Kentucky Horse Racing's True Home
A vintage track and its fervent fans keep the sport's heart beating.
OUTSIDE OF LEXINGTON, just six or so miles to the east of downtown on Versailles Road (a.k.a. Highway 60), urbanity gives way to rolling hills, white-painted fences and the red-trimmed barns of Calumet Farm, which has produced more Kentucky Derby-winning horses (10) than any other. Then, stone columns mark the entrance to Keeneland.
A tree-shaded drive leads to the nine-decade-old racetrack’s limestone-clad grandstands. Travelers can visit year-round. But on race days—concentrated in “meets,” in October in the fall and April in the spring, with about 15 race days across each of those months—this track becomes a pageant of muscular Thoroughbreds and splashes of color.
While many of America’s prominent horse-racing venues (like Louisville’s Churchill Downs, 70 miles westward) are redesigning facilities to attract new fans, Keeneland remains a place where progress is filtered through tradition. “Keeneland is a more intimate experience,” says Steve Buttleman, official bugler at both Churchill Downs and Keeneland. “It’s interwoven into the fabric of life in Lexington. A lot of people will say, ‘It doesn’t feel like spring or fall until I come to Keeneland.’”
With all due respect to the Kentucky Derby, this is the place for a true immersion into Kentucky’s unparalleled racing culture. During this October’s Fall Meet, the world’s top Thoroughbreds will compete in a total of 22 stakes races—high-profile events with substantial purses—vying for a share of a record-setting $9.85 million in prize money. Winners of select races also earn points toward qualifying for the Derby.
Buttleman has been part of this spectacle for 13 years. Dressed in a trim red waistcoat, black hat and riding boots, he steps into the winner’s circle before each race to play the iconic “Call to Post.” Here, Buttleman brings his Harold trumpet, which produces a broader range of notes, instead of a traditional bugle, the better to match Keeneland’s up-close-and-personal experience.
“Often, when I'm walking through the tunnel, kids are on the hedge waiting for the horses and for me to come play for them,” he says. His repertoire includes Disney songs, showtunes and many renditions of “Happy Birthday.”
“It’s fun to show them what the trumpet can do,” he says. “Repeat visitors know that I keep little toy horses in my pocket, and they’ll ask for those.”
Announcer Kurt Becker, with his sonorous, even-toned voice, is another familiar presence. From his glass-enclosed perch above the grandstands—binoculars in hand—Becker has called races in real time for the past 29 years. He remains the only person ever to hold the job. “When the day comes to retire, I want to return to Keeneland purely as a fan,” he says. “I often hear people describe it, and I’d love to join them and just take it all in.”
From families with kids in tow to spirited college students, and from serious railbirds who study a racing program like it’s a map to buried treasure to newcomers who simply enjoy the scene, there’s no single “right” way to experience Keeneland. You can don your finest attire and reserve a table in one of the dining rooms, or keep it casual with general admission, staking out a spot by the rail or in the paddock.
In recent years, many racegoers choose to bypass the turnstiles entirely, opting instead for the Hill, a dedicated tailgating area with live music, food trucks, wagering windows and a jumbo screen broadcasting the races. Debuting during this fall’s meet (October 3–25), a new three-story Paddock Building will transform the central courtyard where horses are saddled. The handsome facility— trimmed in limestone, of course—includes several dining rooms, a speakeasy and a rooftop lounge with views of the paddock area and countryside.
Like most incremental changes that have shaped this shrine to the Sport of Kings, these developments seem likely to enhance, rather than transform, the Keeneland experience.
Perhaps no one knows the mystique better than Hall-of-Fame jockey Pat Day, who notched more wins at Keeneland than anyone in his 32-year racing career.
“At a lot of racetracks, if you get beat on a favorite, there’ll be some cat calls coming from the grandstands. ‘You couldn't ride in a box car with the doors closed,’ and stuff like that,” he recalls. “But at Keeneland there was none of that. It’s a unique atmosphere, and the crowd is tremendous. It’s like Derby Day, every day.”
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WHAT TO KNOW AND WHERE TO GO
INFORMATION AND BOOKING
The fall meet begins Oct. 3, running through Oct. 25, with no racing on Mondays or Tuesdays. Beyond the two seasonal meets, Keeneland is open year‑round and offers a variety of guided tours. Visit keeneland.com for details and to book fall (and spring) racing‑meet tickets. General admission tickets are typically available, especially on weekdays, with reserved grandstands and dining room options in high demand.
RISE AND SHINE
Enjoy an early breakfast at the Trackside Kitchen, where you can watch horses during their morning workouts alongside owners, trainers, and jockeys.
MORE HORSES?
Explore local Thoroughbred farms with guided tours offered through horsecountry.com.
AND BOURBON?
Nearby distilleries include Woodford Reserve, Castle & Key Distillery, James E. Pepper, Fresh Bourbon, and Bluegrass Distillers’ Elkwood Farm.
