Churchill Downs Spring Racing Tickets
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Louisville, KY
Louisville, KY
Louisville, KY
Louisville, KY
Louisville, KY
Louisville, KY
Louisville, KY
Louisville, KY
Louisville, KY
Louisville, KY
Overall Rating
4.1
By MWME
Fun outing!
This was our 2nd “Thurby”. The weather was nice, the track is always fun. Good people watching. Too bad smoking is allowed. It’s a great event to share with friends. Parking was a nightmare this year but we’re told that’s only for this year.
By flink
Thurby
The derby for locals with about 1/3 the crowd. The first bar we went to didn’t have any Lily mix. 2 bartenders took forever figuring out the drinks with the line growing. The 2nd floor grandstand had few food booths open. As the day progressed and the crowd got larger the lines to bet and/or get a drink were enormous. There were not enough betting stations open. We had a good time but think Churchill Downs was ill prepared.
By HRH43
Only way to go
Absolutely incredible!!! Saw majority of Oaks and Derby contenders. One of horses was Justify and knew he would the winner. Highly recommend!
By ChiTeee
Dawn at the Downs
It was a perfect warm day. The food was great! So fun watching the Derby horses work, hearing the insider overviews of each. It was an early morning for a West coaster but it was worth it!
By Mandadw
Food was cold and not very good!
These seats are decent - you pretty much have to watch the races off the TVs but you do get to see horses up close. Beer and wine are included (we had issues with them not having enough beer cold) but the bars are at the top of the section, so if you go out on the patio you have to walk back up every time you want a drink. The lines at the bars were short though and the bartenders were awesome & friendly. The lines to bet were ridiculous. There were only a few windows open. The food servers were also great but the selection was poor and the food was only fair. Appetizer type selections or burgers and hot dogs would’ve been better. And it’s hard to eat salad when there are no tables. The lines to get into the section were long and unorganized. There were NO signs at all with directions. These seats are as far from the infield/paddock so if you intend to go there, plan to do a lot of walking (and obviously not drink many of your free drinks as there’re only available in that specific area)! The bathrooms were amazing! Lines were short and they stayed clean!
By 131jan
Dawn at the Downs
A great way to see the Kentucky Derby and Osks contenders. Nice venue. The food was disappointing, just standard breakfast fare.
By Mikecoo
Major problem with ticketing
The entire track experience is new due to major renovations/ parking/ gate entrances. We arrived to learn that three separate sets of tickets had been issued for the same box seating. Inadequate staff were available to help. A seating supervisor could not be located. The supervisor when located had no solution for the problem.Eventually I found a Sr. staff person who reassigned us to a different box. Lines were long for food and drink ...but restroom facilities were ample--clean and new. Off site parking with a shuttle service for this major event was comfortable and well executed. As a welcomed to the track for 30 years..this time I felt like a lost child in the sea of 113,000 attendees for the day. You are on your own if you go...
By LoriShay
Great day out!
My group had a wonderful day on Thurby! We all agreed that they must be sorely understaffed for the event, as food was scarce, we only saw one person walking around selling drinks all day, and lines were very long at the few open betting windows. We definitely would have spent more money if it hadn’t been so difficult to do so!
By Littleorange20
Churchilldowns is heaven
Honestly Ticketmaster is the easiest most affordable event website ever, highly recommend
By DerbyTownGirl
Thurby
We’ve been to Thurby for the past couple of years & have always had an enjoyable day. But this year Churchill Downs was grossly understaffed. Most of the wagering windows were closed for the day. Many of the bars were either closed or understaffed. Spent most of the day standing in line to bet or to get drinks. I was charged 3 different prices during the day for the same drink. Even though the Old Fasioned was the official drink of Thurby (according to the numerous advertisements on the big screen) , the bars inside didn’t serve them. What a change from previous years.
Info
About Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs is located in Louisville, Kentucky. The 147-acre venue serves as home to the annual Kentucky Derby and hosts three thoroughbred horse racing events during spring, September and other fall months. The Kentucky Derby is held on the one-mile dirt oval track, which is featured alongside a seven-furlong turf course. Over 5,000 horses cycle through Churchill Downs on a yearly basis for the Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks and other thoroughbred races.
The legendary track is known as much for its architecture and fashion as its events. The Twin Spires towering over the grandstand is perhaps Churchill Downs' most prominent aesthetic feature. Other than the grandstand, racegoers can sit in Millionaires Row, Sky Terrace, Turf Club or Clubhouse areas. The Kentucky Derby has become synonymous with 170,000-plus spectators arriving in lavish hats, dresses and suits, adding character to a spectacle that already has the longest-running history of any continual American sporting event in history.
Churchill Downs has welcomed the Breeders' Cup World Championship, a two-day, season-ending extravaganza involving horses, jockeys, trainers and owners worldwide, on eight separate occasions.
History of Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs was built upon 80 acres purchased by Colonel Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr. from his uncles, Henry and John Churchill, in 1872. The debut race was held May 17, 1875, and consisted of the Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks and Clark Handicap. The inaugural Kentucky Derby was captured by Aristides, while Bonaventure won the first ever overall race held at the track.
Churchill Downs has always held a certain pedigree, although the track didn't turn its first profit until 1903. Eventually, in 1938, Matt Winn was named president and dedicated a committee to turn Churchill Downs into a nonprofit that donated $1.5 million over 10 years. Decades later, another substantial change took place as president Steve Sexton initiated a renovation process during the years 2002-03. In 2009, Kevin Flanery took over as president where he remained in the position until 2020. Michael W. Anderson was named the 14th president of Churchill Downs Racetrack on December 22, 2020.