Of Turf and Stone: Keeneland Through the Ages

January 10 through August 15, 2025

Of Turf and Stone: Keeneland Through the Ages, timed to coincide with 250LEX celebrations of Lexington, Kentucky’s 250th anniversary, is freely accessible to the public and racing fans of all ages during the Library’s operating hours of Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

For more than 100 years through 1933, Thoroughbred racing in Lexington took place at the Kentucky Association track near downtown. In the 1930s, a group of prominent Kentucky horsemen formed a committee to build a new racing plant. They settled on a site west of Lexington along the Versailles Pike owned by noted horseman  J.O. “Jack” Keene, who had begun building a racetrack with several stone structures. Facing income losses during the Depression, Keene agreed to sell around 148 acres, including the track, to the new Keeneland Association in 1935. Construction quickly began on and around the existing structures, and Keeneland hosted its first Fall Meet in 1936.

Nearly 90 years later, Keeneland is a crown jewel of Thoroughbred racing, conducting prestigious racing seasons in April and October, and is the world’s largest Thoroughbred auction house, welcoming horsemen and women from around the world to its five on-site auctions each year. Keeneland now covers 1,234 acres of prime Kentucky Bluegrass and is a National Historic Landmark renowned for its beauty, charm, and timeless traditions.

Founded with a goal to “create a model race track to perpetuate and improve the sport and to provide a course intended to serve as a symbol of the finest traditions of Thoroughbred racing,” Keeneland is a privately held company with a not-for-profit mission. It remains faithful to its founding principles by returning profits to the horse industry in the form of higher prize money for its races; funding equine research, health and safety initiatives for horses and riders as well as Thoroughbred aftercare; and contributing to local charitable and civic organizations through a blend of financial and in-kind sponsorships.

While Keeneland is tradition-bound, it continues to be a leader in the improvement of the sport, and the evolution of Keeneland’s grounds, architecture, and facilities is emblematic of its honoring the past while moving the sport and its legacy forward. Keeneland Library’s exhibit, Of Turf and Stone: Keeneland Through the Ages, explores both the constants and transformations from its founding to today, as Keeneland continues to build for generations to come.