All About Churchill Downs

From the impressive length of the 10 furlong clay track to the stately paddocks, steeped in history and countless victory, to the majestic peaks of the Twin Spires towering over the stands, there is simply no horse racing venue anywhere in the world with the timeless elegance and pedigree of Churchill Downs. Located in the southern district of the equally historic Louisville, Kentucky, which was named after King Louis the 16th of France by American Revolutionary War hero George Rogers Clark, Churchill Downs is most notably the home of the now legendary Kentucky Derby, inarguably the most famous horse race in the world. Those of us here at KentuckyDerbyPreview.com would not dream of giving our readers a comprehensive look into the wagering aspects of the Derby itself without also telling you all about Churchill Downs, since just visiting the track on Derby Day is a huge part of the overall Derby experience.

We aim to cover everything from information about the track itself, a brief examination of the fascinating history of the grounds to directions on how to get to the Downs. We will also give our impressions of what to expect from a typical day at the races – if there is such a thing as a typical Derby Day – and even give some suggestions as to where you can eat and stay during your trip to Louisville. While betting on the Kentucky Derby is a milestone for any horseplayer and, more generally for any sports wagering enthusiast, there is simply nothing quite like visiting Churchill Downs during Derby Week. And there’s certainly nothing like being in the stands when the starting gates fly open at the start of “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports.”

Churchill Downs officially opened in 1875 – the same year the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks races for colts and fillies, respectively, were first held. However, the racetrack proper and the iconic Twin Spires over the grand stands (a design flourish of the now world famous architect Joseph Dominic Baldez, who was then just 24) would not be completed until approximately 20 years later. The construction of Churchill Downs was a monumental undertaking and a historic landmark in the US horse racing tradition, and particularly that of the Inner Bluegrass region of Kentucky, which was and remains to this day the central hub of that tradition in North America.

The track itself was named in honor of John and Henry Churchill, landowners who in 1875 leased 80 acres to Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr., the grandson of explorer William Clark, who famously embarked on a mission to catalogue the expanse of wilderness acquired by the young United States as part of the Louisiana Purchase. Clark, who was at that time the president of the Louisville Jockey Club and Driving Park Association, along with his father-in-law, a famous horse breeder and trainer by the name of Richard Broeck, decided that the city needed to take steps to maintain its position as a preeminent location for thoroughbred racing. The men’s plan was to construct a new track and associated facilities to take the place of the Oakland and Woodland and ensure that Louisville, which was then a rural town in the heart of horse country, retained its prominent place in the sporting world.

Churchill Downs changed hands in terms of ownership over the years and underwent a number of changes, particular with regard to the length of its famous dirt track – which was shortened from nearly two miles its current length of 1 ¼ miles (2 kilometers) – over the early years. However, by the time of the turn of the 20th century, when under the ownership of William Applegate, a local business owner (he ran a prominent racebook in those days), the track had already become a fixture in the horse racing scene. What’s more, the Kentucky Derby was by then already firmly entrenched as the most prominent stakes race for three-year-old thoroughbred horses held anywhere in the United States, a position it hold up through the present day.

Many changes have taken place over the years at Churchill Downs, including early innovations like the installation of the some of the country’s first pari-mutuel betting machines in 1908 and many longstanding and even a few unbroken horse racing records. The track received the designation of a National Historic Landmark site in 1986, held its first night race in 2009 (with an impressive crowd of just over 27,000 people in attendance), and even got into the music industry (briefly) with a fairly successful HullabaLOU music festival in 2010.

Today, the Churchill Downs track continues to host what the racing world knows as “The Fastest Two Minutes In Sports” on the first Saturday of May each year, and the Kentucky Derby runs rain, snow, sleet, sunshine or storm. With a new field of top level thoroughbreds and jockeys set to vie for their place in the Churchill Downs history, smart bettors and dedicated enthusiasts of horse racing alike will not miss this year’s running of the “Race for the Roses.”

Information on the Churchill Downs facilities is as extensive as the history of the buildings, track and paddocks it comprises within its 147 acres. In total, the grandstands and attached clubhouse at Churchill Downs are capable of accommodating more than 170,000 visitors on the weekend of the Kentucky Derby, and the total number of guests is often just in excess of maximum occupancy at post time, with 50,000 guests being seated.

Churchill Downs hosts major races at three different times (called “meets”) throughout the year. The Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks races are the headlining events of the spring meet, which begins in early May and runs through July. A fall meet runs from late October through the weekend after Thanksgiving, and a September only meet was added as recently as 2013. These three meets are host to numerous races, including the annual Breeders’ Cup Classic, which has been held at Churchill Downs eight times since the race was founded in the early 1980s and will be held there again in 2018.

Churchill Downs includes not just one but two horse racing tracks, both being left handed ovals, with one – a shorter turf course – being located just inside the outer, larger clay course. The Kentucky Derby and Grade 1 Stakes Races are held on the outer dirt track is 1 mile (1.6 km) in length – or more properly in circumference – and is 79 to 80 feet (24.1-24.4 meters) in width, with a 120-foot wide (or 37 m) section at the location of the starting gate. The inner turf race track is 7/8 mile (1.4 km) in circumference and 80 feet (24 m) in width.

In addition to the track and stables, which accommodate the horses, Churchill Downs is also home to an impressive clubhouse featuring restaurants, and nearly 80 luxury suites and viewing boxes for well connected or more affluent visitors. The grounds at the Churchill Downs campus also include the Kentucky Derby official museum, which features exhibits on the training, racing and breeding of thoroughbred horses in America as well as a 360 degree panoramic theatre for viewing documentary films related to the Kentucky Derby’s history.

Directions To Churchill Downs

Now that we have taken a closer look at the history of Churchill Downs and piqued your interest with information about the facilities at the world’s most famous racetrack, it’s time to get down to the nitty gritty. If you are planning on making the trip to Louisville, Kentucky, in time for Derby Day, you will need directions to Churchill Downs. The good news is the track and associated facilities is actually located quite close to several nearby highways and even major interstate exits point drivers directly to the track.

We’ll break down our directions to Churchill Downs based on the most common routes taken by visitors arriving from the four cardinal directions. Whether you drive to the track yourself or rent a car at the airport, you can either put the address to Churchill Downs in your GPS or stick to these directions. Either way, you are sure to have no trouble finding your way to the track in time for all the festivities to begin – just make sure to give yourself plenty of time, as the parking lot can fill up fast at any point during the week prior to the running of the Kentucky Derby.

If you are driving down from Indianapolis, Indiana, or even from downtown Louisville in the north, the best course of action is to take Interstate 65 and get off at Exit 132 (Crittenden Drive), at which point you will continue straight onto Crittenden Drive, taking the first right hand turn onto Central Avenue. Simply continue straight on Central Avenue for about 1.6 miles and you can’t miss the track at Churchill Downs.

For visitors coming in from Lexington, Kentucky, or from the east more generally, you will want to take Interstate 264 West, exiting the interstate at Exit 10 (Third St./Southern Pkwy.) and taking the right turn (to the north) on Third Street or Southern Parkway in the direction of Central Avenue. Once you have turned left on Central Avenue, head for the racetrack. It’s that simple.

If you and your party are driving from nearby St. Louis, Missouri and other locations to the west, you will similarly be heading out on Interstate 264, though this time in the eastward direction. Take Exit 9 (Taylor Blvd.) and turn left to merge onto Taylor Boulevard. Once there, all you’ll need to do is look for either Gate 10 or Gate 17 and, depending on which parking lot you want to try, you can take a right turn on either Longfield Avenue or Central Avenue to arrive at the track.

Finally, visitors heading to Churchill Downs from Nashville, Tennessee or other cities in that direction should take Interstate 264 West (which may appear on your map as the Watterson Expressway) all the way to Exit 10 (for Third St./Southern Pkwy.). Make sure to turn right on Third Street and take it all the way down to Central Avenue, making a left hand turn once there. For the Gate 17 parking lot, continue down Central Avenue, but for Gate 10 traffic you will want to turn left at Fourth Street, veering right when you pass by the barns at the track.

Ground Transportation To Churchill Downs

Though driving to the track isn’t exactly a nightmare, some people may prefer to avail themselves of a ride in a bus, taxi or call a ride sharing driver to drop you off (we recommend these options for those visitors that plan on indulging in one of the Churchill Downs’ signature adult beverages: the equally famous mint julep). Transportation to Churchill Downs couldn’t be simpler thanks to a revised Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks transportation plan developed by the show runners of the events, which includes a generous unloading area for buses, a shuttle provided on Derby Day from the nearby Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center and a new taxi depot located nearby on the corner of Fourth Street and Central Avenue.

All of the aforementioned parking lots are within walking distance of the track, but be sure to watch out for passing vehicles, especially if you plan to stay for night time festivities during the week prior to Derby Day or after the running of the race itself. It is also worth noting that Central Avenue is a busy street even during Derby Week, so always be aware of your surroundings when crossing the road if you decide to walk back to your car, the bus stop or the taxi drop off locations nearby.

Where To Eat And Where To Stay Near Churchill Downs

Now that you have made your plans on how to actually get to the track, you will likely be wanting to know where to eat and where to stay near Churchill Downs.

For the former, there are quite simply too many excellent eateries worth recommending to list here (this is the South we are talking about here!), but suffice it to say that we can make a few recommendations. Really, where to eat when visiting Churchill Downs comes down to your preferences for time and what kind of faire you’re in the mood for, but there are plenty of choices close at hand in south Louisville to satisfy all your requirements. You can of course make an ample lunch or supper at the fine food court located inside the newly renovated Churchill Downs Clubhouse, but close at hand are famous Derby Week haunts like the Derby Café (a lunch-only venue good for a quick bite) or the famous Wagner’s Pharmacy on Fourth Street (you can’t beat the breakfasts here – or the price). If you don’t mind a short walk to get away from the crowds at the track on race day, there is the muy fantastico El Molcajete restaurant to consider (serving exquisite Mexican comfort food and lots of it) or local institution JB’s Pub (for when you need just one more mint julep before you crash for the night).

As for where to stay when visiting Churchill Downs, the conversation begins and ends with the Galt House Hotel, the official host hotel of the Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby. This high end hotel fills up fast as we approach the first Saturday of May, so if you’re interested in staying where the owners, jockeys and maybe even a few celebrities will be holing up between races, then the Galt House is your best bet. The hotel is located just a few minutes down the road from the track and is situated smack dab in the middle of downtown Louisville if you should find the need to scratch the itch for some nightlife after a day picking winners at the Derby.

There are also several chain hotels in surrounding neighborhoods and along most of Louisville’s major highways, but you will be looking at a longer drive if you decide to stay there, though the trade off is your bill for a few night’s stay won’t be nearly as high. Be sure to check the listings for availability, as these rooms are liable to fill up too, even if they aren’t as conveniently located as the more posh Galt House Hotel.

Churchill Downs is rife with traditions on Derby Day and in the week leading up to the start of the race. From the now world famous mint julip to all the finery on display when the Southern ladies and gents promenade through the facility dressed to the nines in beautiful and extravagant hats and snazzy suits, Churchill Downs traditions are half of the fun of attending the Kentucky Derby in person. Even if you have no interest whatsoever in betting on the Kentucky Derby at the track, people watching is plenty amusing in itself, and if you really want to get in on the action, there isn’t much to stop you – in fact, KentuckyDerbyPreview.com knows dressing up is kind of expected

Some of the considerations you should expect if you are planning to attend the Kentucky Derby include finding a balance between looking fashionable and staying comfortable, dealing with the huge crowds likely to be in attendance and making sure you’re prepared for any inclement weather on race day.

Ladies, if you are looking to be seen, the Kentucky Derby is your scene. However, before you go wild with a lavish hat and a slinky spring dress, do realize you’ll be on your feet most of the day, as the grandstands only seat about 50,000 people – the other 120,000 likely to be in attendance will be standing and walking. That means packing an extra pair of shoes – probably something more comfortable than those pastel stilettos you wore – is not a bad idea.

Fellows, the allure of the fantastic food and drinks on offer are great, so you may want to reconsider wearing an extra close fitting sport coat to the Derby. That being said, we definitely would recommend adding layers to your wardrobe for the event as needed. You may be peeling some off if it gets too hot out in the sun, or you may even run into a damsel in desperate need of your jacket in case the weather turns chilly.

Finally, there is simply no way you can prepare yourself for the crowds that show up to the Kentucky Derby. 170,000 horse racing fans is way more people to deal with than would be in attendance at even something like the Super Bowl, which is crazy to think about, but it’s true. Plan ahead for meeting places, try to avoid peak times for heading to the bar or to grab a snack and, for the love of all that’s good and decent, do not overcrowd the restrooms if you can help it. Safety is also of concern, so make sure you check out the full list of prohibited items that will bar you from entry into the track proper.

If you have made it through to the end, then you should know all about Churchill Downs by now, and you should have a solid understanding of what to expect when you arrive at the track at any point during Derby Week. There is just nothing like taking in the scenery and the spectacle of America’s oldest continuous sporting event, and after just one trip to the historic Churchill Downs for some legal Kentucky Derby betting you will understand what makes it the “World’s Most Famous Racetrack.”