Churchill Downs Racecourse: The Home of the Kentucky Derby

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