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 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.
Aerial view of Churchill Downs
Thoroughbreds competing
Composite image of Churchill Downs on Derby Day, 1902
Gulf Oil executive and noted horse-racing enthusiast Willard F. Jones (second from left) in the stands as they were in 1951
Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic premise – to identify which of two or more horses is the fastest over a set course or distance – has been mostly unchanged since at least classical antiquity.
Horse racing at Golden Gate Fields, 2017
Steeplechase racing at Deauville
Harness racing in Adelaide
While Horse racing in Palio di Legnano 2013