U.S. Churchill Downs Incorporated is the parent company of Churchill Downs. The company has evolved from one racetrack in Louisville, Kentucky, to a multi American-state-wide, publicly traded company with racetracks, casinos and America’s premier leading online wagering company among its portfolio of businesses.

The track is named for John and Henry Churchill, who leased 80 acres (32 ha) 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 1875.

John and Henry Churchill

Kentucky icons. Throughout the world, the Twin Spires are a recognized landmark and have become visual symbols of Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby.

Known as the home of the Kentucky Derby and the Kentucky Oaks, Churchill Downs Racetrack conducts Thoroughbred horse racing in Louisville, Kentucky during three race meets in the Spring, September, and the Fall.

Churchill Downs Incorporated proudly oversees 16 industry-leading regional casinos and HRM/racing properties.

General admission pricing is as follows: Adults: $5* Seniors (60 & older): $3* Children (12 & younger): Free.

Churchill Downs broke ground in late 2019 on a building addition to the First Turn area of the track, which was set to include the hotel, a permanent grandstand with 4,700 new seats and a gaming facility featuring up to 1,000 slots-like historical racing machines, which have been a hit at the company’s two-year-old …

Though it owns three of America’s five synthetic racetracks, Churchill Downs Inc. is opposed to a shareholder resolution to study the feasibility of moving its home track and the Kentucky Derby from dirt to a man-made racing surface.

Grass racing was introduced at Churchill Downs in 1987, a year after the track was designated a National Historic Landmark. The construction of a turf course allowed the track to play host to the Breeders’ Cup for the first time in 1988.

The Belmont Stakes is currently contested at 1 ½ miles, or 12 furlongs, making it the longest of the Triple Crown races and typically the longest race that Thoroughbreds who compete in the series will ever run.

If growing conditions are favorable enough, the new grass course could be ready for use by the November 2021 Fall Meet. The current Matt Winn Turf Course, a 7/8-mile oval situated inside the one-mile dirt track, is the original surface when grass racing debuted 35 years ago at Churchill Downs in 1985.

1937

Secretariat

Secretariat was so fast because he had outstanding conformation, an unusually large heart, and exceptional stride length.

Due to concerns relating to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the race, which is normally the last Triple Crown race of the season, was run as the first race in the 2020 Triple Crown series and was shortened to 11⁄8 miles (9 furlongs) instead of the usual 11⁄2 miles (12 furlongs), which it had been run at since 1926.

1 ½ miles

Godolphin Stables

Essential Quality wins the Belmont Stakes Essential Quality, ridden by jockey Luis Saez, crosses the finish line to win the 153rd running of the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, June 5. Jockey Luis Saez reacts after winning the 153rd running of the Belmont Stakes atop Essential Quality on Saturday, June 5.

Essential Quality paid $4.60 to win, $3 to place and $2.60 to show. Hot Rod Charlie paid $4.10 to place and $2.90 to show. Rombauer paid $3.50 to show. The $2 exacta paid $15, and the $1 trifecta paid $21.70.

The superfecta is a type of wager in USA and Canada parimutuel betting in which the bettor, in order to win, must pick the first four finishers of a race in the correct sequence. …

The 50-cent trifecta paid $602.85. The $1 superfecta, with fourth-place finisher Art Collector joining the top three, paid $5,053. Authentic went off as the betting favorite at 3-2, with Art Collector next at 2-1.

Trifecta Box

In a Trifecta Key, you are selecting one horse to finish first and any two of the other horses you selected must finish second and third….Trifecta Box Costs:

(4 * 3 *2) * $1 = $24 (24 $1 combinations.) The cost of a five horse $1 Trifecta box would be calculated as follows: (5 * 4 *3) * $1 = $60 (60 $1 combinations.)

so that as long as the winning horses are selected the ticket is a winner. Example: A 50- cent Tri Box 8-4-5 costs $3.00 because it covers the following 6 different trifecta combinations: 4-5-8, 4-8-5, 5-4-8, 5-8-4, 8-4-5, and 8-5-4.

Again, if the horse comes in first or second, you will not win any more money than if the horse finishes third. This is the safest of the straight bets but also offers the smallest return. If you are confident the horse will finish better than third, you would have a larger return placing a Win or Place bet.

At last September’s Kentucky Derby and Oaks, when on-track attendance was severely limited, superfecta wagers were lowered to a 10-cent minimum. But with a significantly larger on-track crowd this year, it returns to a $1 minimum.