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
Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing The Canadian Triple Crown is a series of three Thoroughbred horse races run annually in Canada which is open to three-year-old horses foaled in Canada. Established in 1959, the series is unique in that it shares the same distances as its American counterpart, but is contested on three different race surfaces. The first leg, the Queen's Plate, is contested at 1¼ miles on Tapeta at Toronto, Ontario's Woodbine Racetrack, whereas the July Prince of Wales Stakes is a 1³/ mile event run on dirt at Fort Erie Racetrack in Fort Erie, Ontario. The final