Churchill Downs

Churchill Downs, located in Louisville, Kentucky, is well-known for hosting the Kentucky Derby each year. The first Kentucky Derby was held in 1875, the year Churchill Downs first opened. Joe and I had the opportunity to tour the facility in July and here's some trivia for you:

1. Churchill Downs hosts about 800 races a year.

2. Due to the expense of burial, most horses are not buried intact. The heart, hooves, and head are the body parts selected for burial. The heart for bravery, the hooves for speed, and the head represents intelligence.

3. The first filly to win the Kentucky Derby was in 1950, the year of my birth.

4. The Triple Crown, the greatest accomplishment for a three-year-old thoroughbred race horse , is earned when a horse wins all three of the main races for three-year-olds.

5. There are 47 barns on the grounds of Churchill Downs, but due to superstition there is not a number 13 barn.

6. A horse's identity can be verified by an id number tattooed on the inside of its lip. The Kentucky Derby officials check this id number after each race to verify the identity of the winning horses.

7. An average of 1400 horses board at Churchill Downs. The horses work out each morning between eight and ten o'clock.

8. Each thoroughbred is accompanied by a pony (name for calm horse) before a race from the paddock to the starting gate.

9. The saddling paddock, walking ring, paddock runway, and winner’s circle at Churchill Downs are equipped with rubber bricks to provide a comfortable walking surface for the horses.