The Kentucky Derby Horses

Kentucky has been at the heart of horse racing in America since the first race track was opened in Lexington, Kentucky, in 1789. It took nearly a hundred years, however, before Churchill Downs opened in Louisville, Kentucky. The road was long and rocky with a lot of false starts and missteps along the way. There were several different race tracks built in several different locations before Churchill Downs was constructed.

Colonial Lewis Clark traveled to France between 1872 and 1873 when he was just 26 years old. While there he met with racing leaders and visited many race tracks. When Clark returned to his home in Kentucky he started the development of what would eventually become Churchill Downs. The intention was to showcase the Kentucky horse breeding industry. The race track was not incorporated as Churchill Downs, however, until 1937.

The first horse race held at what would become Churchill Downs was on May 17, 1875. Four races were scheduled, and there was a lot of excitement. Excitement doesn't pay the bills, though, and the race track got into financial trouble quickly. Apparently, Clark was a good judge
of horse flesh but not a very good businessman.

The New Louisville Jockey Club was incorporated, and William F. Schulte was appointed president. Clark was retained as presiding judge for the track. Under Schulte's leadership, a new grandstand was constructed on the opposite side of the track with two spires on top of the roof. It was reported that the construction costs exceeded $100,000, a shocking sum of money in those days.

Those twin spires that were added to the construction of the new grandstand as an after thought would go on to become the very symbol of the Kentucky Derby.