The track is named for John and Henry Churchill, who leased 80 acres of land to their nephew, Colonel M. Lewis Clark (grandson of explorer William Clark).
The founder of the racetrack was Colonel Meriwether Lewis Clark, grandson of William Clark of Louis and Clark fame.
The first Kentucky Derby took place here on May 17, 1875.
The Kentucky Derby was inspired by the Epsom Derby, witnessed in England by M. Lewis Clark in 1872.
The twin spires atop the grandstands are the most recognizable architectural feature of Churchill Downs and are used as a symbol of the track and the Derby.
