Keeneland

About Keeneland

Keeneland is a thoroughbred horse racing facility and sales complex in Lexington, Kentucky. Operated by the Keeneland Association, it is also known for its reference library on the sport founded in 1939 which contains more than ten thousand volumes plus an extensive videocassette collection and a substantial assemblage of photo negatives and newspaper clippings.

Keeneland was founded in 1935 as a nonprofit racing/auction entity on 147 acres of farmland west of Lexington, which had been owned by Jack Keene. From its onset it has used proceeds from races and its auctions to further the Thoroughbred industry as well as contributing back to the surrounding community. The racing side of Keeneland, Keeneland Race Course, has conducted live race meets in April and October since 1936. It added a grass course in 1985. The spring meet contains several preps for the Kentucky Derby (held the first Saturday in May), the most notable of which is the Blue Grass Stakes. The fall meet features several Breeders' Cup preps.

Keeneland takes pride in maintaining racing traditions; it was the last track in North America to broadcast race calls over its public-address system, not doing so until 1997. Most of the racing scenes of the 2003 movie Seabiscuit were shot at Keeneland because its appearance has changed relatively little in the last several decades.