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28-411: The inaugural running of the event was on 6 April 1973 and was won by Robert E. Lehmann's Knitted Gloves coming from behind by 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 lengths in a time of 1:42 3 ⁄ 5 . After three runnings the event was upgraded to Grade II status in 1976 and in 1978 was once again upgraded to a Grade I, signifying that the race was a major event for the three-year-old fillies. Between 1978 and 1989

56-431: A jockey : Most wins by a trainer : Most wins by an owner: Notes: † In the 1987 running, Up The Apalachee, was first past the post but was disqualified and placed second. Very Subtle was declared the winner. Davona Dale Davona Dale (1976–1997) was an American Hall of Fame Champion Thoroughbred racehorse . Owned and bred by Calumet Farm , her sire descends from Nearco and her damsire

84-613: A bookmaker, turned over the day-to-day operation of the track to Charles F. Grainger , then the mayor of Louisville , 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 track 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,

112-592: A four-horse field. Later that spring Eight Belles would be tragically euthanized after finishing second in the 2008 Kentucky Derby . Two winners of this event have gone on to defeat their male counterparts in Triple Crown events. Rachel Alexandra , the winner in 2009 by the stakes record of 8 + 3 ⁄ 4 lengths went on to win the Preakness Stakes . She would later be crowned the US Horse of

140-544: A new clubhouse was built in order to promote social interaction and new events such as steeplechases, automobile races and band concerts. The State Fair was held on the grounds, featuring the odd spectacle of two locomotives being intentionally crashed head-on in the infield. On June 5, 1907, African American 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 machines were introduced as gambling began to be less controversial again, and

168-426: 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 171 feet (52 m) wide and 90 feet (27 m) high, with the bottom edge 80 feet (24 m) off the ground, and weighs 1,200,000 pounds (540 t). It was constructed along the outside of the backstretch of the dirt course facing the grandstand and infield. At

196-402: 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 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. The track

224-421: A three-and-a-half year, $ 121 million renovation. The clubhouse was replaced, 79  luxury suites were added, and the historic twin spires were refurbished. One of the additions in the clubhouse was a 36-foot (11 m) mural by Pierre Bellocq depicting all 96  jockeys 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

252-628: Is Hall of Famer Tim Tam who won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes . Racing at age two, Davona Dale won once and finished off the board in the other but at age three, dominated American filly races. In 1979 Davona Dale won eight straight races and became the only filly in American thoroughbred history to win both the National Triple Tiara (the three feature filly races on thoroughbred racing's Triple Crown weekend) and

280-493: Is named for John and Henry Churchill, who leased 80 acres (32 ha) of land to their nephew, Colonel Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr. (grandson of explorer William Clark ). 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 and trainer , and introduced Clark to horse racing , attending

308-555: The English Derby at Epsom Downs outside London . 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 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

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336-602: The Fair Grounds Racing Hall of Fame . Churchill Downs Churchill Downs is a horse racing complex located on Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky , 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 sweepstakes and part of today's horse racing Triple Crown , and

364-488: The Kentucky Derby Museum 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 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

392-656: The 1979 Eclipse Award for Outstanding 3-Year-Old Filly . That season, she also ran in the Travers Stakes against Colts . She finished fourth. At age 4, ankle and tendon injuries limited Davona Dale to just three races out of which she won the Ballerina Handicap before being retired to broodmare duties at Calumet Farm. In 1985, Davona Dale was inducted into the United States' National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame . In 2003 she inducted into

420-454: The 1986 U.S. Champion three-year-old filly and the 1987 winner Very Subtle who later that year would win the Breeders' Cup Sprint at Hollywood Park Racetrack . In 1990, the event was downgraded to Grade II status and held this status until the 2012 running and the next year it was reclassified as Grade III The 2008 winner Eight Belles won the event as a short 1/2 odds-on favorite in

448-680: 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. Night races were established in 2009. A third meet in September was added in 2013. In addition to the track, clubhouse and stables, Churchill Downs also contains

476-532: 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. 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

504-914: The New York Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing . She won the national triple by sweeping the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs , the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (now the George E. Mitchell Stakes) at Pimlico Race Course and the Acorn Stakes at Belmont Park . Her second triple occurred all at Belmont Park when she won the Acorn Stakes , the Mother Goose Stakes and the Coaching Club American Oaks . Her performances earned her

532-633: The Year . Also Swiss Skydiver , the 2020 winner would go on and win the Preakness Stakes defeating the Kentucky Derby winner Authentic . The event is a prep race to the Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing , including the Kentucky Oaks , Black-Eyed Susan Stakes and Mother Goose Stakes . In 2024 the event was upgraded by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association back to Grade II. Speed record: Margins: Most wins by

560-456: 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 79–80 feet (24.1–24.4 m) wide, with a 120-foot-wide (37 m) section for the starting gate. A turf track, inside the main track, is 7 ⁄ 8 mile (1.4 km) in circumference and 80-foot (24 m) wide. From 2001 to 2005, Churchill Downs underwent

588-420: The event held this classification and in that time some impressive winners include Davona Dale in 1979 who captured the U.S. Filly Triple Crown becoming the U.S. Champion three-year-old filly , the 1980 winner and US Hall of Fame inductee Bold 'n Determined . The 1980 US Champion two-year-old filly Heavenly Cause won this event in her sophomore season. Other champions to win this event were Tiffany Lass,

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616-494: The first Kentucky Oaks were held in the same year. Churchill Downs has also hosted the renowned Breeders' Cup on nine occasions, most recently on November 2 and 3, 2018. The racetrack is owned and operated by Churchill Downs Incorporated . 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

644-480: 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 the renowned Louisville architectural firm D.X. Murphy & Bro. who were prolific in the city, markedly so for their philanthropic work with the Catholic Church. Today, Churchill Downs covers 147 acres (59 ha). The usual number of people seated at

672-506: The investigation by Kentucky Horse Racing Commission and Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority over twelve horse fatalities since April 27, 2023, Churchill Downs transferred its spring-summer racing meet to Ellis Park Race Course in Henderson, Kentucky while it re-evaluated its safety measures. The following Graded events were held at Churchill Downs in 2023 and 2024. Grade I Grade II Grade III The twin spires atop

700-429: 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 in 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

728-437: 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 1 + 1 ⁄ 4 miles (2.0 km) in 1896, and adorning the winner of the Derby with a garland of roses, a tradition that also began in 1896. In early 1902, Applegate, who had made his fortune as

756-553: The wagering portion of the track's business became more profitable. Churchill Downs was designated a National Historic Landmark 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

784-466: 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. In June 2023, following

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