Churchill Downs: The mecca of the racing world!

The Kentucky Derby gives this track the edge! - Louisville, Kentucky is the birthplace of Muhammed Ali. In addition, former NFL linebacker and current ESPN football analyst Tom Jackson played his college football there. However, there can be no denying that Louisville's greatest claim to fame lies in their historic horse racing stadium known as Churchill Downs, which hosts the most famous thoroughbred race in North America and probably the world, the Kentucky Derby. However, it wasn't always that way; it took awhile for the track and it's most famous race to achieve the status it continues to enjoy today. What follows is a brief description of the track and it's illustrious history:

The twin spires atop 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 architect Joseph Dominic Baldez and built in 1895. Today, Churchill Downs covers 147 acres. Seating capacity is 51,000, though crowds at the Derby can reach over 165,000 because of standing-room only admission to the paddock and infield. The dirt oval main track, on which the Derby is run, is one mile in circumference and is 80 feet wide, with a 120-foot wide section for the starting gate. A turf track, inside the main track, is 7/8 of a mile in circumference and 80 feet wide.

From 2001 to 2005, the site underwent 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 mural by Pierre Bellocq depicting all 96 jockeys to win the Kentucky Derby from 1875 to 2004. The new design has been somewhat controversial since the new suites block full view of the spires from most angles. The tips of the spires are still the highest parts of the facility, albeit just barely now.

Racing at Churchill Downs occurs in two meets. The spring meet starts one week before the Derby and continues until early July. The Kentucky Derby is held the first Saturday in May and the Kentucky Oaks is run on Friday, the day before the Derby. A fall meet picks up in late October and closes Thanksgiving weekend in late November.

In addition to the track, clubhouse and stables, Churchill Downs also contains 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 open year-round.

Churchill Downs officially opened in 1875, and held the first Kentucky Derby and the first Kentucky Oaks in the same year. Churchill Downs has also hosted the renowned Breeders' Cup on six occasions, most recently in 2006. Churchill Downs Incorporated owns and operates the racetrack.

The track is named for John and Henry Churchill, who leased 80 acres 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 1874. His father-in-law, Richard Ten Broeck, was an accomplished horse breeder and trainer, and introduced Clark to horse racing, attending 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 located 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 1893 sold the track to a syndicate led by William Applegate. The new ownership would soon institute many changes, such as shortening the length of the signature race to its modern 1 1/4 mile, commissioning the famous twin spire grandstand in 1895, and adorning the winner of the Derby with a garland of roses, a tradition that also began in 1895.

In early 1902, Applegate turned over 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. A new clubhouse was built in order to promote social interaction, and new events such as steeplechases, automobile races and band concerts were held at the track. 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 the wagering portion of the track's business became more profitable. Churchill Downs was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986. On September 29, 2006, Churchill Downs became the first horse track to host a Rolling Stones concert.

Here's Barbaro's triumphant victory in the 2006 Kentucky Derby: