Champions Day

Wednesday, May 3rd, 2023 | Gates Open: 11:30 AM ET | First Post: 12:45 PM ET

Champions Day, a celebration of Thoroughbred racing history, has moved to Wednesday of Kentucky Derby Week!

Champions Day 2023 commemorates the 50th anniversary of Secretariat’s Triple Crown win.

Join us as we honor racing’s most iconic Thoroughbred!

For groups of 12+, please contact group sales at 502-636-4450 or fill out our Group Request Form

Buy Tickets

Know before you go! Get directions and maps to your on site lots with changes to traffic patterns on Derby Week!

For Derby Week 2023, many of our Premium Dining Rooms will include food, non-alcoholic beverages and alcoholic beverages. See the list below for the rooms intended to have All-Inclusive this year by day. 

Champions Day (Wednesday) Suites or Dining Rooms Include 4 Hours of All-Inclusive (Food, Alcoholic & Non-Alcoholic Beverages)

*Only available if suites or dining rooms are open and available for the particular day. Service begins when gates open for the amount of hours listed. 

Suites:

  • Jockey Club Suites
  • Starting Gate Suites
  • Winners Circle Suites
  • Turf Suites

Dining:

  • Matt Winn’s Steakhouse
  • Homestretch Club
  • First Turn Club & Reserved Seating
  • Starting Gate Suites Dining & Rooftop
  • Skye Terrace
  • Triple Crown Room
  • Trophy Room
  • Oaks & Derby Rooms
  • Grand Foyer
  • Finish Line Suites Balcony
  • Aristides Lounge & Loft

Parking Notice: 

For any Derby Week days, excluding Dawn at the Downs days and the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks days, parking may be purchased by going to Ticketmaster. Please note that if onsite parking is no longer available for a particular day, it will not be listed.

Any onsite parking for Derby Week must be pre-purchased before April 15th. Your parking pass will be mailed to your address on file via USPS prior to the event. Churchill Downs will not be selling any additional parking onsite after this date as free parking and shuttles will be available at the Kentucky Exposition Center.

Parking for Champions Day on Wednesday, May 3rd, 2023

  • Onsite parking for Champions Day is no longer available for purchase.
  • If already purchased, your parking pass will be mailed to your address on file via USPS prior to the event. There is no mobile delivery of parking passes. 
  • Entry to your specific lot is unique and directions to your lot should be followed closely.
  • Onsite parking lots will open at 10:30 am on Wednesday. 
  • Bus and Limo parking are available for pre-purchase in our Pink Lot while supplies last.
  • If you did not purchase onsite parking, there is parking at the Kentucky Exposition Center which is included with your ticket. Please present your ticket upon entry. This includes FREE shuttle service to and from Churchill Downs with drop-off and pick-up in the Black Lot outside of the Paddock Gate. 
  • Shuttles will begin running at 10:00 am on Wednesday, and will drop guests off in the Black Lot.
  • There will be ADA-accessible shuttles available.  Please note that we are not able to provide wheelchair assistance once a guest is dropped off at Churchill Downs.
  • There is no offsite taxi or rideshare pick-up and drop-off on this day. All taxi or rideshare pick-up and drop-off will happen onsite at Kentucky Derby Drive.
  • There is no parking at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium on this day.  

All onsite parking at Churchill Downs is reserved in advance and available for pre-purchase in March through April 15th as long as inventory is available. Parking within each reserved lot is first-come, first-served including ADA spaces. If you do not have pre-purchased parking, you will not be able to purchase it onsite. Please pay careful attention to your specific lot’s instructions for parking and be sure you understand the directions as entry for each lot is unique. At the Kentucky Exposition Center we will have free parking with free shuttles going to and from Churchill Downs on Opening Night, 502’sDay, Champions Day, and Thurby. On the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby days if you do not already have onsite parking, but have reserved seating with frontside access, there is parking at the Kentucky Exposition Center which is included with your ticket. Please present your ticket upon entry. This includes FREE shuttle service to and from Churchill Downs with drop-off and pick-up in the Black Lot outside of the Paddock Gate.