Sunday April 10, 2011

 

 

The Track at Churchill Downs

Home of the Kentucky Derby

Sunday, April 3 – Part 2

 

 

The track is one mile long.

 

 

The two seating areas on the back left are temporary, and only brought in for the Kentucky Derby. This year’s date is May 7.

 

 

 

 

The horses come out of the gates on the left, run one quarter mile to the finish line marker, then a full lap around the track for the final mile.

 

 

 

 

The Finish Line. The one and a quarter mile race takes about two minutes.

 

 

The seats are just plain metal chairs.

 

 

A statue of Aristidies, the first horse to win the Derby (1875), faces the paddock and is a main attraction in The Courtyard.

 

 

To Aristides’ right is a statue of Pat Day after his 1992 Derby win.

 

 

The statue is life-sized. He is 4′ 11″ and weighs 100 pounds.

He raced from 1973 – 2005 with 40,298 mounts and 8,803 wins.

He won only one Kentucky Derby.

~~~

When he retired in 2005, he said he would commit the rest of his life to spreading the Gospel.

From Race Track Chaplaincy of America: “The Lord saved me to work within the horse racing industry, not to leave it.” Pat Day ( Christian evangelist, RTCA Board of Directors, RTCA National Spokesman.)

 

 

Flowers in the courtyard

 

 

Our next stop was the stable of Perfect Drift and Winston.

 

 

 

 

Perfect Drift: In 50 career starts, he posted eleven wins, fourteen seconds, and seven thirds while earning $4, 714, 212.

During the winter months he is returned to Stonecrest Farms in Kansas City, Missouri.

 

 

Their caretaker was feeding them carrots.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I noticed something interesting about Perfect Drift’s feet.

 

 

He has two white feet and two brown feet.

 

 

More tomorrow night.