in 1895. Today, Churchill Downs covers . The usual number of people seated at the derby is 50,000 people, though crowds can reach over 150,000 on Derby day. The dirt oval main track, on which the Derby is run, is one mile (1.6 km) in circumference and is wide, with a section for the starting gate. A turf track, inside the main track, is in circumference and wide. From 2001 to 2005, Churchill Downs underwent a three-and-a-half year, $121 million renovation. The clubhouse was replaced, 79

luxury suites The luxury box (or skybox) and club seating constitute the most exclusive class of seating in arenas and stadiums, and generate much higher revenues than regular seating. Club ticketholders often receive exclusive access to an indoor part of t ...

were added, and the historic twin spires were refurbished. One of the additions in the clubhouse was a mural by

Pierre Bellocq Pierre Camille Lucien Hilaire Jean Bellocq (born November 25, 1926 in Bedenac, Charente-Maritime, France) is a French- American artist and horse racing cartoonist known as "Peb". As a small boy, his family moved to Maisons-Laffitte where his ...

depicting all 96

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...

s to win the Kentucky Derby from 1875 to 2004. In summer 2008 the same artist added another mural depicting all of the trainers and updating the Jockey's painting, adding Calvin Borel and Edgar Prado to it. These updates are done yearly to accommodate new winning trainers and jockeys. The new design has been somewhat controversial since the new suites block full view of the spires from most angles. 2006BCJuvenileStreetSenseHiddenOnRail

Racing at Churchill Downs occurs in three meets though for the majority of its existence there were only two meets per year. The spring meet starts one week before the Derby and continues until early July. The Kentucky Derby is held the first Saturday in May and the Kentucky Oaks is run on the Friday before the Derby. A fall meet picks up in late October and closes Thanksgiving weekend in late November. A third meet in September was added in 2013. In addition to the track, clubhouse and stables, Churchill Downs also contains the

Kentucky Derby Museum The Kentucky Derby Museum is an American Thoroughbred horse racing museum located on the grounds of Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Dedicated to preserving the history of the Kentucky Derby, it first opened its doors to the public in the ...

which focuses on the history of the Kentucky Derby and Churchill Downs. The museum also contains a number of exhibits exploring the training and racing of thoroughbred horses. It includes a 360-degree

cinema Cinema may refer to: Film * Cinematography, the art of motion-picture photography * Film or movie, a series of still images that create the illusion of a moving image ** Film industry, the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking ...

that shows the short film "The Greatest Race", a documentary about the Kentucky Derby. The museum is normally open year-round. In October 2013, Churchill Downs began installing a new, ultra high-definition video board built by Panasonic, which became operational in time for the 2014 Kentucky Derby. Called "The Big Board", it measures wide and high, with the bottom edge off the ground, and weighs . It was constructed along the outside of the backstretch of the dirt course facing the grandstand and infield. At the time, it was the largest ultra high-definition video board ever constructed. At the same time, 750 speakers were installed around the track.

TV personalities

John Asher John Mallory Asher (born John Mallory, January 13, 1971) is an American actor, film director and screenwriter. He is perhaps best known for his performance as Gary on the USA Network's series spinoff of the movie '' Weird Science''. Early life A ...

(1997–1998 the paddock show, CD Today a handicapping show 2007–2018) * Mike Battaglia (1997–2007 full-time, 2008–present as an occasional fill-in. Also the Tracks Morning Line Odds-Maker since 1974.) *

Donna Barton Brothers Donna Barton Brothers (born April 20, 1966 in Alamogordo, New Mexico) is a former jockey who won over 1,100 horse races and now covers horse racing and other equestrian sports for NBC Sports and USA Network. She is probably most recognizable ...

(1999–2002) *

Jill Byrne Jill is an English feminine given name, a short form of the name Jillian (Gillian), which in turn originates as a Middle English variant of Juliana, the feminine form of the name Julian. People with the given name * Jill Astbury, Australian re ...

(2004–2007 fill-in, 2008–present full-time) * Jessica Pacheco (2007 Derby week) * Joanne Jones (2007 Derby Week) * Joe Kristufek (2015–present full-time)

Track announcers

* Gene Schmidt (1940–1960) * Chic Anderson (1961–1977) * Mike Battaglia (1978–1996, 2013 as a one-day fill-in, 2014 as a fill-in for Breeders Cup Weekend) *

Kurt Becker Kurt Frank Becker (born December 22, 1958) is a former American football player. He played college football as an offensive guard at the University of Michigan from 1978 to 1981, was selected as a first-team All-American in 1981, and played profe ...

(1997–1998) *

Luke Kruytbosch Lucas Martin "Luke" Kruytbosch ( ; May 27, 1961 – July 14, 2008) was an American Thoroughbred horse racing announcer. He was best known as the on-track public-address voice of Churchill Downs and Kentucky Derby from 1999 until his death. ...

(1999–2008) *

Bobby Neuman Bobby or Bobbie may refer to: People * Bobby (given name), a list of names * Bobby (actress), from Bangladesh * Bobby (rapper) (born 1995), from South Korea * Bobby (screenwriter) (born 1983), Indian screenwriter * Bobby, old slang for a constabl ...

(October 26 – November 2, 2008) *

Michael Wrona Michael Wrona (born ) is an announcer from Brisbane, Australia specializing in Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred horse racing. He is best known for the phrase "Racing!", which he says at the start of every race call. Background Michael Wrona began ...

(November 12–16, 2008) *

(November 16, 2008) * Mark Johnson (November 26–29, 2008, 2009–2013) * Larry Collmus (November 19–23, 2008, 2014) *

Bill Downes Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Plac ...

(2014 as a fill-in) *

Travis Stone Travis Stone (born January 23, 1984) is a public address announcer for thoroughbred horse racing at Churchill Downs racetrack in Louisville, Kentucky, in which he has served since 2015. Originally from Schroon Lake, he graduated from the State U ...

(November 5–9, 2008, 2015–present)

Notes

References

*Thomas, Samuel W. 1995. ''Churchill Downs:A Documentary History of America's Most Legendary Race Track'' *Schriener, Bruce. 2005. ''Historic track unveils $121 million facelift''.

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...

. April 28.

External links

Churchill Downs websiteChurchill Downs Ticket OfficeKentucky Derby websiteKentucky Oaks websiteChurchill Downs track page

NTRA The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) is a broad-based coalition of American horse racing interests consisting of leading thoroughbred racetracks, owners, breeders, trainers and affiliated horse racing associations, charged with incr ...

{{Registered Historic Places Horse racing venues in Kentucky Kentucky culture Kentucky Derby National Register of Historic Places in Louisville, Kentucky Tourist attractions in Louisville, Kentucky Churchill Downs Incorporated 19th-century buildings and structures in Louisville, Kentucky 1875 establishments in Kentucky National Historic Landmarks in Kentucky Sports venues completed in 1875