Churchill Downs: America's Most Historic Racetrack by Kimberly Gatto

This 144-page paperback book will be enjoyed by fans of American racing history, as it is an entertaining and informative account of the history of undoubtedly "America's Most Historic Racetrack", and the race that gave it that title. The reader will understand what makes Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby special, and appreciate that if not for Colonels Meriwether Lewis Clark and Matt Winn, we may not be celebrating the 136th running of the Derby or the 7th time as Breeders' Cup host. A portion of the proceeds from the book will go to Old Friends Equine, a Kentucky-based retirement farm for Thoroughbreds.

Every sport has its landmark venues. Baseball has Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park, auto racing has the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Daytona International Speedway, hockey has Madison Square Garden and the Montreal Forum. For horse racing, one need look no further than Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Home of the Kentucky Derby since the famous race's inception in 1875, the Twin Spires serve as a reminder to every participant in the sport of the ultimate goal: the first Saturday in May. In her latest book, popular equestrian author Kimberly Gatto writes about the interesting and tumultuous history of the legendary racing facility.

American racing used to be dominated by 4-mile heat events, but founder Colonel Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr. decided, rather than continue with the 4 mile heats, used the success of the Epsom Derby, the Epsom Oaks, and the St. Leger as his inspiration to import the concept of classic races, relatively short races for 3-year-olds, back to America. Although they were originally run at a distance of 1 1/2 miles as they still are in England, the Derby and Oaks distances were eventually shortened due to pressure from horsemen who threatened to boycott the race as well as turf writers. Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby may not be around today if not for Colonel Matt Winn, who saved the track from bankruptcy and then worked to promote the track and the race to national prominence, even during the Depression and through wartime travel restrictions. Along with making offering free admission to the infield to increase attendance, he dropped the minimum bet from $5 to $2 to encourage participation from more people, a tradition which, like the Derby, continues to this day.

In the ensuing chapters, Gatto runs through the famous races that made each decade of Churchill Downs special. The eleven Triple Crown winners got special recognition, as expected, as well as certain winners of the Kentucky Oaks, Stephen Foster Handicap, the 6 runnings of the Breeders' Cup Championships, and other stakes races. The final chapter deals with such recent events as the retirement of Hall of Fame jockey Pat Day, the frustration of the Triple Crown near-misses of War Emblem, Funny Cide, and Smarty Jones, but more importantly, the tragedies of 2006 Derby winner Barbaro and 2008 runner-up Eight Belles. The text is interspersed with many black-and-white photos, some of memorabilia from the owner's personal collection such as Derby programs, admission tickets, and betting tickets, and of the famous horses and people that form an integral part of Churchill Downs history. A color section is included in the center of the book with 32 photographs, many by local photographers Allison Pareis and Ryan Armbrust. Gatto includes 6 appendices, listing Churchill Downs' track presidents since 1875, track records, winners of the Derby, Oaks, and Clark, and the winners of every Breeders' Cup race run at the track.