Kentucky Downs

Kentucky Downs
Interactive map of Kentucky Downs
LocationFranklin, Kentucky;
near Portland, Tennessee
Owned byRon Winchell & Marc Falcone
Date openedApril 22, 1990
Race typeThoroughbred
Course typeTurf
Notable racesFlat racing:
(Grade I) Kentucky Downs Ladies Sprint Stakes
(Grade II) Nashville Derby
(Grade II) Franklin-Simpson Stakes
(Grade II) Kentucky Turf Cup
(Grade II) Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint Stakes
(Grade III) Mint Million
Steeplechase racing:
Belle Meade Plantation Stakes
Official website

Kentucky Downs is a Thoroughbred horse racing track located on the border between Kentucky and Tennessee, in the city of Franklin, Kentucky, just off Interstate 65. It is unique among American tracks in that it is a European-style course—its surface is all turf (grass) instead of dirt, and it is not oval in shape.

In 2009, the Horseplayers Association of North America (HANA) introduced a rating system for 65 Thoroughbred racetracks in North America. In HANA's most recent ranking in 2017, Kentucky Downs was ranked #1.