LOUISVILLE, Ky. (LEX 18) — On a cold morning, and with 12 ½ hours until the official start of spring, the feeling of the new season was very much in the air at Churchill Downs on Tuesday. The iconic sign between the twin spires was changed to “2024” and “150th Derby.”
“Means we’re getting close. It’s crunch time at The Downs,” said track spokesperson Darren Rogers.
We are getting close, as May 4th is only 46 days away. This particular first Saturday of May will have added meaning.
“You only do it once, and there’s something magical about these milestones,” he said.
The milestone is the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby.
The entire facility has undergone some improvements over the years, but everything has been done with an appreciation for the past and not tampering too much with history.
“We incorporate that history because it’s important,” Rogers said, after noting the nearly one billion dollars in improvements they’ve made at Churchill since the turn of the century.
“It’s a very delicate line we walk here. Anytime we modernize the facility, making the upgrades, we incorporate that history,” he said.
The biggest difference will be on the outside of the track’s front, where the new paddock is being completed.
Rogers said it “really transforms the look and feel of the facility. “Right from when you walk through the paddock gates, you’re going to see horses,” he added.
That part of the complex will offer viewing for more than 6,000 fans, and the paddock area is sunken below ground level to make for easier viewing.
That renovation work also took into consideration the history of this venue.
“My favorite aspect of it is the incorporation of the original grandstand from 1895,” Rogers said.
Construction on the paddock will be completed by May 4. They have 46 days until post.
