Churchill Downs to help him run the rack was Col. Matt Winn of Louisville. Churchill Downs prospered and the Kentucky Derby then became the preeminent stakes race for three-year-old thoroughbred horses in North America. During that early period, 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
Churchill (horse) Awards. In the official European Classification of two-year-olds for 2016 Churchill was given a rating of 122, making him the best juvenile of the season, one pound ahead of the filly Lady Aurelia and four pounds ahead of the colts Thunder Snow and National Defense. In the 2017 World's Best Racehorse Rankings, Churchill was rated the twelfth-best horse in the world and the joint-best horse in Ireland. Churchill (horse) Churchill (foaled 31 January 2014) is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse. He was rated the best two-year-old colt in Europe in 2016, winning five of his six races including the Chesham Stakes,