Welcome Kentucky Derby fans! Now, you can effortlessly
buy Kentucky Derby tickets with Golden Tickets, your premier ticket
broker. Ticket inventory can be viewed by clicking on the link below.
Kentucky Derby tickets are available for sale 24
hours a day. Clicking on any link on our Kentucky Derby Tickets
page will take you to our secure server to purchase your tickets.
For your own protection, a Golden Tickets representative may contact
you to verify your billing information.
Search for additional horse racing tickets by clicking
here. If your interests
extend beyond horse racing, visit our Quick Ticket Finder sidebar.
If you cannot find the tickets you're looking for, please call
us at (800) 288-2461 for assistance.
The history of the Kentucky
Derby and Churchill Downs
Horse racing in Kentucky dates back to 1789 when the first race
course was constructed in Lexington. However, it wasn't until
1875 that Churchill Downs officially opened as the "Home
of the Kentucky Derby." Racing in Louisville dates back to
1783 when races were held on downtown streets. A new course was
developed at the now abandoned Shippingport Island in 1805 to
alleviate the problems associated with racing on busy thoroughfares.
In 1858 the Woodlawn Course opened on the Louisville and Lexington
railroad lines east of Louisville. The site closed in 1870, but
the Woodlawn Vase, the track's premier trophy, has been used in
the presentation to the winner of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico
since 1917.
In 1873, 26-year-old Col. M. Lewis Clark began construction
on Churchill Downs. To fund the construction of Churchill Downs,
Clark raised $32,000 by selling 320 $100 membership subscriptions
to the track. Eighty acres of land were leased from Clark's uncles,
John and Henry Churchill. For his inaugural race meet, Clark modeled
his three major stakes races--the Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks
and Clark Handicap--after the three premier races in England:
the Epsom Derby, Epsom Oaks and St. Leger Stakes. These events
have each been held at Churchill Downs since their debut in 1875.
Today, Churchill Downs has become a leader in simulcast
wagering as both a host site and receiver. Churchill Downs constructed
the $15 million Sports Spectrum, a state-of-the-art wagering center,
in 1992. The success in these areas has helped fuel Churchill
Downs horsemen's purses, which have risen to a daily average of
$469,643 during the 1999 season. For more information on horse
racing, visit the official
Kentucky Derby Website.
Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks tickets are sold
for more than face value.
