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About Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs is located in Louisville, Kentucky. The 147-acre venue serves as home to the annual Kentucky Derby and hosts three thoroughbred horse racing events during spring, September and other fall months. The Kentucky Derby is held on the one-mile dirt oval track, which is featured alongside a seven-furlong turf course. Over 5,000 horses cycle through Churchill Downs on a yearly basis for the Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks and other thoroughbred races.
The legendary track is known as much for its architecture and fashion as its events. The Twin Spires towering over the grandstand is perhaps Churchill Downs' most prominent aesthetic feature. Other than the grandstand, racegoers can sit in Millionaires Row, Sky Terrace, Turf Club or Clubhouse areas. The Kentucky Derby has become synonymous with 170,000-plus spectators arriving in lavish hats, dresses and suits, adding character to a spectacle that already has the longest-running history of any continual American sporting event in history.
Churchill Downs has welcomed the Breeders' Cup World Championship, a two-day, season-ending extravaganza involving horses, jockeys, trainers and owners worldwide, on eight separate occasions.
History of Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs was built upon 80 acres purchased by Colonel Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr. from his uncles, Henry and John Churchill, in 1872. The debut race was held May 17, 1875, and consisted of the Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks and Clark Handicap. The inaugural Kentucky Derby was captured by Aristides, while Bonaventure won the first ever overall race held at the track.
Churchill Downs has always held a certain pedigree, although the track didn't turn its first profit until 1903. Eventually, in 1938, Matt Winn was named president and dedicated a committee to turn Churchill Downs into a nonprofit that donated $1.5 million over 10 years. Decades later, another substantial change took place as president Steve Sexton initiated a renovation process during the years 2002-03. In 2009, Kevin Flanery took over as president where he remained in the position until 2020. Michael W. Anderson was named the 14th president of Churchill Downs Racetrack on December 22, 2020.
Churchill definitely was not prepared for Thurby. 3 betting lines for a lot of people. It took 45-1 hour to make a bet. We left within 2 hours and went to the boat. Very disappointed with Churchill. Was able to make 1 bet.
Fantastic Venue and we got Fantastic seats when we ordered (Best Available). Had a great time at the tract and the service, food and atmosphere were wonderful.
Great Event. Upon entering Gate 10 off Longview, were on our own to find our way to the dinning facility. Went up the wrong elevator only to meet a uniformed lady who couldn't have been nicer and escorted us to the right elevator ... wonderful hospitality!! View and excitement of the track was excellent. MC was knowledgeable but the speaker system did not provide a clear audio, especially if outside the dinning room. Food was typical of a buffet with powdered eggs, plenty of meats, fruit and cakes ... nicely done, not exceptional. Great way to see a little of the track without the crowds along with about 1000 of your fellow dinners! Crowd was handled well and lines progressed smoothly .. plenty of food for everyone. Book early .. like in March or early April.
It is always fun to be at Churchill Downs Derby week. So, we took out of town guests for a treat. I was VERY disappointed in the food. We were in line by 7:30 and they were out of fruit and bacon. Eggs were not hot. Waffles were really bad...chewy and cold. They said they would go get more bacon and fruit but we were holding up the line so we went ahead and sat down. The drink line was long and PAPER cups! Really? In the past, this venue was so elegant and you were waited on for drinks. What's with all of the staff standing around? Why can't they refill drinks or something? They were lined up in the entrance. Over priced! Churchill you need to do better!
The food was horrible. Overall, everything was cold. My biscuit was dark brown and hard and the waffle pieces were so hard I couldn't cut it with the plastic knife. There was a huge amount of staff standing around but very few offered any customer service. The view was awesome but I could watch the horses work out for free and bring my own doughnuts for a much cheaper price. I would recommend you save your money and bypass the reserved dining.
It was a tight spaces and there were not enough betting windows open forcing people in to the aisle.
This was a really enjoyable experience except for one thing. We left our seats to get drinks for a moment. When we came back, someone had taken our seats. We alerted an employee, who looked around and pointed at 2 vacant seats and said "sit here." This was the only downside. The people who took our seats should have been removed and told to go back to where they were supposed to sit. But once that was over, Opening Night was a lot of fun. It just doesn't seem to make any sense to purchase actual reserved seats when people can just take them.
