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
Yorkshire Cup (horse race) Yorkshire Cup (horse race) The Yorkshire Cup is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run over a distance of 1 mile, 5 furlongs and 188 yards () at York in May. Formerly a weight-for-age race, the event was revived as a handicap in 1927. It was originally contested over 2 miles. The first running was won by Templestowe. The Yorkshire Cup was abandoned from 1940 to 1944. A substitute called the Yorkshire Autumn Cup, for horses aged three or older, was staged in 1945. The event became