You'd be missing out on the chance to ex-
perience racing in one of its purest and
most unique forms, racing that takes you
back to where it all began. Close your
eyes for a minute and you can envision
what horse racing was like in this coun-
try in the 18th and 19th centuries, a time
when sportsmen raced out in the wide
open fields for pride as much, or more so,
as for the purse money involved.
Take in a day at the races at Kentucky
Downs, but don't head home. The track is
just 45 miles from Nashville, one of the
most vibrant cities in America.
Actually, Nashville is why Kentucky
Downs is where it is, nestled on the Ten-
nessee border.
Kentucky Downs opened in 1990, the
idea being that, with gambling illegal in
Tennessee, the track, then known as Du-
eling Grounds, would have a large simul-
casting market all to itself. It was not un-
til 2007 that Kentucky Downs really took
off. That's when investors Corey Johnsen
