Nestled amid famed Bluegrass horse farms and across the street from a major airport, Keeneland Race Course on the western edge of Lexington has a central role in Kentucky’s multibillion-dollar equine industry. The beautiful track is best known for its spring and fall racing sessions, but the operation is far more than those exciting dashes around the oval. Yes, the races are crowning moments of Thoroughbred pageantry, attracting tens of thousands of spectators. But there is more.
With the photos on these two pages, The Lane Report wanted to give Kentuckians a glimpse of the larger Keeneland operation. Obviously, there is the picturesque track, the paddock, stone grandstand and offices, and acres of parking. Beyond this, though, there is the sales pavilion that attracts buyers, literally from around the world, who spend in the neighborhood of $1 billion a year here. There are dozens of stabling barns, a track kitchen that opens at 5:30 a.m. most days, and a practice track, all buzzing with the activity of hundreds of support workers. There is also a one-of-a-kind equine library for bloodstock researchers.
It’s all more than we can adequately present in two pages, but we hope these photos begin to give you an idea of what this special place in the heart of the commonwealth’s signature industry is like.
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