The grand-daddy of all race tracks first opened its doors to the public way back in 1875. At that age it should more reasonably be called the great grand-daddy of all race tracks.

The racetrack was named after John and Henry Churchill who leased 80 acres of land that the Downs was built on to their nephew, Colonel M. Lewis Clark. The track’s most famous race, the Kentucky Derby, was first held the same year the track opened in 1875. The first Derby winner was Aristides, who was ridden by jockey Oliver Lewis.

The Downs has played witness to some of the most spectacular moments in horse racing, including the blazing record-setting track time set by eventual Triple Crown winner Secretariat in 1973. Secretariat’s record-time was 1:59.40 and he was the first horse to post a winning time in the Derby that was under two minutes. Only one horse since has posted a time under two minutes, but Monarchos’ time of 1:59:97 set in 2001 was still slower than the great Secretariat.

Churchill Downs has gone through a number of renovations and upgraded over the years but it still holds many of its old charms, including the infamous twin spires atop the grandstands that have been a permanent part of the Downs’ skyline since they were built in 1895. Today, the Downs covers 147 acres and boasts a seating capacity of 51,000. However, on Derby day the crowd of spectators can top 140,000 because of standing-room only admissions around the paddock and infield. One of the Downs’ biggest renovation projects took place between 2001 and 2005 when $121 million was spent to replace the clubhouse, add luxury suites and refurbish the twin spires, among other projects.

The Churchill Downs main dirt track measures one mile in length and surrounds an inside turf track that is 7/8 of a mile long. The racing season at the Downs is divided among two meets. The Spring Meet begins one week before the Derby (the first Saturday in May) and finishes up in early July. The Fall Meet starts up in late October and runs until Thanksgiving week in November.