Horses - Kentucky Adventures

Dawn at the Downs: Your chance to get up and close…

June 29, 2026April 28, 2025 by Rob Miracle

With the contenders for the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby. Each year, Churchill Downs opens the track early in the morning so fans can watch the horses work out. During Derby week, the horses that will run in the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks workout in the morning from 6:45am to 10am. Previously, there two … Read more

Burnham Square claimes the 2025 Blue Grass Stakes

April 8, 2025 by Rob Miracle

Burnham Square, trained by Ian R. Wilkes, was ridden to victory by Brian J. Hernandez Jr. in the 101st Blue Grass Stakes at Keenland on April 8, 2025.

It was a muddy but sunny Kentucky Derby

May 7, 2017 by Rob Miracle

The theme of the this year’s Kentucky Derby Festival should have been “Wet and wonderful.” Two balloon races cancelled, a balloon glow postponed. Rain. Rain. Rain. Cold. Cold. Cold. Thurby – rained. Oaks – Rained and the Derby day forecast? Rain and Cold. But the forecast also had rain chances dropping about mid-day and an … Read more

Abel Tasman wins a wet Kentucky Oaks

May 7, 2017 by Rob Miracle

The Kentucky Derby has run for 143 consecutive years and is by all accounts the most prestigious horse race. It’s for three-year old horses who will run 1.25 miles against the best other three-year old’s. But the day before, another race that has run for the same 143 consecutive years on the Friday before the … Read more

Dawn at the Downs and the Derby Museum

May 7, 2017May 7, 2017 by Rob Miracle

Dawn at the Downs is a chance to get up close to the Derby contenders and watch them work out. Churchill Downs hosts this event the Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday before the Kentucky Derby as a free event. Show up at Gate 10, walk in and up to the rail. Bring your coffee and breakfast … Read more

Churchill Downs opens its 2017 Spring racing session

May 5, 2017April 30, 2017 by Rob Miracle

It’s called “Downs after Dark” and it’s one of a hand full of night-racing sessions at Churchill Downs. This event kicks off the racing season and helps get the kinks out before hundreds of thousands of people descend on the track for the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby. Eleven races pack the schedule between 6pm … Read more

Going to the Kentucky Derby. Oh what a day. Oh what an event.

May 2, 2017May 3, 2015 by Rob Miracle

I lived in Kentucky for 31 years and like most people my Kentucky Derby experience was the TV broadcast. Inside Kentucky, you will get all day coverage, but outside of the Louisville and Lexington areas most people depend on the national coverage of the event. I always thought it would be cool to go one day. Saturday, May 2, 2015 I got that chance.

Two days of Dawn at the Downs

May 2, 2015April 30, 2015 by Rob Miracle

And we couldn’t make the third…. With two long days ahead at the track for the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby, it seemed wise to get some rest from this busy schedule. With needing to commit over six hours to the Pegasus Parade and dinner, we had to miss another opportunity to see the horses work out.

Churchill Downs opens the spring meet with “Downs After Dark”

May 2, 2015April 27, 2015 by Rob Miracle

Churchill Downs kicked off their spring meet Saturday night with a full slate of racing and festivities despite a cold chilly rain and a threat of severe weather. The storms held off and the rains came after several races were complete. The rains kept the expected large crowd down, but it was still a busy and hopping place.

Add a horse farm tour to your agenda

April 23, 2015April 21, 2015 by Rob Miracle

If the Kentucky Derby Festival doesn’t keep you busy around Louisville, you can always drive an hour away down I-64 towards Lexington and see where the magic happens.

Central Kentucky, renowned for its rolling hills of Kentucky bluegrass is home to many farms dedicated to our equine friends. Horse farms, from trotters, to show horses to the thoroughbreds that will race on Derby Day dot the landscape.