Churchill Downs Racecourse News Headlines |
07/05/2008
Thorn Song wins Firecracker Handicap at Churchill Downs !
Thorn Song eked out a one-length victory in the Grade IIT $213,250 Firecracker Handicap on the 4 th of July at the Churchill Downs racecourse grass ... read more » |
07/02/2008
Einstein looking good for Firecracker Handicap!
Einstein is looking to figure big in the one-mile Firecracker Handicap at Churchill Downs racecourse on Friday ... read more » |
06/25/2008
Curlin has international ambitions after Stephen Foster win!
Curlin, the reigning Horse of the Year, is setting his sights toward the French Grade I race, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp racecourse on October 5th ... read more » |
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Churchill Downs Racecourse: The Home of the Kentucky Derby
Churchill Downs racecourse is a famous thoroughbred racing track in south Louisville, Kentucky renowned for hosting the annual races of the Kentucky Derby. Thoroughbred horses from all over North America and the world find their way into the portals of Churchill Downs racecourse every year to compete in the prestigious race for the top three-year-olds in the sport of horse racing.
Located on Central Avenue, Churchill Downs racecourse covers 147 acres and officially opened in 1875, the same year the inaugural Kentucky Derby and the first Kentucky Oaks were held at the racecourse.
Churchill Downs racecourse is recognizable in pictures for its iconic twin spires soaring high above the grandstands. The spires, built in 1895, were designed by architect Joseph Dominic Baldez and have been used throughout the years as the symbol of Churchill Downs racecourse, as well as the Kentucky Derby.
Aside from the Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs racecourse has also been the site of the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships. Its last hosting of the event was in 2006. Churchill Downs racecourse also hosts several stakes racing events during its horse racing meets. Among them are:
- Clark Handicap
- Commonwealth Turf
- Alysheba Stakes
- Pocahontas Stakes
- Open Mind Stakes
- Locust Grove Stakes
Churchill Downs racecourse complex also has a clubhouse, several stables, and hosts the Kentucky Derby Museum. The museum has exhibits on the training and racing of thoroughbred horses, as well as a 360-degree cinema that shows the short film "The Greatest Race," a documentary about the Kentucky Derby.
Today, Churchill Downs covers 147 acres. Seating capacity is 51,000, though crowds at the Derby can reach over 165,000 because of standing-room only admission to the paddock and infield. The dirt oval main track, on which the Derby is run, is one mile (1.6 km) in circumference and is 79 to 80 feet (24 m) wide, with a 120-foot (36.5-meter) wide section for the starting gate. A turf track, inside the main track, is 7/8 of a mile (1.4 km) in circumference and 80 feet (24 m) wide.
Racing at Churchill Downs occurs in two meets. 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 Friday, the day before the Derby. A fall meet picks up in late October and closes Thanksgiving weekend in late November.
Recent Kentucky Derby Winners
2008 |
Big Brown |
2007 |
Street Sense |
2006 |
Barbaro |
2005 |
Giacomo |
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Smarty Jones |
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Funny Cide |
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War Emblem |
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Monarchos |
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Fusaichi Pegasus |
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Charismatic |
1998 |
Real Quiet |
1997 |
Silver Charm |
1996 |
Grindstone |
1995 |
Thunder Gulch |
1994 |
Go for Gin |
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| 1993 |
Sea Hero |
| 1992 |
Lil E. Tee |
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Strike the Gold |
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Unbridled |
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Sunday Silence |
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Winning Colors |
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Alysheba |
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Ferdinand |
1985 |
Spend a Buck |
1984 |
Swale |
1983 |
Sunny's Halo |
1982 |
Gato Del Sol |
1981 |
Pleasant Colony |
1980 |
Genuine Risk |
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