Kentucky Horse Racetracks

The nation’s best-known racetrack began operating about a century-and-a-half ago. The first horse races ran at Churchill Downs in May 1875.

The track, initially seated on 80 acres of land in the Louisville area, was the brainchild of Colonel Meriwether Lewis Clark. Clark had attended England’s Epsom Derby, left impressed, and decided to raise funds to open an American version of Epsom Downs.

These days, Churchill Downs is home to dozens of top races. In fact, in addition to the Kentucky Derby, there are eight other Grade I stakes races currently run under the twin spires. All told, Churchill Downs is home to almost 50 graded stakes races each year.

Ellis Park Racing & Gaming is a smaller track that is growing in prestige and importance. It is a thoroughbred track home to several major races.

Ellis Park features a 1.125-mile-long dirt track that was initially designed to remind visitors of the venerable Saratoga Race Course in New York. It is owned and operated by Churchill Downs Incorporated, the racing juggernaut that owns the same-named track in Louisville (among others).

The top race at Ellis Park is unquestionably the Ellis Park Derby. It has become a big deal in recent years due to its status as a qualifying race for the Kentucky Derby. However, Ellis Park has also become the home of the Pucker Up Stakes, so the 100-plus-year-old track seems to be on the rise.

Churchill Downs is the most famous Kentucky racetrack, but Keeneland is the venue that many seasoned horse racing bettors and fans favor. In fact, Keeneland may be the superior track.

Keeneland is home to more than 40 graded races each year. Of the graded stakes races at Keeneland, a whopping 24 of them are Grade I races, the highest-rated races in all of thoroughbred racing. Out of those, 14 feature purses in excess of $1 million.

The most prestigious race that runs at Keeneland, the Blue Grass Stakes, is one of those $1-million-plus races. The race has bounced around the different grading classes since its inception in 1911, but it returned to Grade I in 2022. It is traditionally a warm-up race for the Kentucky Derby in May.

Kentucky Downs is not in the same category in terms of prestige as Churchill or Keeneland, but there’s no mistaking the fact that Kentucky Downs has made an indelible mark on Kentucky horse racing. There are several quirks found at Kentucky Downs that you cannot find at other KY racing venues. In fact, there are very few other tracks in the nation that offer several of the features at Kentucky Downs.

For starters, Kentucky Downs does not feature an oval track, but rather a European-style track with sharp turns. It is also one of only two tracks in the country to feature a right turn for its thoroughbreds to negotiate. Kentucky Downs is entirely turf with no dirt track available on the site. Its length of more than 1.3 miles also makes it one of the longer tracks in the country.

Kentucky Downs is home to two Grade II stakes races: the Kentucky Turf Cup and the Kentucky Downs Sprint Stakes. A third race, the Mint Million, is ranked at Grade III but features a $1-million guaranteed purse. The site also features the Mint Gaming Hall, which features a large selection of historical horse racing machines (discussed below).

Turfway Park is a thoroughbred track located near Florence. It is also owned and operated by Churchill Downs, the dominant entity for horse racing in Kentucky.

Turfway Park does not maintain the same level of prestige or offer the same experience found at other Kentucky tracks. For one thing, as of 2020, it has eschewed the typical tiered seating system for a ballroom-like observation venue (which can be rented for weddings and the like). The site does, however, feature historical horse racing machines in addition to wagering on simulcast races.

Turfway Park is one of the few racetracks to use an artificial racing surface. It initially installed Polytrack, a silica-based product, back in 2005, and has since moved to a Tapeta surface. Perhaps ironically, there is no turf course at Turfway Park.

Turfway Park’s premier race is the Jeff Ruby Steaks, a Grade III race created by track founder John Battaglia. The Jeff Ruby serves as an important feeder race for the Kentucky Derby.

Oak Grove Racing & Gaming is the newest horse racing facility in Kentucky. The venue opened in 2020, becoming the second harness racing venue in the state. That said, Oak Grove has carved out a place for itself in a very short time.

Oak Grove is home to the Kentucky Sire Stakes, a race series that is partially funded by the Kentucky Standardbred Breeders’ Incentive Fund and Kentucky Standardbred Development Fund. These two funds, which are administered by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, help to bolster the purse total for the series all the way up to $3 million.

Oak Grove has also endeavored to be a full-service gaming resort. In addition to the track, there are simulcast facilities and historical horse racing machines. There is also a hotel, several restaurants and an entertainment amphitheater.

It is unlikely that there is a more prestigious harness racing track in the world than The Red Mile. For all the press that Churchill Downs receives, this Lexington-area sulky track is just as big of a deal for standardbreds.

The track opened in 1875. It is now the second-oldest harness track in the world and is named for its distinctive mile of red clay track.

The top race at The Red Mile is unquestionably the Kentucky Futurity. The Kentucky Futurity is harness racing’s Kentucky Derby analog and serves as the first leg of the Triple Crown for Trotters. The big race occurs during Grand Circuit week at The Red Mile, which also features the $400,000-purse Tattersalls Pace. You’ll also find historical horse racing machines at The Red Mile.