Churchill Downs, a Local Legacy.

Duration: 50 minutes.

Let’s take a look at today’s lesson

This lesson looks at how to talk about an article about a race horse. We will learn some new vocabulary about the subject and train our reading comprehension.

Lesson Key: (L) = Listening (U) = Understanding. (R) = Reading.

Reading Text:
Churchill Downs, a Local Legacy.

Name America’s most famous horse race. If you said the Kentucky Derby, you’d be right! But do you know where the race is held? Every year since 1875, this race has been held at Churchill Downs racetrack in Louisville, Kentucky.

Horse breeding and racing are extremely popular in Kentucky. Horse racing in Louisville dates back to 1789, when races were held down Market Street. During a trip abroad in 1872-1873, 26-year-old Colonel M. Lewis Clark came up with a plan to create the Louisville Jockey Club for conducting race meets, after meeting with prominent racing leaders in France and England.

When he returned, Clark developed a racetrack, which would become known as Churchill Downs and would showcase Kentucky’s breeding industry.

The Kentucky Derby, held the first Saturday in May, is the first “leg,” or competition, of horse racing’s “Triple Crown.” Can you name the other two races? They are the Preakness Stakes in Maryland and the Belmont Stakes in New York.

Let’s start here, match the words with the definitions.

Word	Meaning
1: abroad	a: A foreign country or countries. I live abroard in Brazil.
2: breed	b: A competition between runners, horses, vehicles etc.
3: competition	c: The top or highest part of something.
4: conduct	d: Consisting of or involving three parts, things, or people.
5: crown	e: A person who rides in horse race.
6: jockey	f: Exhibit or display.
7: prominent	g: The manner in which a person behaves.
8: race	h: Mate and then produce offspring. Only used for, animals.
9: showcase	i: An act of going to a place and returning.
10: triple	j: An event or contest in which people compete.
11: trip	k: Important or famous.

Questions: True or False.

Churchill Downs is the name of a horse racing track.
Horse racing in Kentucky began in 1872-1873.
The “Triple Crown” consists of three horse races.
The racetrack known as Churchill Downs was developed by M. Lewis Clark.

Discussion questions about Churchill Downs.

What is the Kentucky Derby?
Why do people like to watch horse races?
Where can you watch horse racing in São Paulo?
Have you been to a horse race? If not, would you like to go?
Do you bet? What have you bet on?
What is the feeling when you win at something?
Would you like to “BET” on a horse in a race?
If you “WIN BIG” what would you spend the money on?

Photo by Gene Devine on Unsplash