Churchill Downs Churchill Downs Churchill Downs, located on Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, is a Thoroughbred racetrack most famous for annually hosting the Kentucky Derby. It officially opened in 1875, and held the first Kentucky Derby and the first Kentucky Oaks in the same year. Churchill Downs has also hosted the renowned Breeders' Cup on nine occasions, most recently on November 2 and 3, 2018. Churchill Downs Incorporated owns and operates the racetrack. With the infield open for the Kentucky Derby, the capacity of Churchill Downs is roughly 170,000. In 2009, the Horseplayers Association of North America introduced a
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