The Twin Spires rise in the background during the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.
A bold move by a 24-year-old draftsman in 1895 gave Churchill Downs, the Derby’s home in Louisville, Kentucky, one of the most identifiable features of any sporting venue in the world. The twin hexagonal spires of the grandstand, originally constructed based on the concept of architect Joseph Dominic Baldez, grace the logo of the derby and nearly every memorable photograph of the race.