American thoroughbred racing top attended events on Saturday and its companion race the Breeders' Cup Distaff on Friday those locations rotates annually. Notes: American thoroughbred racing top attended events This is a listing of the top attended stakes races for thoroughbred racing in North America by year. The chart lists the paid attendance of the eight top average attended races including the Kentucky Derby on Saturday and its companion race the Kentucky Oaks on Friday at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky; the Preakness Stakes on Saturday and its companion race the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes on Friday at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland; the Belmont Stakes
Louisville Handicap Louisville Handicap The Louisville Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually during the latter part of May at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Raced on turf, it is open to horses age three and older and since 2006 has been contested at a distance of miles (12 furlongs). The Grade III Louisville Handicap currently carries a purse of $100,000. Since its inauguration in 1895, two horses have won this race three times, both accomplishing the rare feet in consecutive years. Chorwon did it from 1997 to 1999 and Silverfoot from 2004 to 2006. In 2011, Keertana became the