Kentucky Oaks founder of the Louisville Jockey Club. Kentucky Oaks The Kentucky Oaks is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies staged annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. The race currently covers at Churchill Downs; the horses carry . The Kentucky Oaks is held on the Friday before the Kentucky Derby each year. The winner gets $600,000 of the $1M purse and a large garland of lilies, affectionately called the "Lillies for the Fillies." A silver Kentucky Oaks Trophy is presented to the winner. The first running of the Kentucky Oaks was on May 19, 1875, when Churchill Downs was
Churchill Downs Incorporated Downs agreed to buy a majority share in Rivers Casino Des Plaines, a few miles away from Arlington Park, from Neil Bluhm and his partners for at least $326 million. Churchill Downs Incorporated is listed on the NASDAQ as CHDN. The company is the most profitable track owner in the horse racing industry. Churchill Downs Incorporated owns the following racetrack and casino properties: The company's other business holdings include: Churchill Downs Incorporated Churchill Downs Incorporated is the parent company of Churchill Downs. The company has evolved from one racetrack in Louisville, Kentucky, to a multi US-state, publicly traded company with