Today the Kentucky Derby and Churchill Downs face serious challenges from other gambling arenas and most of the same issues it has always faced. By 1996 the purse for the Kentucky Derby had reached $1 million. The Churchill Downs' board has committed itself to a $50 million makeover, while the track's name and twin-spired logo are zealously guarded corporate trademarks. But whatever the difficulties the board faces, whatever challenges confront racing, the Derby or the Downs, the fact remains the Derby has been run every year since 1875. It is a national treasure, and one which the state of Kentucky and city of Louisville cherish as an integral part of its culture. Simply put, and without exaggeration or insincerity, there is no greater moment in the state than the call to the Derby post. The excitement, the sentimentality, the Derby betting and the Derby parties, the mint juleps after a two-week Dery Festival--there is simply no other sporting event in the world whose spirit flows more thoroughly through the blood of its fans.

Did you know?

Horse racing in Kentucky is rich in history, dating back to 1789 when the first race course was laid out in Lexington. However, it was almost 100 years later, in 1875,  that Churchill Downs officially opened and began its tradition as "Home of the Kentucky Derby."

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