Pat Day Mile Stakes Trial, but returned to sweep the Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes. Pat Day Mile Stakes The Pat Day Mile Stakes is an American Grade 3 Thoroughbred horse race held on Kentucky Derby day run at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky for three-year-olds willing to race one mile on the dirt. The current purse is $250,000 for the event. Originally, the event was known as the Derby Trial Stakes and was held one week before the Kentucky Derby. It was first run in 1924 and every year since, with the exception of 1928. The race name was given similar to
Churchill Downs usual number of people seated at the derby is 50,000 people, though crowds can reach over 150,000 on Derby day. The dirt oval main track, on which the Derby is run, is one mile (1.6 km) in circumference and is wide, with a section for the starting gate. A turf track, inside the main track, is in circumference and wide. From 2001 to 2005, Churchill Downs 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 mural by