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 Distaff Turf Mile Stakes Churchill Distaff Turf Mile Stakes Churchill Distaff Turf Mile Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in early May at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. A Grade II event, it is open to fillies and mares, aged three and older. Contested over a distance of one mile (8 furlongs) on turf, it currently offers a purse of $300,000. In 2009, this race was upgraded from a Grade III to a Grade II event. This race was inaugurated as the Twin Spires Stakes in 1983, and was run again in 1987 under that name. It was renamed Capital Holding