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Best Horse Racing Venues To Visit In The USA

Traveling the race tracks of America is an interesting way to look into the country’s history and heritage.

Horse Racing is one of the oldest sports in the world that dates back thousands of years. However, in the past couple of decades, horse racing in the United States has grown tremendously and continues to with upward momentum. 

The United States also has a rich history with horse racing, which is evident through its impressive horse racing venues. The US also hosts one of the biggest horse racing events in the world like the US Triple Crown Series and Breeder’s Cup Challenge.

With several impressive horse racing festivals that attract thousands of fans, it is no surprise that the U.S has plenty of racecourses with rich tradition and impressive architectural design.

So, if you are a horse racing enthusiast, here are some of the best horse racing venues that you should visit on your next trip to the United States.

Churchill Downs

This is probably the most popular horse racecourse in the US, maybe because it hosts the first leg of the Triple Crown Series, the Kentucky Derby.

Churchill Downs opened its doors back in 1875 and was named for Samuel Churchill, whose family was popular in Kentucky for many generations. 

In the past couple of months, this incredible racecourse has been renovated, with a total cost of more than $45 million. This will provide new 3,000 plus all-inclusive seats, five stars suites, a golf course, and a new Homestretch club. In other words, you can experience some horse racing magic even when there isn’t a race scheduled for the day.

Oaklawn Park

The Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort located in HotSprings, Arkansas is another impressive horse racecourse. The racecourse is owned by the Oaklawn Jockey Club, Inc. and was opened back in 1904. 

Apart from its impressive architecture and beautiful scenery, Oaklawn Park major race event dates for 2022 include the Count Fleet Handicap, Oaklawn Handicap, Arkansas Derby, Southwest Stakes, and Rebel Stakes. 

Apart from the horse racing magic, you can also have fun playing poker tables and slot machines in their beautiful casino, and accommodate in the state-of-the-art resort.

Keeneland Race Course

Kentucky is often considered the horse racing capital of the world, and people are not far from the truth. The state has a rich tradition with horse racing that dates back thousands of years, and apart from hosting some of the biggest events, it also produced some of the best horse champions in the world.

If you already visited Churchill Downs, your next spot should be Lexington, Kentucky at the Keeneland Racecourse.

This racecourse provides a combination of dirt and turf tracks and hosts some popular horse racing events like the $500,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup. 

The course attracts a massive audience every year, and we’ve seen some A-list celebrities like George Clooney attending horse races.

Belmont Park

Belmont Park is another popular racecourse that is known for hosting the final leg of the biggest horse racing championship in the world – The Triple Crown – The Belmont Stakes.

This is an endurance race also known as ‘The Test of the Champion’ and draws a massive audience every year.

Del Mar Race Track

Here we have another prestigious racetrack located by the sea in California. Also known as ‘Where the surf meets the turf’ this racecourse opened its doors in 1937 by a group of celebrities like Gary Cooper, Bing Crosby, and Oliver Hardy. It holds a capacity of 44,000, making it the second-largest in the west part of the US.

The Del Mar racecourse hosts many incredible horse racing events in the world, as well as music concerts and other big events. The best thing about Del Mar is its unique location, which is unlike any other racecourse in the US.

These are some of the most impressive horse racecourses in the US that provide a lot more than just horse racing events. If you like this sport, you should pay a visit to some of them and learn more about horse racing and everything that is going on behind the curtains.

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