Churchill Downs one week before the Derby and continues until early July. The Kentucky Derby is held the first Saturday in May and the Kentucky Oaks is run on the Friday before the Derby. A fall meet picks up in late October and closes Thanksgiving weekend in late November. A third meet in September was added in 2013. In addition to the track, clubhouse and stables, Churchill Downs also contains the Kentucky Derby Museum which focuses on the history of the Kentucky Derby and Churchill Downs. The museum also contains a number of exhibits exploring the training and racing of thoroughbred horses.
Turf Classic Stakes inaugural running was won by the 1986 Breeders' Cup Turf winner, Manila. Other notable winners include two-time Horse of the Year Wise Dan and champion turf horses Sky Classic, Paradise Creek and English Channel. Turf Classic Stakes The Turf Classic Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race run in early May at Churchill Downs open to horses four years old and up. It is raced on turf at a distance of one and one-eighth miles and currently offers a purse of $500,000. Formerly known as the Early Times Turf Classic Stakes, it is now sponsored by Old Forester. A major