KEENELAND TURNS 85
PARAMOUNT SALES
JULIEN LEPAROUX’S SUCCESS
CUMBERLAND FALLS
K EENELAND FALL 2021
celebrating bluegrass traditions
OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE
KEENELAND FALL MEET
U.S. $5.00 (CAN. $7.50)
KEENELAND.COM
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• Unbeaten Triple Crown winner • 6 straight wins including 4 Gr.1’s by 23¾ lengths! of the joint top-priced weanling at Keeneland • Sire November and the top-priced weanling filly at Fasig-Tipton November
Gr.1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner, Gr.2 UAE Derby • winner by 18½ lengths and 2nd Gr.1 Travers S. • Half-brother to INTO MISCHIEF and BEHOLDER • First weanlings sold for $300,000, $300,000 etc.
The best son of Scat Daddy
The best-bred son of Scat Daddy
Aisling Duignan, Dermot Ryan, Charlie O’Connor, Adrian Wallace, Robyn Murray or Blaise Benjamin. Tel: 859-873-7088 Email: info@coolmore.com Web: www.coolmore.com
J U S T I C E R E A L E S TAT E
1806 CANE RIDGE—Tis 422 acre farm features the centerpiece of its family operation—its magnifcentlyrestored c.1838 Greek Revival home. Consisting of 4,650 SF, this fabulous home was restored in 2008-09. Boasting a breath-taking gourmet kitchen, beautiful hardwood foors, large rooms, and 10’ ceilings. Farm improvements include 2 feeder barns—both with conveyor belts, a shop building, an equipment/ hay storage building, multiple grain bins, two silos, a “heifer” barn, and an employee house.
256 ACRES ON CASTLE ROCK WAY —Tis turn-key horse farm produced a $10 million yearling on its excellent land (nearly 80% Maury and Lowell). 46 stalls in 3 concrete block barns, manager’s plus 3 employee houses. Two of the block barns have new roofs (2019 & 2020). A wonderful opportunity to acquire a well-located farm in the immediate area of Gainesway Farm. Adjoining 268 acre horse farm on Muir Station with magnifcent main residence is also available. Motivated seller!
GRANDEUR & HORSE SENSE —Tis manor
W O O D L A N D V I L L A —Nestled down a treelined drive of highly sought-afer Paris Pike and on one of the prettiest tracts of land in all of Central KY! Magnifcent old trees are throughout these 22 acres. Containing over 5,000 SF of gracious living, this home has tall ceilings, beautiful hardwood foors, large rooms, & a great foor plan with 4 bedrooms and 4 baths. A 10,500 SF metal building with steel trusses containing a 2,025 SF ofce plus 3 overhead doors.
WOODFORD COUNTY ACREAGE —10 acres are difcult to come by in Woodford County AND if you fnd a 10 acre property the location is not desirable or it is not an attractive piece. Tese 10 acres are close to Versailles and the Blue Grass Parkway, looks out over a new, well-manicured horse farm, has neighbors who keep up their property!
84 ACRES —Not just an opportunity but a RARE opportunity to purchase land of this quality and location. Tis property is only 2 miles from Midway on history Spring Station Road and neighbor to the most infuential people in the horse business. Tis area has been the home of champions from when the thoroughbred frst came to Kentucky. Soil, location, and history!
BOURBON COUNTY FARM— A well-thoughtout 415 acre horse-improved portion of a 900 acre farm. 100 Stalls in 4 barns with entrances on Winchester Road and Austerlitz Road. Additional improvements include an employee house, office, 60’ x 80’ equipment barn/shop, 13 bent open shed. Additional acreage or smaller tracts are available. Call for details.
EQUESTRIAN ESTATE & MANOR HOME —
STRODES CREEK STUD — Beautiful 582 acre Toroughbred facility situated on Strodes Creek and accessed via a long, tree-lined drive. Tis highly-developed horse farm is in one of the world’s most productive Toroughbred regions while ofering one of the most aestheticallypleasing settings anywhere. Horse improvements include 115 stalls in 7 barns. Guest plus employee housing and 3 shop/maintenance buildings. Beautiful land!
Magnifcent well-constructed and maintained custombuilt 5,220 SF home with hardwood foors, stone freplace, luxurious primary suite with his and her baths and his and her walk-in closets, great foor plan, second foor with two en-suite bedrooms (one with sitting room), and walk-out basement to an inviting pool. 50’ x 150’ indoor arena, 120’ x 220’ outdoor ring, 11 stall horse barn, 2 run-in sheds, dog kennel, and 7-bent tobacco barn.
house is a reproduction of the Williamsburg mansion— Carter’s Grove. With 6,000+ SF of gracious living area, this 4 BR, 3 full/3 half BA home features tall ceilings, hardwood foors, & brick porches. Horse improvements on this 45 acre farm were recently constructed to include a magnifcent 6-stall Broadview Builders barn with groom’s apmt, a 125’ x 250’ Wordley-Martin outdoor ring with the same base as the KHP Rolex Stadium, open 48’ x 96’ equip/store bldg, a Horse Gym treadmill, & 2 run-in sheds. Wonderful location in the immediate area of Split Rock, Hester Equine, and Jackpot Farm.
518 East Main Street, Lexington, KY 40508 u ( 859 ) 255-3657 u www.kyhorsefarms.com
CENTRAL KENTUCKY’S HORSE FARM PROFESSIONALS
A PORTION OF DIAMOND A FA R M —Highly developed 523 acre
WALN UT SPR ING S FAR M -26 8 FORT BLACKBURN —Purchased by ACR ES —Magnificent 11,000 SF main Will Farish as 264 acres of raw land
WINDHAVEN FARM—One of the most
ANNESTES FARM —This exceptional BOURBON COUNTY FARM—Rare
horse farm with immediate neighbors as Coolmore/Ashford and Gainesborough farms. The centerpiece of the farm is its office/stallion barn complex that is very adaptable to a yearling complex. There are 5 additional horse barns with 86 stalls, 2 metal buildings, large shop plus a very nice 4,900 SF manager’s home (suitable for an owner) and an employee house. Frontage on 3 roads and exceptionally well-built and maintained. Absolutely the best turn-key horse farm on the market.
desirable locations in Central Kentucky: Old Frankfort Pike - plus frontage on South Yarnallton. Two story main residence with 4,000 SF and inground pool, 5 horse barns with 77 stalls, manager’s house. Ofering as a whole but will sell 3651 Old Frankfort Pike (138.5 acres) separately. Mature treelined driveways and 3 inviting lakes add to its desirability. Immediate neighbors are Stonestreet and Darby Dan.
residence in a stone-enclosed court yard with pool and pool house. 66 stalls in 7 barns, open equipment shed, shop/equip bldg, 3 employee houses. This farm was originally purchased by Robert Sterling Clark of Singer Sewing Machines. He chose this land because of its excellent soils, abundant water, and the limestone underneath. The adjoining 256 acres is also available for sale by the same owner with 46 stalls in 3 concrete block barns.
384 acre Woodford County horse farm is beautiful and functional! Two magnificent stone entrances lead you through over 3.5 miles of roads to its centerpiece a 20+ acre lake and 2-28 stall barns with 2 foaling stalls & wash bay. Stallion barn has 5 stalls, breeding area, office, viewing area, & bath suitable for a yearling complex. Two very nice 3 bedroom/2 bath employee houses, shop/equipment building. An absolutely beautiful aesthetically pleasing horse farm.
in 1999, Mr. Farish has developed this land into a truly exceptional horse farm. Adjoining a division of Stonestreet Farm, also in the immediate vicinity of Airdrie and Gainesborough farms, Fort Blackburn boasts an unparalleled location on Old Frankfort Pike. Horse improvements include 12+ miles of plank fencing, 3 world-class 20-stall horse barns, a covered walker, equipment/shop building, metal hay barn. Renovated historic 2,650 SF home. Fort Blackburn offers excellent soils as evidenced by the many, many stake horses raised there.
opportunity to acquire 900 acres with over 11,000 feet of road frontage on two major roads in this highly-desirable quadrant of Bourbon County. 100 stalls in 4 horse barns, 2 employee houses plus shop, office, and 13 bent open shed. Immediate area of Stone, Claiborne, and Machmer Hall. This is a very aesthetically pleasing farm with beautiful fields and ponds. Multiple division possibilities! Call for details.
Bill G. Bell (859-621-0607) u Mary Sue Walker (859-619-4770) u Marilyn Richardson (859-621-4850) Muffy Lyster (859-229-1804) u Allen Kershaw (859-333-2901) u Bill Justice (859-255-3657)
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ZACH DAVIS P esideĢt P iĢcipal B oke ̧̣.̣̥̤. ̧̟̣ | zach@ki kfa ġs.coġ
What's a p iŪate listiĢg ūhű does it ġatte ? KIRKFARMS.COM
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ZACH DAVIS PRESIDENT
PRINCIPAL BROKER
zach@kirkfarms.com ̧̣.̣̥̤. ̧̟̣
119 Clay Avenue, Lexington, KY 40502 I tel. 859.30 9 .0357 I www.stuartmercer.com
Louisville, KY Palm Beach, FL Sarasota, FL
111 Clay Avenue ◆ 859-252-2004
Contents
FALL 2021
F EAT U R ES
44 A MODEL RACETRACK TAKES SHAPE by Amy Owens
The Blood-Horse, the venerable Thoroughbred industry news magazine, reported on the birth of Keeneland, including the noble intentions of its founders, the community excitement about the new track, and the memorable fi rst race meet 85 years ago.
64 DECADE OF TURBULENCE by Maryjean Wall The opening of Keeneland lifted the community’s spirits as Lexington endured hardship and change during the Great Depression.
Keeneland photographers share their favorite images of racing and sales.
110 A PARK FOR ALL SEASONS
84 RECORD OF EXCELLENCE by Lenny Shulman Successful yearling consignor Paramount Sales has produced graduates that win at racing’s highest levels.
FALL 2021
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by Rena Baer Sometimes called the Niagara of the South, Cumberland Falls in southeastern Kentucky captivates visitors in every season.
122 MENU FOR SUCCESS by Patti Nickell Restaurant entrepreneur Kuni Toyoda has a winning concept in Bella Café and Grille, the new hotspot in Chevy Chase.
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98 SPECIAL PERSPECTIVE
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ON OUR COVER Keeneland Starters Oil on canvas, 22 x 28 by Booth Malone The current president of the American Academy of Equine Art, Booth Malone has been the official artist of numerous equestrian events, including the Breeders’ Cup and the Virginia Gold Cup. He is also a member of the Oil Painters of America and the Portrait Society of Atlanta (member of merit). A visual design major, Malone is influenced by Sir Alfred Munnings, John Singer Sargent, and N.C. Wyeth.
CRESTWOOD FARM The McLean family has owned and operated their full service, 1,000 acre Crestwood Farm since 1970.
Since then, Crestwood has bred and/or raised multiple Hall-of-Fame inductees, multiple Champions and over 285 stakes horses.
STALLIONS 2021 CARACARO Uncle Mo – Peace Time
HEART TO HEART English Channel – Ask the Question
FIRING LINE
Line of David – Sister Girl Blues
JACK MILTON War Front – Preserver
GET STORMY
Stormy Atlantic – Foolish Gal
TEXAS RED
Afeet Alex – Ramatuelle (CHI)
YORKTON
Speightstown – Sunday Affair
1946 N. Yarnallton Pike | Lexington, KY 40511 | 859.252.3770 | email: stallions@crestwoodfarm.com | www.crestwoodfarm.com
Fine Italian
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Contents FALL 2021
134 D E PA R T M E N T S 20 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE 22 CONTRIBUTORS 24 NEWS / 28 CONNECTIONS
34 SPOTLIGHT ON From apprentice to perennial leader, Julien Leparoux is still adding to his Keeneland record. by Liane Crossley
134 MAKING
A DIFFERENCE The International Book Project ships millions of free books to the underserved around the globe. by William Bowden
A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE AWAITS. CASTLETON LYONS
offers a unique opportunity for serious breeders to board their thoroughbreds. Here you’ll find a highly skilled staff in a state-of-the-art facility with old world charm. Over one thousand acres of lightly grazed lush pasture supported by the best quality soil, so famous for producing great race horses, await your thoroughbred investments. Individual, detail-oriented attention for horse and client in a top class environment can be found within minutes of Bluegrass Airport, Keeneland, Fasig-Tipton, and the world’s best equine hospitals.
Inquiries to Pat Hayes: 2469 Iron Works Pike, Lexington, KY 40511 (859) 455-9222 Fax (859) 455-8892 www.castletonlyons.com
K EENELAND
Live Jazz
celebrating bluegrass traditions
The off cial magazine of Keeneland Association, Inc. published by Blood-Horse LLC 821 Corporate Dr., Lexington, KY 40503 (859) 278-2361/FAX (859) 276-4450 KeenelandMagazine.com BloodHorse.com
Editor: Jacqueline Duke Artists: Catherine Nichols (Art Director), Claudia Summers Copy Editors: Tom Hall (chief), Rena Baer Visuals Director: Anne M. Eberhardt Creative Services: Jennifer Singleton (Director), Forrest Begley Account Executive: Amanda Ramey Sales Support: Catherine Johnston CORPORATE OPERATIONS Circulation Accounting Manager: Lauren Glover General Manager: Scott Carling PUBLISHED BY Blood-Horse LLC
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS
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James L. Gagliano, Carl Hamilton, Ian D. Highet, Stuart S. Janney III, Dan Metzger, Rosendo Parra, Dr. J. David Richardson
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KEENELAND ASSOCIATION, INC. 4201 Versailles Road P.O. Box 1690 Lexington, Kentucky, U.S.A. 40588-1690 Tel: (859) 254-3412 (800) 456-3412 Keeneland.com
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To order Keeneland magazine and additional copies, call 1-800-582-5604 TO SUBSCRIBE OR TO SEND A GIFT SUBSCRIPTION to Keeneland magazine, visit BloodHorse.com/KeenelandOffer
President’s Message FALL 2021
Heroes During Trying Times We all know that timing is everything. Following a summer flled with a joyous resurgence of celebrations with family and friends, renewed appreciation for travel, and a busy and productive time at the track with many horses at Keeneland while we build new and improved barns at Te Toroughbred Center, I ask myself again, “Is my timing terrible?” Here we are, still in the midst of a global pandemic that won’t release its grip on communities around the world. If you are like me, you might have a bit of “COVID fatigue,” particularly when we see updates about COVID-19 spikes and variants on the nightly news next to stories about wildfres in the West, extreme heat across many parts of our country, mass shootings, red tide killing fsh by the thousands in Florida, and the pollution of our waters and beautiful beaches. One could become morose when considering the difculties our generation faces, not to mention the challenges our children and grandchildren will experience. Fred Rogers’ quote from 1983 is ofen resurrected in times of crisis: “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always fnd people who are helping.’ ” Although ofen used, this simple yet powerful concept doesn’t become trite. Tere have been helpers at every turn throughout this trying time in our lives: health professionals and frst responders, many of whom have been quarantined from their families so they can help the sick among us; grocery store workers; truck drivers; delivery people; parents/homeschool teachers, and schoolteachers learning to teach via Zoom and use other technology, to name a few. While many of us continued to work from
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home as we needed to do — feeling worried and anxious, but safer in the comfort of our homes — helpers have been everywhere on the front lines at Keeneland. Our track and maintenance teams have shown up every day so our equine athletes could continue to train and our grounds could stay pristine for our busy sales and racing seasons. Our SHANNON ARVIN equine safety and security teams President and CEO have shown up every day to ensure our equine and human athletes, horsemen, and guests remain as safe as possible. Our building services team has shown up every day to ensure our buildings are professionally disinfected and cleaned while being safe for others. Many on our team showed up with Nourish Lexington/Nourish the Backstretch to provide meals to people in our community and those who work in our track’s stable area. And our trainers and their crews have stopped at nothing to ensure the horses continue to receive outstanding care. So, no, I’ve concluded my timing isn’t terrible. It is just right, and that is all thanks to the helpers among us and those whose hard work and dedication to Keeneland, each other, and our community make this an incredible place to be, particularly in the midst of difcult times. Together, we will emerge stronger. It is difcult to know how best to thank all of the helpers. “In the end, though, maybe we must all give up by trying to pay back the people in this world who sustain our lives. In the end, maybe it’s wiser to surrender before the miraculous scope of human generosity and to just keep saying thank you, forever and sincerely, as long as we have voices,” said author Elizabeth Gilbert. I marvel at the miraculous scope of human generosity, and I will continue to say thank you to the helpers, forever and sincerely, as long as I have a voice. Cheers to blue skies ahead. KM
COMMITTED TO YOUR
SUCCESS
For more than 40 years, Lane’s End has pursued one mission: helping our partners achieve their goals in sales, breeding, and racing. That dedication to your success has guided us as we’ve stood with our fellow horsemen through the ups and downs of the industry—and will continue to guide us as we look toward our shared future. This is what we stand for.
ACCELERATE | CANDY RIDE (ARG) | CATALINA CRUISER | CITY OF LIGHT | CONNECT | DAREDEVIL | GAME WINNER GIFT BOX | HONOR A. P. | HONOR CODE | LIAM’S MAP | MINESHAFT | MR SPEAKER | QUALITY ROAD | THE FACTOR TONALIST | TWIRLING CANDY | UNIFIED | UNION RAGS | WEST COAST
Contributors RENA BAER
FALL 2021
(A Park for All Seasons) is a writer and an editor whose work frequently appears in Keeneland magazine and several other Lexington-based and national publications.
seasonal member of Keeneland’s media team, she has had her work appear in BloodHorse, Daily Racing Form, Thoroughbred Daily News, Breeders’ Cup website, Horse Illustrated, and European Bloodstock News.
WILLIAM BOWDEN
PATTI NICKELL
(Book Value) most recently worked as publications editor at Transylvania University. He was formerly a writer and an editor at the Somerset (Kentucky) Commonwealth-Journal, the Lexington Herald-Leader, and the National Tour Association.
(Menu for Success) is a freelance travel writer whose work has appeared in major newspapers and national magazines. She currently writes travel articles for the Lexington HeraldLeader.
LIANE CROSSLEY
AMY OWENS
(Winning Ways) has spent her career in Thoroughbred racing-related jobs in barns, press boxes, and offces. A
(A Model Racetrack Takes Shape, Keeneland News/Connections) is Keeneland Communications Associate.
LENNY SHULMAN (Record of Excellence) is a senior correspondent for BloodHorse magazine and the author of Head to Head: Conversations with a Generation of Horse Racing Legends; Justify: 111 Days to Triple Crown Glory; and Ride of Their Lives: The Trials and Turmoil of Today’s Top Jockeys.
MARYJEAN WALL (Decade ofTurbulence) won multiple Eclipse Awards during 35 years asTurf writer for the Lexington Herald-Leader. In addition to Madam Belle: Sex, Money, and Infuence in a Southern Brothel, she is the author of How Kentucky Became Southern: A Tale of Outlaws, Horse Thieves, Gamblers, and Breeders. She holds a doctorate from the University of Kentucky.
PERSONALIZED CARE FOR YOUR FAMILY
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IN-PERSON AND TELEHEALTH APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE
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Keeneland News
FALL 2021
COMPILED BY AMY OWENS
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which remain at 2020 levels of $750,000 and $200,000, respectively. “Afer thoughtful review by our racing team and input from horsemen, we made adjustments to our fall stakes program that will further elevate the quality of racing throughout the meet,” Keeneland Vice President of Racing Gatewood Bell said. “We feel the lucrative purse money and expanded racing opportunities, including two new stakes for 2-year-olds, now in place will broaden Keeneland’s appeal to horsemen and fans alike.” Ten stakes are included in the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series Presented by America’s Best Racing. Each winner receives an automatic starting position and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Nov. 5-6 World Championships at Del Mar. Te meet’s sixth grade 1 stakes is the $500,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Presented by Dixiana. To enhance the fnal days of the fall meet, Keeneland introduced two new $150,000 juvenile stakes, the Myrtlewood and Bowman Mill; revived the Perryville and Bryan Station, both fxtures for 3-year-olds; and scheduled the Valley View (G3T) and Hagyard Fayette (G2) to create multiple stakes cards.
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eeneland will celebrate its 85th anniversary during the 2021 fall meet in October while it ofers a race meet record $6 million in stakes purses and an expanded stakes schedule of 22 races. Te season, which covers 17 days of racing from Oct. 8-30, will open with the signature Fall Stars Weekend, feature 10 Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” races, ofer two new $150,000 stakes for 2-year-olds, and reposition several stakes to create a total of six race cards with multiple stakes. Keeneland opened Oct. 15, 1936, for a nine-day fall meet (page 44). “Te Keeneland fall meet is incredibly important, and 85 years of racing at Keeneland is a testament to the uncommon vision of our founders, who tirelessly worked to create an entity that would take a leadership role in the global Toroughbred industry and in the Central Kentucky community,” Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said. All existing stakes for the 2021 fall meet have been restored to 2019 purse levels except the Rood & Riddle Dowager (G3), which received a boost from $125,000 to $150,000, and the Keeneland Turf Mile (G1T) and Bourbon (G2T),
CREDIT
KEENELAND TO HOLD MEMORABLE 2021 FALL MEET
Essential Quality won the 2020 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity en route to an Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old male. His 2021 victories include Keeneland’s Toyota Blue Grass and the Belmont.
Keeneland 2021 Fall Meet Stakes Schedule Date
Race
Friday, Oct. 8
$400,000 Darley Alcibiades (G1)* $250,000 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix (G2)*
Saturday, Oct. 9
$750,000 Keeneland Turf Mile (G1T)* $500,000 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (G1)* $400,000 First Lady (G1T) Presented by UK HealthCare* $250,000 Thoroughbred Club of America (G2)* $200,000 Woodford (G2T) Presented by TVG
Sunday, Oct. 10
$500,000 Juddmonte Spinster (G1)* $200,000 Bourbon (G2T)* $200,000 Indian Summer (LT)*
Wednesday, Oct. 13
$200,000 JPMorgan Chase Jessamine (G2)*
Friday, Oct. 15
$150,000 Buffalo Trace Franklin County (G3T)
Saturday, Oct. 16
$500,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1T) Presented by Dixiana
Friday, Oct. 22
$150,000 Sycamore (G3T)
Saturday, Oct. 23
$250,000 Lexus Raven Run (G2) $150,000 Perryville
Sunday, Oct. 24
$150,000 Rood & Riddle Dowager (G3T)
Friday, Oct. 29
$150,000 Valley View (G3T) $150,000 Myrtlewood
Saturday, Oct. 30
$200,000 Hagyard Fayette (G2) $150,000 Bryan Station (T) $150,000 Bowman Mill *Breeders’ Cup Challenge stakes
› For information about special events during the fall meet, visit Keeneland.com.
Army Mule Curlin Flintshire
Good Magic Kantharos Kitten’s Joy
Maclean’s Music Midnight Lute Mucho Macho Man
Ghostzapper
Lost Treasure
Violence
World of Trouble New for 2022 - Charlatan
5 4-1-0
$4,047,200 Charlatan, a Multiple Grade 1 Winner by a combined margin of victory of 26 1/2 lengths, arriving to Hill ‘n’ Dale at Xalapa
www.hillndalefarms.com
LGB, LLC 2021 / Photo: Bobby Shifet
CORMAC BREATHNACH NEW DIRECTOR OF SALES OPERATIONS
Fall Meet to Open with Full Seating Capacity
KEENELAND/AMY LANIGAN
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eeneland on June 10 named prominent bloodstock consultant Cormac Breathnach, Ph.D., as the new director of sales operations. “We are excited to have Cormac join the Keeneland sales team as the director of sales operations,” Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said. “I have long admired his professionalism, knowledge, and integrity, which is second to none, and have had the pleasure of watching him develop in the industry and gain the respect of a broad range of professionals. His skill set, personality, and strong work ethic will help evolve Keeneland sales for the future. In addition, his background in research and animal welfare is a valuable asset as we continue to strive to set higher standards for the industry.” Since 2017, Breathnach has served as director of stallion nominations at Airdrie Stud. For nearly eight years before that, he was stallion seasons and matings consultant at Adena Springs. Breathnach also founded Galway Bloodstock, a consultancy that includes auction representation, racehorse management, and matings analysis. A native of Galway, Ireland, Breathnach
eeneland is planning to open the 2021 fall meet with full seating capacity and began public ticket sales at 9 a.m. Monday, Aug. 16. Because of high demand, fans are encouraged to visit tickets. keeneland.com in advance for information about ticket options, pricing, and the process to purchase. Keeneland’s e-ticketing platform enables patrons to complete their ticketing purchase online and to add tickets to their mobile wallets for easy scanning at admission gates. Fans will enjoy enhanced hospitality, including new concession items and elevated dining options. Keeneland’s popular tailgating tradition will resume on The Hill, where fans can enjoy live music, local food trucks, wagering, and more. New this year, patrons on The Hill will have the option to book a customized tailgate package in partnership with REVELxp, the nation’s leader in premium tailgate and event services. Keeneland remains committed to the safety of its guests and continues to monitor local and national health guidelines. Because general admission caps might be enforced, fans are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance.
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Cormac Breathnach
studied biotechnology at National University of Ireland, Galway. Following a summer research internship at Alltech in Lexington, he returned to Central Kentucky to earn a Ph.D. in veterinary science from the Gluck Equine Research Center in 2001. He completed two post-doctoral studies, frst at the veterinary school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison from 2001-03 before returning to the Gluck Center from 2004-07. Tere he was the inaugural recipient of the Paul Mellon Postdoctoral Scholarship. Breathnach succeeds Geofrey Russell, who announced his retirement in April following 25 years with Keeneland. Russell will remain in a consulting role with Keeneland through 2021.
American Pharoah, Todd Pletcher Join Hall of Fame
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on his own in 1996 and sent out his frst Keeneland winner during that year’s fall meet. Since then, he has earned seven Eclipse Awards as North America’s outstanding trainer and has conditioned more than 5,100 winners and the earners of a record $410 million. Pletcher has won a Keeneland record 59 stakes. His 243 wins at Keeneland place him fourth on the list of the track’s all-time leading trainers by victories behind Lukas (295 wins), Bill Mott (286), and Rusty Arnold (284). Pletcher has earned fve Keeneland training titles. The class of 2021 was enshrined along with the 2020 inductees, which include Keeneland-based Horse of the Year Wise Dan and infuential horsewoman Alice Headley Chandler, on Aug. 6 in Saratoga Springs, New York. SKIP DICKSTEIN PHOTOS
riple Crown winner American Pharoah, who concluded his history-making career with a victory at Keeneland in the 2015 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), and Todd Pletcher, the track’s all-time leading trainer by stakes wins, are members of the National Museum of Racing’s 2021 Hall of Fame class. American Pharoah and Pletcher were elected in the contemporary category in their frst year of eligibility. American Pharoah ended the Todd Pletcher and American Pharoah enter the National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame. 37-year Triple Crown drought when he swept the Kentucky Derby (G1), Preakness (G1) and Belmont (G1) six years for 1¼ miles. For winning the Triple Crown and ago. He made the fnal start of his career at Classic, he became the frst horse to capture Keeneland during the Breeders’ Cup World the sport’s unoffcial “Grand Slam.” Championships, winning the Classic by 6½ Pletcher, who served as an assistant to Hall lengths and setting a track record of 2:00.07 of Famer D. Wayne Lukas from 1989-95, went out
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FUNTASTIC PALACE MALICE SHARP AZTECA SKY MESA WILL TAKE CHARGE VOLATILE GUN RUNNER Horse of the Year and 6-time Grade 1 Winner Gun Runner ($15,988,500) A Leading Sire
www.threechimneys.com
LGB, LLC 2021 / Photo: Equisport Photos
Connections
FALL 2021
1 | PADDOCK PAINTING Keeneland Mercantile presented Keeneland Crafted’s Painting in the Paddock on May 13. Fifty guests enjoyed a demonstration from local artist Kayla Weber while they painted a piece to take home. The custom Kayla Weber art line is sold at Keeneland Mercantile (KeenelandMercantile.com).
2 | MUTT STRUT
Keeneland-based trainer Wesley Ward recorded his 12th victory at the prestigious Royal Ascot meeting in England when Stonestreet Stables’ Campanelle (IRE), left, was named winner of the June 18 Commonwealth Cup (G1). Campanelle is a two-time winner at Royal Ascot, having won the Queen Mary (G2) last year.
KEENELAND/THE MALICOTES
3 | ROYAL ASCOT
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LEXINGTON HUMANE SOCIETY
Approximately 500 people and their dogs raised $37,000 for the Lexington Humane Society at the June 5 Mutt Strut at Keeneland.
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KEENELAND/RICHIE WIREMAN
Keeneland Crafted Breakfast at Keeneland, a summer version of Sunrise Trackside, was a new family-friendly event on June 19 and July 10 during morning training hours. Guests enjoyed unique breakfast offerings from Keeneland Hospitality, while activities included a tour of the Jockeys Quarters, educational demonstrations, and face painting and pony rides for children.
EDWARD WHITAKER/RACING POST
4 | FUN MORNINGS
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In another Keeneland Crafted event, Keeneland Mercantile on June 30 presented a belt-making workshop in partnership with noted fine leather craftsmen Clayton & Crume. Fifty guests participated in the event in the Lexington/Kentucky Room.
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KEENELAND/BRANDEN RIGGINS
5 | CRAFT LESSON
TEAMWORK EAMWORK T Join our ever-growing list of Central Kentucky horsemen and women who rely on us every day to breed, race and sell top equine athletes. We are proud to be part of the teams that have produced champion racehorses and top tier sales horses at major venues all around the world.
EQUINE NUTRITION
859.744.8022 info@winchesterfeed.com www.winchesterfeed.com
Farms & Estates
Commercial
Residential
Auctions
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5820 Winchester Road, Lexington• $2,700,000 • • • • • •
40 manicured acres in 4 separate 10-acre tracts 11,000 sq ft residence with quality crafted living spaces perfect for entertaining Security gated entry, lighted, tree-lined paved drive 3 acre private lake 8,500 sq.ft. steel span storage building with concrete foor Fenced paddock with run-in shed
1150 Connor Station Road, Simpsonville • $5,450,000 • •
92 Acre Estate minutes from Louisville, 60 minutes to Lexington Spectacular Georgian style residence featuring a 200+ year old re-built Log Cabin Room Extravagant Pool and Pool House complex Event Barn Covered bridge, tree lined roadway, plank fencing and spring fed lakes
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685 Handy Pike, Harrodsburg, • $3,750,000 • • • • • • •
94 manicured acres with 7,000 sq ft main residence that has been completely renovated with top quality finishes and amenities Beautiful pool with limestone accents 31 stall Main Training barn with tack/feed rooms, heated 330'x42' indoor arena and lounge 28 stall Broodmare barn Hay/Equipment storage barn Historic guest cottage, Log Modular residence, Additional Employee Residence Stocked lake, 4 plank fenced paddocks
Tom Biederman Broker/Auctioneer
(859) 312-0606
Mark Dixon (859) 552-5742 Lesley Ward (859) 361-3246 Westin Osborn (704) 975-4195 Maziar Torabi (859) 327-5496 Jason Sloan (859) 229-5070
1158 Connor Station Road, Simpsonville • $1,349,000 • • • • •
18 acres in Shelby horse country 2,985 sq ft 4 BR/3.5 BA custom log residence complete with oversized 2 car garage and separate apartment Stunning views of South Long Run creek from the expansive rear patio The property is bordered by 4 plank fencing and divided into 2 large fields with a run-in shed Secondary 1200 sq ft 3 BR/2 BA residence with separate entry
Dawn Bozee (859) 227-4855 Beth Ann Heiner (502) 324-7474 Stephanie Jones-Nouvellet (859) 512-8812 Joan Rich (859) 621-9746 Lucy Worrell (859) 983-2112
Melanie Peterson (561) 870-6587 Kyle Fannin (859) 699-1196 Missy Maclin (859) 948-0201 Chris Allen (859) 951-2051 Sophie DeSimone (843) 301-1498
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Adjacent to divisions of Lanes End and Coolmore. 10 minutes to Kentucky Horse Park
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5582 Mt Horeb Pike, Sierra Farm, Lexington • $6,900,000
215+/- acre property that has been completely updated and renovated Yearling complex, 40 stalls in 3 barns with landscaped yearling show area Broodmare/Foaling barn plus additional 10 stall Broodmare barn 17 plank fenced paddocks, 6 large fields, excellent soils Office and maintenance/equipment area, 4 bay shop Elegant 5,475 sq ft Main Residence & 3,000 sq ft 3BR/3BA Manager residence
ce ve f O lusi c Ex
135 Acre Distinctive Estate/Farm in Bourbon County, KY • • • • • • •
Neighbors include Denali Stud, Watercress Farm and Historic Raceland Farm. Only 23 minutes to the Kentucky Horse Park Stone constructed 8,000 sq ft residence with 5 BR/4 BA Extraordinary patio leading to stunning pool and landscaped gardens Stone pillared electronic secruity gated entrance with tree-lined entry Classic converted tobacco barn with specialty milled stall fronts Impeccable modern 18 stall facility with tack room, feed room, paved aisleway 220'x105' outdoor sand riding arena
BiedermanRealEstate.com 1076 Wellington Way | Lexington, KY 40513
(859) 277-2030
THE SAFEST WAY TO THE
WINNER’S CIRCLE
(800) 967-8267 | (859) 255-9406 www.salleehorsevans.com
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Bee Jersey
Higher Power
Jersey Town / Bees, by Rahy
Medaglia d’Oro / Alternate, by Seattle Slew
Copper Bullet
Klimt
More Tan Ready / Allegory, by Unbridled’s Song
Quality Road / Inventive, by Dixie Union
Country House
Tale of Ekati
Lookin At Lucky / Quake Lake, by War Chant
Tale of the Cat / Silence Beauty (Jpn), by Sunday Silence
Dialed In Mineshaf / Miss Doolittle, by Storm Cat
Tale of Verve
Dolphus
Tale of Ekati / Verve, by Unbridled
Lookin At Lucky / Lotta Kim, by Roar
Tapiture
Flameaway
Tapit / Free Spin, by Olympio
Scat Daddy / Vulcan Rose, by Fusaichi Pegasus
Spotlight On JULIEN LEPAROUX
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WINNING WAYS F R O M AP P R E N T I C E T O P E R E N N I AL L E AD E R , J U L I E N L E PAR O U X I S S T I L L AD D I N G T O H I S K E E N E L AN D R E C O R D
ANNE M. EBERHARDT
ANNE M. EBERHARDT
KEENELAND PHOTO/PHOTOS BY Z
By Liane Crossley
Leparoux and his agent, Frank Lyons, review upcoming rides.
Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin joined Leparoux, wife Shea, and their sons, Vinn, left, and Mitchell, in a winner’s circle ceremony this past spring.
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Spotlight On JULIEN LEPAROUX
tion where Leparoux has posted glittery statistics and where he is a noted rider, Keeneland has been a huge influence on Leparoux’s personal life as he evolved from young foreigner to respected professional and devoted family man. That synergy was displayed on opening day of the 2021 spring meeting when he rode his 500th Keeneland winner and was greeted in the winner’s circle by his wife and sons. The victory puts him solidly on Keeneland’s all-time leaderboard, a footnote to his sterling resume highlighted by two Eclipse Awards. Locally, he has topped the standings 12 times to be third in that category behind Hall of Famers Pat Day and Don Brumfield. Leparoux is on equal footing with Hall of Famers Randy Romero and Craig Perret as the only jockeys to win six races on a single Keeneland program. His 65 stakes victories thus far put him second to Day in that division. When Leparoux first came to Keeneland in the spring of 2004, he was charmed by Keeneland’s lush greenery and overall beauty, but he was most impressed by the crowds. “My first memory even before I was a jockey was how much people here love the racing,” he said. “The fans — it could be a Wednesday afternoon and you see a lot of people. That stood out for me.”
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MARK MAHAN
JULIEN LEPAROUX HAS DONE so much of his best work at Keeneland that it is difficult to imagine him without the track and the track without him. Beyond being the loca-
Leparoux considers his 2015 Breeders’ Cup Mile victory aboard Tepin at Keeneland among his most memorable wins.
DESTINY CALLING Leparoux was destined to be a jockey. He grew up in picturesque and racing-rich Chantilly, which he describes as “the Lexington of France.” His father was briefly a jockey before becoming a trainer, and Leparoux began riding as a child, competing in show jumping as a preteen. His dream of race riding was delayed because his father insisted he finish school. That insistence has played a key role in his career. In September 2003, Leparoux ventured to the United States via Southern California to exercise horses for Patrick Biancone at Santa
Anita. He then migrated with the stable to Keeneland’s spring meeting and felt a kinship with the region, which reminded him of his homeland. “I loved living in Lexington,” he said. Leparoux stayed at Keeneland in the offseason but traveled to Saratoga Race Course in late summer and accompanied runners to stakes engagements at other locations. “It was a fun couple of years traveling a lot and seeing a lot of the country,” he said. Leparoux was mindful that learning about the United States included comprehending the language. Tanks to his father’s strong advice, Leparoux had studied basic English in school.
KEENELAND PHOTO
Leparoux guided Irap to win the 2017 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes.
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Spotlight On
ANNE M. EBERHARDT PHOTOS
JULIEN LEPAROUX
Leparoux wins another signature Keeneland race: the 2018 Maker’s 46 Mile with Heart to Heart.
“When I first came here, it was tough to understand English and to have a conversation,” he said. “But I kept trying, kept talking with people and watching TV including cartoons. When you are in a country where you don’t speak the language, you have to learn. You have no choice. You just pay attention and do your best.” While fine-tuning his language skills out of the saddle, he honed his equine expertise to transform from exercise rider to jockey. His morning mounts during that time included such stakes performers as 2004 Toyota Blue Grass and Kentucky Derby runner-up Lion Heart. But, he said, it was Ball Four — a steady workmate for Lion Heart — who taught him the most, including his keen timing. “I learned a lot on him before I started [race] riding,” he said. “He was not the easiest horse to gallop, but I learned a lot on him. He is a cool horse.” The gelding also provided Leparoux with one of his first career victories. Ball Four went on to win graded stakes races, including the 2008 Fayette Stakes at Keeneland before being channeled to Old Friends Farm for retired Thoroughbreds. Leparoux visited him at the facility’s satellite division at Kentucky Downs.
LONGSHOTS TO LEADERBOARD
Leparoux’s family joined him in the winner’s circle after the race.
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Leparoux won his first race in the summer of 2005 at Saratoga and transitioned back to Keeneland, where he came to the attention of agent Steve Bass, who was seeking another client for Turfway Park’s winter meet. Bass — who rode 605 winners himself — reasoned an up-and-comer could accept the lesser mounts while his main rider took those with a better chance. Bass soon realized he was working for a rising star. “Nobody knew him, so I was just trying to get him on horses,” he said. “It seemed like he was winning with everything I put him
MY FIRST MEMORY EVEN BEFORE I WAS A JOCKEY WAS HOW MUCH PEOPLE HERE LOVE THE RACING.” — JULIEN LEPAROUX, OF KEENELAND
SKIP DICKSTEIN
on. The first month was unbelievable.” The momentum continued with Leparoux riding a steady stream of winners, including Ball Four in a Turfway Park stakes. Although officially a rookie, Leparoux performed like an expert in his Keeneland return for the 2006 spring meeting. He closed the season tied for the leading jockey title — the first apprentice rider to do so — with 17 victories including two stakes. Still, the best was yet to come. Leparoux and Bass were crafting a resume reminiscent of legendary jockeys as he transitioned seamlessly from novice to journeyman. His weight allowance ended in late September 2006, but his success was unstoppable. He captured
Leparoux enjoyed success with Concrete Rose for Keeneland-based trainer Rusty Arnold.
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Spotlight On
Year 2019 2016 2014 2012 2012 2011 2011 2010 2009 2007 2006 2006
Meet Fall Fall Spring Fall Spring Fall Spring Fall Spring Spring Fall Spring
Wins 19 21 19 26 23 33 19 27 27 22 30 17 (tie) * *apprentice
ONE-DAY KEENELAND RIDING RECORD (6 WINS) 2012 1990 1990
Spring Spring Spring
Julien Leparoux Craig Perret Randy Romero
ALL-TIME LEADING KEENELAND JOCKEYS Pat Day ................................................... 918 Don Brumfi eld ....................................... 716 Robby Albarado ..................................... 526 Julien Leparoux .................................. 503
ALL-TIME LEADING KEENELAND STAKESWINNING JOCKEYS Pat Day .................................................... 95 Julien Leparoux .................................... 65 Jerry Bailey .............................................. 54 John Velazquez ........................................ 54
MOST KEENELAND MEET TITLES Pat Day ..................................................... 22 Don Brumfi eld ......................................... 16 Julien Leparoux .................................... 12
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his second consecutive Keeneland title in October, topped the 2006 national leaderboard with 403 winner’s circle visits, and ranked eighth in the earnings category. His marquee scores included Keeneland’s Juddmonte Spinster Stakes and Arlington Park’s Beverly D. Stakes. He was the natural choice for the outstanding apprentice Eclipse Award. Leparoux picked up where he left off at Turfway by once again dominating the 2007 winter standings and segued to a third straight title at Keeneland in the spring. With his reputation as an extraordinary rider firmly established, he was honored with the 2009 Eclipse Award. More than a decade later he continues to rank among the nation’s best each season. “He’s proven time after time that he can get the job done and continues to get the job done,” said Frank Lyons, the former TVG commentator and Breeders’ Cup-winning trainer who began representing Leparoux when Bass took a health-related sabbatical in late 2020. Bass and Leparoux remain close and communicate almost daily. “He is like a little brother to me,” he said. “I respect him as a person, a family man, and a rider.” Throughout Leparoux’s rise to prominence, Keeneland has been far more than an early proving ground or spring and fall stopover. A racing-related incident at the track in October 2011 changed his life in an unexpected way. He was involved in a minor mishap that prompted messages from well-wishers including Shea Mitchell, whom he had met previously in Southern California. When racing shifted to Churchill Downs for the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, they began dating and were married in 2012. A daughter of trainer Mike Mitchell, who passed away in 2015, Shea Mitchell is an accomplished entertainer who performed at Disney-
COADY PHOTOGRAPHY
KEENELAND RIDING TITLES
ANNE M. EBERHARDT
JULIEN LEPAROUX
Shea Leparoux has a racing background as the daughter of the late trainer Mike Mitchell.
Leparoux has ridden at Keeneland since 2006, when he tied for leading rider while still an apprentice.
land and has sung the national anthem at numerous tracks, including Keeneland. “I am lucky that my wife’s dad was a trainer, so she knows all about the business and how it is,” Leparoux said. “She supports everything we do. She knows what to expect.” Leparoux, who became a U.S. citizen in 2018, has embraced family life with Shea and their two sons, Mitchell, 6, and Vinn, 3, spending time camping and visiting tourist attractions when time allows. (Mitchell also belongs to the Keeneland Kids Club.) These activities replaced Leparoux’s previous amusement of go-
kart competitions in Florida. “Spending time with the family is now my hobby,” he said. On race days the clan is likely to be at the track. Leparoux treasures those moments, especially Tepin’s triumph in the 2015 Breeders’ Cup Mile at Keeneland when his infant first-born, Mitchell, was part of the winner’s circle ceremonies. “Mitchell and Vinn love the horses, and they love to come to the races,” he said. “The best part about it is that it doesn’t matter if I have a good day or a bad day. They are always happy to see me when I come home.” KM
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ARTFUL, INNOVATIVE DOWNTOWN DINING
Creative, chef-driven menus, the freshest local ingredients, and exceptional hospitality come together for an unmatched Lexington dining experience. 735 East Main St, Lexington, KY
RESERVATIONS
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ON EASTSIDE
Award-winning downtown Lexington restaurant by Executive Chef Cole Arimes. Inventive scratch-kitchen menus crafted from locally sourced meats and produce. Named among “the best new restaurants in the US” by OpenTable in 2019.
264 Walton Avenue, Lexington, Kentucky 40502 • www.EppingsonEastside.com | 859.971.0240
Keeneland's beauty and commitment to presenting the fnest in Thoroughbred racing — the goals of its founders in the 1930s — are supremely evident today. Inset, The BloodHorse featured Hal Price Headley on the cover of the Oct. 17, 1936, issue to coincide with the track’s inaugural season of racing.
ANNE M. EBERHARDT
Right, a scene from that time, which captures the enthusiastic crowd, is familiar to racing fans today.
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KEENELAND celebrates its 85th anniversary with a review of THE BLOOD-HORSE’s coverage of the track’s origin, the noble intentions of its founders, and the memorable first race meet in OCTOBER 1936
PHOTO CREDIT
KEENELAND LIBRARY
By Amy Owens
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BLOOD-HORSE LIBRARY
Noted horseman J.O. “Jack” Keene was extremely pleased with how the training center he had begun on his Keeneland Stud, shown in this aerial photo from 1935, was transformed into a racetrack.
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KEENELAND LIBRARY/MEADORS COLLECTION
KEENELAN
So reported Cromwell, then-editor of the weekly Toroughbred industry news magazine (and a Turf writer since 1892) about the atmosphere in Lexington at the time. Toroughbred racing had not been held in Lexington since the spring of 1933, when the Kentucky Association track near downtown ran what would be its fnal meet afer more than 100 years. By that time, horsemen and city leaders had been talking about building another racetrack. With elegant writing and immense detail, Te Blood-Horse documented the birth of Keeneland and the noble intentions of its founders as well as the community’s interest in the new track and the memorable frst race meet 85 years ago.
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has found that there is a very healthy sentiment for revival and perpetuation of racing at Lexington as a community proposition. Te people generally have felt the loss of the meetings, and they appear also to be feeling keenly the loss to Lexington of the prestige it formerly enjoyed through racing at this center of the Toroughbred horse breeding industry in America.” — Tomas B. Cromwell, Jan. 12, 1935
THE WAR FRONT WE WILL ALL REMEMBER. First weanlings sell this November.
E LIZABETH L OCKE J EWELRY S HOW KEENELAND LIBRARY
Thursday, September 16 & Friday, September 17 10:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
A portion of all sales will be donated to equine research funded by
GRAYSON-JOCKEY CLUB RESEARCH FOUNDATION For further information contact:
Elizabeth Locke Jewels elockej@gmail.com • 540-837-2215 or
Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation contactus@grayson-jockeyclub.org • 859-224-2850
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KEENELAND LIBRARY
4201 Versailles Road Lexington, KY 1935: A DIFFERENT TYPE OF TRACK IS PROPOSED
FEB. 23: “At the meeting Saturday, February 16, of the Toroughbred Club of America at the Phoenix Hotel, Lexington … Cromwell … acting as spokesman for a committee composed of Major Louie A. Beard, S. S. Yantis, Victor K. Dodge, Jack S. Young and Mr. Cromwell, read to the members of the club, and laid before them for their signatures, the following: A prospectus for perpetuation of racing at Lexington, Kentucky, circulated by or for a committee to form a new racing association and signed by citizens of Central Kentucky: “It is contemplated that there shall be a racing ground and horse activities center at Lexington, Kentucky, in keeping with the cherished reputation of the Blue Grass Region as a great pleasure horse producing country. “It is the plan to create — for the purpose of establishing and owning such plant, and for conducting race meetings and other horse sports thereat — an association of individuals who shall recognize this as a community project unafliated with and not subservient to any other racing association, and who shall be agreeable to its non-proft feature. “It is proposed that there shall be no salaried ofcers or executives or ofcials, except a secretary and a superintendent of track and grounds, and that employees shall be limited to such as are required for the economical conduct of race meetings and other ac-
“The stone structure which stands imposingly in the midst of the Keene farm and at the edge of the property to be set aside for the new racing plant is a unique building,” reported The BloodHorse. It would be the foundation of Keeneland’s clubhouse.
tivities and for proper care and maintenance of grounds and buildings.” MARCH 9: Manager of the Whitney Family racing interests and a prominent fgure in the Toroughbred industry, Maj. Beard by this time was “head of the committee which is in charge of the plans for the establishment of a new racing center at Lexington.” Te report continued: “Several sites for the new course are under consideration. One is the Upshur Berryman property on the Paris Pike opposite the settlement known as Warrentown and just outside the city limits. Another is the Gentry property by Warrentown, between the Paris and Russell Cave Pikes. Also receiving consideration is the ofer of John Oliver Keene to deed to the organization that part of his Keeneland Stud on which is built a splendid nine-furlong course, with an inner turf track, at an extremely favorable fnancial arrangement. Other possible sites include the now abandoned aviation feld on the Leestown Pike, the Gibson property on South Broadway, and a place on the Clay’s Mill Pike. … “In short, this is to be a model track, for sport alone, to be conducted by the
E LIZABETH L OCKE J EWELRY S HOW
KEENELAND LIBRARY
Supporting Horse Health
sons and grandsons of sportsmen and it is the desire of those now proceeding with the plans that the sons shall restore and maintain the sporting traditions established here by their forebears.” MARCH 16: “Te project of a group of Lexington sportsmen looking toward the establishment of a model race track, for sport only, with profts specifcally denied to all participants, was at frst considered by many to be rather a visionary venture. By this week the vision was well on its way to reality.” At another meeting at the Phoenix Hotel, Beard announced the committee’s decision: “… the best possible arrangement could be made by accepting J.O. Keene’s ofer to turn over to the contemplated new organization that part of his Keeneland Stud which includes a new private track and stone barn. “According to the fgures laid before the meeting by Major Beard, the compete cost of the Keeneland plant, in condition to begin a racing meeting, would be approximately $305,000. A track could be built at some of the other sites, he said, for
the same sum, or slightly less, but the plant would be a poor one in comparison with what could be accomplished at the Keene place with a similar expenditure. “If the plans laid before the meeting Tuesday are carried through, the new association will become the owner of a tract of 150 acres in the southwest corner of the Keeneland estate, with approximately equal frontage on the Versailles and Rice Pikes. Tat tract, almost square, includes the private track completed in 1931; the combination stone castle and barn on which Mr. Keene has worked at intervals for nearly 20 years; the 100,000-gallon water tank which
GRAYSON-JOCKEY CLUB RESEARCH FOUNDATION
KEENELAND LIBRARY/ LEACH COLLECTION
If you cannot make the sale contact Maj. Louie A Beard was “head of the committee which is in charge of the plans for the establishment of a new racing center at Lexington,” reported The Blood-Horse of March 9, 1935.
Elizabeth Locke Jewels
elockej@gmail.com • 540-837-2215 to support equine research through your purchase
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supplies the farm; the roadway from the Versailles Pike to the track; and sufcient land on the south, west and north sides of the track to provide stable and parking room. “Te stone structure which stands imposingly in the midst of the Keene farm and at the edge of the property to be set aside for the new racing plant is a unique building. Te central part of it is two stories in height, with a basement underneath, and at either end it rises to three stories. On the frst foor, in the central section, is an immense living room, 50 to 36 feet. Just behind this room is a hallway which extends from one end of the structure to the other. At one end of the hall is a garage large enough for 20 automobiles. At the other is a breeding shed. Just back of the hallway, opening into it, is a row of eight stalls. Back of these stalls the building makes connection with an unfnished indoor training track, an ellipse approximately a quarter of a mile in circumference. Te entire frontage of the
Hal Price Headley’s tireless efforts to build Keeneland included sending mules from his farm to assist in the construction of the new racetrack.
building is 258 feet. From front to back at the widest measurement, not including the indoor track, it is 68 feet. On the second foor is a virtual labyrinth of living quarters. On the third foor of that wing of the building nearer the race track there is a ballroom which would do credit to any of the country’s large hotels. It is the plan to convert this building into a clubhouse.” Among the 12 people at the meeting, reported Te Blood-Horse, was Hal Price Headley. MARCH 30: “Te movement whose goal is the establishment of a model race track at J.O. Keene’s Keeneland Estate at Lexington has now advanced almost to the stage where the campaign for fnancing the project may be begun. Tis, it is realized by those who are
KEENELAND LIBRARY
Headley wanted Keeneland’s inaugural season to begin in April 1936, but “the hardest winter in a generation of Kentuckians,” reported The Blood-Horse, pushed back the opening to October.
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guiding the new venture, is the crucial point of the matter, and the future of the movement depends primarily upon the response obtained from the people of Lexington and the Blue Grass section and from natives of, and property holders in, the State. Te Blood-Horse believes that the general sentiment of the community is so whole-heartedly in favor of the track that the outlook is rather favorable. “At a mass meeting held at the Lafayette Hotel Wednesday afernoon, March 20, a crowd of approximately 250 was present, flling all the available seats and most of the standing room in the ballroom. Jack S. Young presided and introduced Major Louie A. Beard, who exhibited tentative drawings of the plant made by the noted landscaping architect Bryant Fleming and recited the details of the plans for fnancing, building and operating the plant. Mr. Young then announced the names of 10 men chosen by the self-appointed committee which had been in charge of the plans up to that date. Speaking for the old committee, he placed before the mass meeting for approval the following committee to be empowered to proceed with the work on the project until a permanent organization shall have been formed: Hal Price Headley, chairman; Brownell Combs, Victor K.
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more to the people of Blue Grass Kentucky. We urge all who can to buy stock when it is ofered.” APRIL 27: “Te breakfast which the Toroughbred Club of America will hold at Keeneland, site of the proposed model race track now being organized, on the morning of Friday, May 3, will be open to all who are interested in the success of the Keeneland venture … Te date of the breakfast was changed from May 2 to May 3 in order that the program might be broadcast over Lexington’s WLAP in conjunction with that station’s all-day celebration. Te club decided also to extend an open invitation to all Kentuckians and visitors who are genuinely interested in the success of the efort to establish a model race track on the plant whose construction has been brought to its present state by its owner, J.O. Keene. All those who attend will be guests of the club. “Te breakfast hours will be from 9 to 11 a.m. Te radio program will extend from 10:15 to 10:45 o’clock … Te
While the grandstand took shape, the sycamore, which would become a Keeneland icon, was among the shrubs and trees that were planted.
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Dodge, A.B. Gay, A.B. Hancock Jr., Frazer LeBus, Silas B. Mason, Tomas Piatt, L.B. Shouse Sr., Jack S. Young.” APRIL 27: In his editorial, Cromwell wrote: “… important steps have been and are being taken in the movement to establish at J.O. Keene’s Keeneland Farm an ideal racing plant to be operated the reverse of the usual American institution of the kind. “Sportsmanship, rather than commercialism, is paramount with the leaders in this new movement which is intended to make for Blue Grass Kentucky a show window, as it were, for this section’s great Toroughbred horse industry. … “Te 21 Kentuckians who have been
chosen to be directors of the new organization have close contact and identifcation with the sport of racing and the production of Toroughbred horses. Te three ofcers who will have the larger part in the management of the plant and the conduct of meetings are especially well chosen and well equipped. “Te president, Hal Price Headley, succeeded his father, the late Hal P. Headley, in the ownership of Beaumont Farm, Lexington, and the stud of Toroughbreds that he had established thereon, with the splendid winner, Ornament, as its head, and he has expanded the acreage and broadened the bloodlines until he has produced more really good horses than his father bred.” Te editorial continues with praise for vice president Jack S. Young and secretary Brownell Combs. “Keeneland Association is well ofcered and is in good hands. Te movement means much more to all who are interested in Toroughbred horses and
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IN THE OCT. 24, 1936 ISSUE, The Blood-Horse reported on Keeneland’s opening day of the inaugural meet and the early days of the season: “Keeneland, the Blue Grass country’s splendid gesture toward returning racing to its old traditions of sportsmanship, opened Thursday, October 15, with all the benedictions of nature. The weather was fair and warm, the track fast. Approximately 8,000 were in the crowd, which saw the frst feld, led by Joe Moran on his pony with the coach dog spotting, parade to the post. …”
W.T. Bishop, a recent graduate of the University of Kentucky school of commerce, in charge. Te telephone number at the ofce is 2128. OCT. 26: Te Blood-Horse reported on the purchase by the American Turf Association, owner of Churchill Downs, Latonia Jockey Club in Covington, Kentucky, and Lincoln Fields Jockey Club in Crete, Illinois, of a stock subscription of $2,500 in the Keeneland Association as explained in a letter from ATA president Col. Matt Winn to Beard. Te two daily Lexington papers printed the letter.
Keeneland’s frst race was a $1,000 event for 2-year-old fllies at six furlongs. Winning by four lengths was John Hay Whitney’s Royal Raiment, a daughter of *Royal Minstrel ridden by Johnny Gilbert and trained by J.W. Healy. The following May, Royal Raiment was second to eventual 3-year-old champion flly Dawn Play in the Acorn Stakes at Belmont Park. FIRST POST: 2 p.m. NUMBER OF RACES: 7 ATTENDANCE: approximately 8,000 HANDLE: $74,639
KEENELAND LIBRARY
gathering, coming the day afer the sale at the Lexington Sales Paddock and the day before the running of the Kentucky Derby at Louisville, is expected to attract a large crowd of men and women from all parts of the country.” MAY 11: “Some 500 Kentuckians and their visitors from various other sections of the country gathered at J.O. Keene’s Keeneland … Visitors who had not seen the place before viewed it with even more amazement, and heard with even more amazement, the mellifuous oratory of Edwin P. Morrow, former governor of Kentucky, as he painted the glorious past of Keeneland and made for it an even more glorious future as the site of a model race track. Mint juleps and breakfast were served … and several hours were spent in the inspection of the magnifcent plant whose completion is contemplated in connection with the movement to establish there a no-proft racing venture for sport only. Te speaking program was broadcast over Lexington’s Station WLAP. Governor Morrow, introduced by Commonwealth’s Attorney James Park, did not stint himself in approving the Keeneland project. …” SEPT. 7: “Te Keeneland Association, organized last spring to bring racing back to Lexington on a no-proft, sport-for-sport’s-sake basis, now holds a deed to approximately 145 acres of Keeneland, ancestral home of the Keene family in Fayette County. Te property was transferred by John Oliver Keene last Tursday afernoon, August 29, at a conference between him and members
of the Keeneland Association executive committee, held at the First National Bank and Trust Company, Lexington. By the terms of the contract, Mr. Keene was paid $130,000 and interest from June 15, 1935, plus $10,000 worth of preferred stock in the new association, for the land and improvements, which include a race track, an unfnished indoor training track, a great stone building, and a water system. Possession has already been given.” “An ofce of the Keeneland Association was opened at the track … with
John Hay Whitney’s Royal Raiment won Keeneland’s frst race.
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1936: SPRING OPENING MOVED TO FALL
FEB. 15: “All through the fall and winter Hal Price Headley … had been driving hard to fnish the new Lexington racing plant in time for an inaugural meeting in April of this year. Since Christmas he has been faced with the hardest winter in a generation of Kentuckians. Work has frozen to a standstill for weeks.” At a meeting of Keeneland directors, Headley gave the “press a carefully worded statement,” which included,
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(Winn’s letter and the American Turf Association’s purchase) “indicate that Keeneland will have the active support of the powerful organization which has had the principal control of racing in the State in recent years. Tey indicate also, Te Blood-Horse believes, that the American Turf Association sees in Keeneland a potential beginning of a movement which may restore to Kentucky a larger share of leadership in the afairs of the Turf than is now enjoyed by the State which is the stronghold of the breeding industry. While the country as a whole has seen racing spreading luxuriantly, Kentucky, which had the seniority, the tradition, and the prestige which would have allowed her to help in setting the standards for the development of the sport in other states, declined any such honor and retired to the rear rank. In racing itself Kentucky’s role is now negligible, except for one great race in the spring, one important 2-year-old fxture in the fall, and a few other moderate events.”
“The Blood-Horse offers belated compliments to the editors of the souvenir magazine published a few weeks ago in the interest of Keeneland.” This publication evolved into Keeneland magazine.
A postcard shows off the separate grandstand (left) and clubhouse (that would be linked in time for the 1963 fall meet). Below, horses head to the track to train before opening day.
“MOST ENCOURAGING of all was the manner in which lovers of the Thoroughbred flocked to Keeneland from different parts of the country,” wrote The Blood-Horse in an editorial in the Oct. 31, 1936, issue. “The new track, a beautiful setting for the full enjoyment of a great sport, became at its very beginning the scene of a reunion. No more representative crowds were ever seen at a Lexington track, we feel quite safe in saying.” In the column “A Stud Farm Diary” in the Nov. 7, 1936, issue, author “Nothing Venture” wrote in his entry for Oct. 22: “Went racing at Keeneland with the editor of this journal in the afternoon, and what a spot it is! … Was surprised at the cosmopolitan crowd I saw at the track and it seemed as though everyone one ever knew was on hand and bent on offering Kentucky’s traditional hospitality. May the vision of those who are responsible for Keeneland never dim, for they have done their job splendidly.”
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“Just now it does not seem possible to get the plant in proper shape for a meeting at that time, although we are still going ahead with everything as rapidly as possible when the weather permits.” “… Newspapermen, reading between the lines, understood his meaning to be: Tere is only a bare possibility of a spring meeting at Keeneland, but as long as a possibility remains we do not wish to announce that there will be no meeting. Te present probability is for Keeneland’s inaugural meeting to be held in the fall. “Despite near-zero weather, work was proceeding this week on the grandstand and club house.” MARCH 14: “Tough plans for a spring meeting at Keeneland … have been virtually abandoned, work at the oval is going forward rapidly. Prolonged bad weather in February threw construction so far behind that the plant could not be completed in time for the proposed April meeting. Recent weeks, however, has seen completion of the steel frame of the grandstand, roofng of the clubhouse, and completion in all particulars of seven of the 14 stables. Work on the track proper will be completed in 10 days, it is believed, and central Kentucky horsemen will be able to train there. Present tentative plans call for an inaugural meeting in September or October.” MAY 16: “Training of horses over the Keeneland Association track … will start on July 1. … Headley … has announced that the plant will be opened for stabling and training horses on that date. Rental charges for the stalls will be $4 monthly.”
Keeneland’s inaugural season covered nine days of racing and featured these jockeys.
INAUGURAL FIGURES SCHEDULE: 9 days of racing on ThursdaySaturday, Oct. 15-17; Monday-Saturday, Oct. 19-24 TOTAL NUMBER OF RACES: 63 TOTAL ATTENDANCE: 25,337 TOTAL HANDLE: $534,497 TOTAL PURSE DISTRIBUTION: $53,500 LEADING OWNER: Hal Price Headley (6 wins) LEADING TRAINER: Duval Headley (6 wins) LEADING JOCKEY: George South (15 wins) SEATING CAPACITY OF GRANDSTAND: about 2,500 SEATING CAPACITY OF CLUBHOUSE: about 500
JUNE 13: “One of the strongest magnets to tourists and sightseers in the Bluegrass this spring and summer is the new Keeneland race track, fve miles from Lexington on the Versailles pike. Hundreds of visitors inspect the plant over the week-ends and many others visit it throughout the week. In addition to work on the clubhouse, grandstand, and other construction, workmen are now pouring concrete foundations for seven more barns. Tese will be ready for carpenters early next week. One of the stables is being erected by Howard Oots, one of the frst horsemen to take advantage of Keeneland’s ofer of ground to owners who wish to erect their own stables.” JULY 4: “Te frst horses actually to be stabled at Keeneland … are those of Hal Price Headley. Eleven horses, including the 3-year-old Aha, and 10 2-year-olds, were sent to the track June 20. … the Headley horses are the frst Toroughbreds to be quartered there since the Association took over the place. …” AUG. 29: “Work on the track continues, though most of the heavy work on the
Date
Race
Winner
Owner
Trainer
Jockey
Oct. 15
$2,000-added Keen Handicap (3yo & up, 6 furlongs)
Myrtlewood
Brownell Combs
R.A. Kindred
George South
Oct. 17
Myrtlewood $2,500-added Ashland Stakes (fllies & mares, 3yo & up, 11⁄16 miles)
Brownell Combs
R.A. Kindred
George South
Oct. 21
$5,000 Breeders’ Stakes (entire horses & mares, 3yo & up, 1¼ miles)
Greentree John M. Stable Gaver
John Gilbert
Oct. 24
$2,500 Lexington White Tie Stakes (2yo, 6 furlongs)
ManhasJohn M. set Stable Gaver
Joseph Cowley
Memory Book
grandstand and club house have been completed. Planting of shrubs and trees, and general removal of traces of the construction work are the chief tasks of the track at present. About 150 horses are now working at the track, and since the plant will accommodate fewer than 600, it is expected that all stables will be taken during the meeting. Some of the horses which race at Keeneland will close their campaigns there, and will winter at the track. …” Te Sept. 5 issue announced the four stakes scheduled for the inaugural fall meet along with the Blue Grass Stakes to be run in the spring of 1937 and the spring of 1938. Te report included that Headley had traveled to the eastern U.S. and “conferred with numerous prominent owners as to their intentions regarding the Keeneland meeting, as did Major L.A. Beard … Both reported a very favorable response …” OCT. 10: “It may be that we have
an exaggerated opinion of the importance of Keeneland because it sits here under our nose, or because it is traditional for the Kentuckian to glorify whatever springs from the soil of Kentucky. Another reason might be the fact that we have seen thousands of the people of central Kentucky and from other sections of the country wandering over the plant as it has developed from a straggly outline to a beautiful race course, and have heard their almost unanimous expressions of admiration and approval. “But on the other hand we refuse to believe that our estimate of Keeneland is overexaggerated.” Te editorial continued with high praise for Headley’s leadership and high hopes for Keeneland a few days before the track’s Oct. 15 opening. “We believe that the people who attend the opening meeting at Keeneland will recognize here a
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tradition of the Turf. As such it has awakened a corresponding idealism in all those who have labored without pay toward establishing it. Now comes the test with reality.” KM Other sources: American Racing Manual for 1937; Keeneland: A Toroughbred Legacy; Te Keeneland Story: A Quarter-Century of Racing in the Finest Tradition, by J.B. Faulconer.
THE “HEROINE OF THE MEETING,” furlong match race against John Hay proclaimed The Blood-Horse, was Whitney’s Miss Merriment to be run with Brownell Combs’ homebred no purse was scheduled for the Oct. 24 Myrtlewood, a brilliant sprinter who closing day. Myrtlewood won by three won three races on the nine days of lengths for her sixth consecutive victory Keeneland’s inaugural season. in the fnal start of her career. On the Oct. 15 opening day, the 4-year“Doing his best not to appear as elatold daughter of Blue Larkspur took the ed as he felt,”The Blood-Horse reported, Keen Handicap by three-quarters of a length.The weather that day “was fair and warm,” reported The Blood-Horse, but soaking rains were about to hit. Myrtlewood was scheduled to run two days later in the Ashland Stakes, and Combs was concerned about the weather. According During Keeneland’s inaugural nine-day race meet, to The Blood-Horse, Brownell Combs’ Myrtlewood won three races — two “Mr. Combs was undestakes and a match race — to close her career. cided whether to run the flly as he had planned, but fnally, “Mr. Combs accepted the trophy, hurried torn between loyalty to Myrtlewood off to show it to Myrtlewood.” and loyalty to Keeneland, decided that Myrtlewood’s excellence continued ‘nothing would happen to her that a as a broodmare. Her daughters included bath wouldn’t cure,’ and let her go to champion Durazna and Kentucky Oaks the post.” winner Miss Dogwood. Her descendants Facing two rivals, she won by 12 include Mr. Prospector and Seattle Slew. lengths. She was inducted into the Racing Hall of Myrtlewood wasn’t done. A sixFame in 1979.
KEENELAND LIBRARY/LEACH COLLECTION
new note in American racing, and will understand that the sport is better for it.” OCT. 17: “Lexington’s new race track — the frst new one the Toroughbred breeding capital has had in more than a hundred years — (opened) Tursday, October 15, and for the frst time since the spring of 1933 central Kentucky will have a race meeting of its own. Te Keeneland plant built by public subscription of funds under a policy of all sport and no proft, has been completed afer months of feverish activity, and, with a reasonable amount of good weather during its nine-day meeting, seems assured of a successful beginning of its new career. An open house, held principally for the purpose of introducing the public to the new totalizator, the frst to be installed in Kentucky, was held last Sunday, and so many people turned out that the management was sorry it had not provided trafc ofcers. Some 15,000 or more went through the plant during the day. “Dry weather has hampered the work at the track for many months, until it seemed impossible even to grow enough rye or grass to make the infeld green, but last week-end the track received its frst soaking rain, and Keeneland promised to be a thing of beauty when its gates were ofcially opened. “On the opening day it will be a question which of the two men is the proudest in Kentucky. For Hal Price Headley, president of Keeneland Association, and the mainspring in the work which has involved the cooperation of many lovers of racing,
it will be the culmination of months of hard work and incessant attention to a complicated task. But for John Oliver Keene it will be the culmination of more than twenty years of planning, working and dreaming of a model racing plant such as Keeneland has turned out to be. Tey will both have many congratulatory hands to shake. “Keeneland was conceived as an ideal a sort of symbol of the great
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HOPE and DESPAIR marked the 1930s in Lexington and beyond By Maryjean Wall
Tis brand-new track appeared as a bright hope in Lexington for better days ahead. Central Kentucky had gone three years without horse racing when Keeneland opened. A racing shutdown in the heart of horse country had been unthinkable, it had seemed, for racing had transpired in the Bluegrass nearly every year since the frst settlers of the 1700s crossed the mountains from the east. But like so many other victims of the Depression, the Kentucky Association track that preceded Keeneland could no longer pay its bills. It closed in 1933. Te horse farms were paying attention: Racing was intertwined with breeding interests, and the Kentucky Association track’s closing was an ominous sign for the horse industry. A 1932 newspaper story afrmed that Toroughbred horse interests had sufered heavily in the economic free-fall. Te Kentucky Association track was by no means the only business to fail in Lexington during these times. Soon afer the Depression hit in 1930, a chain department store on Main Street was unable to pay its bills. It closed and sold its inventory. Concern arose among physicians because two-thirds of patients in Kentucky stopped
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KEENELAND LIBRARY/ MCCLURE
he Great Depression was into its sixth year and squeezing the life out of nearly everyone when Keeneland opened in October 1936.
Financial woes forced the closure of the Kentucky Association racetrack in 1933, and it would be three years before Lexington saw Thoroughbred racing again.
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UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY PHOTO ARCHIVES
Downtown Lexington lost a department store during the Great Depression.
UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY PHOTO ARCHIVES
paying their doctors. Federal and local authorities tried to reassure Lexington that its agricultural-based economy was not sufering to the extent that industrial centers were, but few locals were ready to swallow these platitudes. Women “at home” in residential neighborhoods told of men showing up at their back doors, begging for a sandwich because they had nothing to eat. Te city asked property owners to donate land the year before Keeneland opened to be used for “relief gardens,” where the unemployed could grow summer vegetables for their tables. Te Lexington Public Library added a new book to its shelves: “How to Get a Job During a Depression.” Te city put a number of unemployed men to work painting house numbers on street curbs. One rare bright light during the Depression’s early years brought Lexington international distinction: In 1933 Tomas Hunt Morgan, raised in Lexington, received the Nobel Prize for his research conducted at Cornell University. Nonetheless, the decade dragged on for the masses. And it seemed the gods of chance were piling misery upon misery, not just in Lexington. Te western states had sufered through their Dust Bowl and later, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Illinois, Ohio, and Kentucky contended with the Ohio River Great Flood. Te river spilled over its banks in January 1937, three months following Keeneland’s opening. Overnight, Lexington found itself serving as a relief center, a role it could fulfll as it was not situated on the river. In Louisville alone, 175,000 residents were evacuated and 70 percent of the city
Hungry, out-of-work men lined up outside a Lexington soup kitchen.
lay under water. Federal and state resources already were strained with the cost of fnancial aid recovery. Now came the foodwaters, caused by heavy rains. All levels of government reached down deeper to assist the fooded regions. Lexington knew all about foods: Te city had experienced a food of its own in August 1932, when three feet of water covered Main Street. But the Ohio River Great Flood was on a scale far beyond Lexington’s food, for it afected multiple
states and a far greater population. When the Great Flood occurred, U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt’s administration had been putting as many people as possible back to work through the “New Deal.” Te Depression and the New Deal programs rolled out during a time when American culture and intellectual thinking marched to a drum beat diferent than in modern times. One example was the philosophy behind the U.S.
Narcotic Farm, which opened on 1,000 acres on Leestown Pike in May 1935, a year and a half before Keeneland opened. Te hospital represented a vastly different way of providing “rehab”: Addicted persons seeking rehabilitation were housed directly with criminals found guilty on drug charges. Both demographics received experimental treatments. Times and thinking have changed, but NARCO, as people called the hospital, was a huge provider of jobs and seen as a success during the New Deal era. Te $5 million facility was described at the time as the largest construction project ever undertaken in Lexington. NARCO created jobs — and a temporary residential community of well-known jazz musicians who sought rehab at the facility. Te hospital was said to have the best jazz band in the country any time
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PUSH FOR MODERNITY Lexington was moving forward into modern times with its new racetrack. If this was not enough to raise spirits, the possibility of a new airport was picking up interest. Te city needed a modern airport, a facility capable of serving a rising population and, perhaps, the interest of the military if the United States was pushed into war. Te original airfeld serving Lexington was a landing strip (Halley Field) in what is now the residential subdivision of Meadowthorpe along Leestown Road. Ten, in 1934,
Lexington took an option on land called Glengarry Farm on Newtown Pike. Tis occurred with the help of New Deal job creation programs. Te Civil Works Administration (CWA) built a landing feld at Glengarry Farm. Most of the work was completed by January 1935, allowing the newly named “Glengarry Field” to open in July of that year. Te expected shif in operations from Meadowthorpe’s Halley Field to Glengarry Field never happened. Most aircraf continued to use Halley Field because the new landing feld on Newtown Pike did not have hangars, restrooms, and telephones; lights for night landings; or a fuel pumping station. Te latter meant planes were refueled from fve-gallon gas cans hand-carried from a pump. Te new presence of Keeneland undoubtedly had something to do with the push for a more modern landing feld — one capable of fying horses to the track or nearby farms. And the horse industry did become entwined with the new airfeld proposed for 600 acres on Versailles Road, now Blue Grass Airport (originally Blue Grass Field). But the horse industry did not become a part of the process in the
UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY PHOTO ARCHIVES
UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY; HUNT-MORGAN HOUSE DEPOSIT PHOTOGRAPHS
Lexington native Thomas Hunt Morgan won the Nobel Prize for genetic research.
musicians were in residence. A new post ofce and courthouse also went up in Lexington on Barr Street. Te other major success during that decade was Keeneland. Te site for the new racetrack became a possibility only because the original landowner, Jack Keene, was hurt by hard times. With his fnances in free-fall, Keene ofered the search group 148 acres on his family farm, throwing in his stone barn (now part of the clubhouse), his private track, and a 100,000-gallon water tower. Te group paid him $130,000 and another $10,000 in stock in the new racing association.
The Great Flood of 1937 put 70 percent of Louisville under water.
UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY PHOTO ARCHIVES
A new post offce and courthouse went up in downtown Lexington in 1936.
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COOK/KEENELAND LIBRARY
way people might have expected. Blue Grass Airport: an American Aviation Story told how Warren Wright Sr., then owner of Calumet Farm, sought to block the airport from the site on Versailles Road. Wright launched a protest, and others including Leslie Combs II and Peter A. B. Widener II (whose farms were on the opposite side of the city) signed a petition Wright initiated opposing the new site. Te petitioners cited “trafc from Keeneland and the airport, noise and the potential construction of roadside taverns that may become ‘eyesores.’ ” Te petition never went anywhere. Te New Deal’s Civil Aeronautics Authority (CAA) released construction funds and 50 men hired through the Works Progress Administration (WPA) began clearing the land. Ten, strangely, Calumet Farm’s Wright Sr. did a complete turnaround, ofering his services to the new facility. Te
THE GREAT DEPRESSION took its to ride Gallant Fox in the 1930 Triple toll on countless horse people, among Crown races. Sande grabbed at this them three-time Kentucky Derby offer and won the Triple Crown. Two winning jockey Earl Sande. Pulitzer years later, in 1932, Sande retired again Prize-winning author Damon Runyan, from race-riding. He took up traina fan of Thoroughbred racing, called ing horses (and was leading trainer Sande the greatest jockey to come in money won six years later), but along in some 90 years. Sande truly whatever economic gains came from was right up there with all the household names from sports when he was in his heyday during the 1920s. He was the equal of Babe Ruth, Jack Dempsey, Knute Rockne, and the Four Horsemen of Notre Dame, as noted in an article in the magazine American Heritage. Sande won a pair of Kentucky Derbies in the 1920s: on Zev in 1923 and on Flying Ebony in Earl Sande rode Gallant Fox in the 1930 Triple 1925. But he did not have Crown races. another Derby mount after riding runner-up, Osmand, in 1927. And therein lies a this experience, they did not last. In Depression story, as author James the 1940s Sande was living in one room Nicholson wrote in his book, The Kenover a bar on Long Island. Needing tucky Derby. money, he came out of retirement still Sande had absolutely no ability to again, in 1953, to reprise his jockey manage his money and died broke at career. He dropped his weight from 138 age 69 in 1968. Nicholson revealed an pounds to 115. He won only one race. interesting footnote to this unfortuYou could make the argument easily nate trait of Sande’s: the jockey had that Sande was his own enemy when suffered hard losses in the stock it came to money. Or you could argue market crash of 1929. While it is not that the 1929 crash and the Great Deknown if the crash sent Sande into a pression had contributed to Sande’s complete fnancial tailspin, it must fnancial ruin that lasted the rest of his have damaged his cash fow immenselife. Keeneland horsemen and racing ly, as it sent him back to work. fans knew his story, as Sande won the Sande had largely retired from Blue Grass Stakes twice as a trainrace-riding sometime after that 1927 er, in 1937 and 1939. They might have Kentucky Derby. The crash two years shaken their heads sadly when they later had him in desperate straits – learned of his death. Any number of until horse owner William Woodward them would have had their own stories Sr. offered Sande a lifeline. Woodward of struggle during Keeneland’s frst asked Sande to come out of retirement few years.
SPECIAL PLACE
SPECIAL MEET
SPECIAL
CARE
T HE PE RF ECT
Maybe it’s the excitement around the track’s 85th anniversary. Or maybe it’s the anticipation
PL ACE FO R
of having seats flled to capacity for the frst time since 2019.
S PEC IALI STS
Tere’s just something about Keeneland that makes it synonymous with all we love
L I K E US .
about our sport – but it’s even more special this Fall. Te horses that run here deserve something equally special, like our team that provides specialty care such as ophthalmology, acupuncture, imaging and more. We can care for your horse in ways that others simply can’t, enabling them to do something on the track that is truly... special.
H A G Y A R D . C O M
/
8 5 9 . 2 5 5 . 8 7 4 1
BROWNIE LEACH PHOTO
Financial problems forced Jack Keene to sell the land that became Keeneland.
the nation. Memories of the Depression did not dim, however. Stories of individual struggles and fnancial horrors continued to circulate.
EMERGING FROM THE GREAT DEPRESSION Te Toroughbred industry was not immune. In 1932 the Lexington Leader made a grim observation about horse racing and breeding: “Like every other industry, thoroughbred horse interests sufered heavily from the fnancial
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BLOOD-HORSE LIBRARY
Clockwise from above, Halley Field served as Lexington’s frst landing strip. Calumet Farm owner Warren Wright (shown with wife, Lucille) initially opposed the construction of Blue Grass Field. In 1942 a U.S. Army B-25 bomber was the frst plane to land at the new airport.
HERALD-LEADER ARCHIVE PHOTO
UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY PHOTO ARCHIVES
mayor of Lexington responded by appointing him to an advisory committee of the airport board. An ofcial had predicted that the airport “should materially increase the commercial interests of horsemen in the Bluegrass area,” and a decade following Keeneland’s opening this prediction became reality. Te frst horse few by air from Lexington in 1946. Four years earlier, in June 1942, the frst aircraf landed at Blue Grass Field: an Army Air Corps B-25 bomber, six months following the bombing at Pearl Harbor, which had taken the United States into World War II. By this time, American factories had converted to war industries, putting people back to work. Te jobs trickled down to Lexington, where there wasn’t much in the way of industry, but the economy had improved as it had across
depression. Nor has the racing game recovered from the efect…” Despite the pall, a group of men led by Hal Price Headley, founder of Beaumont Farm, searched for suitable land on which to build a new race course. Teir quest might have seemed foolhardy during the stagnant 1930s. But almost in defance of Depression Era expectations, and the Lexington Leader, racing was doing better across the country than it ever had. During the 1930s the number of racetracks increased by 70 percent, up to 300 from the 25 operating in 1908. Perhaps because horse racing gave Americans a respite from worrying about the present and future, racing experienced a rebirth. California legalized betting on horses in 1933. Seabiscuit emerged as a superstar. Newly opened tracks included Santa Anita in 1934 with the Santa Anita Handicap inaugurated in 1935 (“$100,000 to the winner!” screamed a poster advertising the race). By 1936 when Keeneland opened, New Deal back-to-work initiatives along with a few new places of employment, like the federal narcotics hospital, might have been just the shot of hope Lexington needed to ease lingering economic
Casual Elegance
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THE BLUE GRASS TRUST for Historic Preservation recently launched its virtual tour of the historic East End of Lexington, the site of the old Kentucky Association Race Track and an area rich in the history of African American horsemen such as Isaac Murphy, Ed Brown, and Jimmy Winkfeld Keeneland provided support for the project through its purchase of the Curatescape framework that enables a mobile, multimedia virtual tour of East End neighborhoods, businesses, streets, and the homes of distinguished citizens. “The Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation is grateful for Keeneland’s sponsorship of our frst virtual walking tour,” BGT Preservation Specialist Brittany Sams said. “The focus on the historic East End highlights stories and individuals connected to the equine industry in Kentucky, the national music scene, the historic landscape, and the community of Lexington itself.” “Keeneland is honored to collaborate
with the Blue Grass Trust on this initiative to showcase the historic East End and to celebrate its role and the contributions to horse racing by the African American community who lived and worked there,” Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said. “Keeneland is closely tied to the old Kentucky Association track; fve of our current stakes races, including the oldest stakes race in the U.S., the Phoenix, originated there. Preserving this history as a service to the community is in keeping with Keeneland’s mission.” The virtual walking tour can be located at the Blue Grass Trust’s website or by downloading the “Tour the Historic Bluegrass” mobile app from the Apple App Store or Google Play. Thirty-two sites highlight the old Kentucky Association Race Track, which closed in 1933, and the African American horsemen who enjoyed great success there. The Equestrian View Neighborhood and the William Wells
Brown Elementary School and Community Center now occupy the old track’s footprint. The tour also includes the African Cemetery No. 2, which dates back to the early 1800s, and describes the homes and lives of East End residents. A photo, a description, and a Google map “pin” on the Tour the Historic Bluegrass app represent each site. Tour participants also will learn about the lives and infuence of those who were once part of the East End community and its historic African American churches, schools, entertainment venues, medical offces, and other business enterprises. Interwoven in the tour commentary are the biographies of its prominent citizens: educator and coach Sanford Roach, West Point graduate Col. Charles Young, physician Dr. Thomas Wendell, pharmacist and entrepreneur Dr. Zirl Palmer, developer and building contractor Garrett David Wilgus, abolitionist Winn Gunn, composer Julia Perry, and jazz musician Les McCann.
The Isaac Murphy Memorial Art Garden honors the famous jockey and his fellow 19th-century African American horsemen.
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The Junior League Charity Horse Show began in 1937.
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a promoter and an entrepreneur, he was fnger-lickin’ good for the attention he brought Kentucky as eventually Kentucky Fried Chicken became known around the world. Sanders’ rise to prominence closely followed the story of yet another Kentucky Colonel, Matt Winn. Winn had been working his marketing magic at Churchill Downs long before Sanders donned his white suit, although Winn was still going strong in the 1930s. His eforts benefted from rising media attention to the Triple Crown in the 1930s, and for some years “Colonel” Winn was the face of Churchill Downs and the Derby. Back in Lexington, some residents made the trip to Louisville for the Derby but closer to home found additional Depression-era entertainment. Troughout the 1930s the Colored Fair, which highlighted the achievements of African Americans, had continued its longstanding operation. Meantime, Joyland Park
UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY PHOTO ARCHIVES
UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY PHOTO ARCHIVES LEXINGTON HERALD-LEADER
UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY PHOTO ARCHIVES
woes. Besides, Lexington residents appreciated the horse. Te Lexington Junior League Charity Horse Show opened in 1937 and has operated every year since. Keeneland, and the horse show, fourished. Opening the same year as the horse show was a factory operated by Meyers Brothers for the manufacture of fne riding apparel and sportswear. Keeneland and the horse show both benefted from the nationwide end of Prohibition in 1933. Tis was a boon for the two venues as many felt a shot of good bourbon was the tonic they’d been missing at public gatherings. With Kentuckians establishing new traditions by attending Keeneland or the Junior League Horse Show, still another Depression development morphed into a popular tradition. Tis was Kentucky Fried Chicken, frst ofered at a flling station in Corbin by one Harland Sanders, who never met an opportunity he found impossible to promote. In 1936, the tireless and irrepressible Sanders acquired a title he would manipulate to his beneft until his death decades later: that of Kentucky Colonel. As
Clockwise from top left, Joyland Park attracted fun seekers; a program from the Lexington Colored Fair; the Bluegrass Troubadours were a popular band.
retained its popularity with the masses. Te amusement park had opened in 1923 on Paris Pike and included the Club Joy Dance and Casino, where live entertainment performed at the Dance and Casino (there was no betting), including Te Bluegrass Troubadours, Smoke Richardson and his Orchestra, and Duke Ellington and Artie Shaw. People might have sufered in their pocketbooks but they still wanted entertainment. Te Great Depression ended with the United States’ entry into World War II. But as far back as 1936, Lexington might have seen a preview of the Depression coming to an end when Keeneland opened. Te return of racehorses to the Bluegrass culture was a celebrated moment obliterating the dark cloud of the era, a return to normalcy for Kentucky. Despite ups and downs, that normalcy has continued for 85 consecutive years at Keeneland, which proved, despite hard times, it was not such a crazy idea afer all. KM
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Pat Costello, left, and Gabriel Duignan have taken Paramount Sales to the top.
RECORD of
EXCELLENCE Successful yearling consignor Paramount Sales has produced graduates that win at racing’s highest levels By Lenny Shulman | Photos by Amy Lanigan
Gabriel Duignan checks a yearling destined for the auction ring.
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By Louis Guida Photos by Lee Thomas
PHOTO CREDIT
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Despite their COVID-19-required masks last September, Costello and Duignan were familiar faces at the Keeneland sale. Right, Costello accompanied Enaya Alrabb into the Keeneland sales pavilion, where the mare soon topped the 2020 January horses of all ages sale.
E
ven though it is a rare fallow moment on the Toroughbred sales schedule — in between the end of 2-year-old sales and before the kickof of yearling auctions — the Lexington ofce of Paramount Sales is bustling with action. Tere are yearling inspection appointments to oversee and consignments to update. Yet the atmosphere is one of airy confdence.
Liz Moloney, accountant and minority partner, razzes principals Pat Costello and Gabriel Duignan for having forgotten about an interview appointment the previous week. Sales coordinator Andrea Greathouse jokes she has a photo of Costello and Duignan mucking stalls that could be used on a magazine cover. Costello and Duignan embrace the camaraderie with the ease of 20 years’ experience at their backs plus the confdence that comes with excellence over time, and a track record right there in black and white to prove it. For all of its two decades, Paramount has been a top 10 consignor at the signature Keeneland September sale, where it annually ofers approximately 200 yearlings under its banner. Costello and Duignan have seen a
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Costello met the press after a Paramount sale horse brought a high price.
In affiliation with Keeneland and Cross Gate Gallery
Fe aturi ng Fi ne Spor t i n g Ar t , Am er i c a n Pa i n ti ngs a nd S c ul p t u re KE EN EL A ND R ACE COURSE | L EX IN GTON, KE NTUCKY
Henry Stull (American, 1851-1913), A MATCH RACE, 1912, Oil on canvas, 24” x 29”
Sunday, November 21, 2021 For more information visit: www.thesportingartauction.com
Te Sporting Art Auction 4201 Versailles Road, Lexington, Kentucky 40510 Phone: 859 233-3856 | info@thesportingartauction.com
RECORD of
steady stream of graduates go on to glory at racetracks DISTINGUISHED GRADUATES both domestic and international. From their yearling and weanling oferings have emerged Kentucky Derby victor Nyquist; Belmont Stakes winners Da’ Tara and Union Rags; Two Tousand Guineas conqueror Kameko; Breeders’ Cup winners Four Wheel Drive, Bulletin, Take Charge Brandi, George Vancouver, and Forever Together; and Toyota Blue Grass Stakes winner Brody’s Cause. At least 16 grade/group 1 winners have come from the Paramount shedrow, making it imperative for any serious buyers to cast their net among its candidates. Tat Costello and Duignan (the latter most readily known as “Spider”) have the ability to recognize a good horse is no surprise. Both emigrated from Ireland to the U.S. in the 1980s and have decades of experience. Costello began here by developing and managing Crescent Hill Farm before starting Drumkenny Farm, attracting such top-shelf clients as Canada’s Sam-Son Farm, for which he boarded and Graduates of Paramount Sales include Take Charge Brandi, the 2014 Breeders’ foaled out mares. Duignan made his way managing Cup Juvenile Fillies winner and that year’s 2-year-old flly champion. Circle O and Ironwood farms before he and Costello teamed up with Ted Campion and established Te Lads, a pinhooking partnership that grew steadily and successfully for a decade. Teir various pinhooking partnerships have continued for 30 years, which speaks to their talent for selecting bloodstock.
CHAD B. HARMON
EXCELLENCE
In 2001 Taylor Made Farm, Castleton Lyons, and Gaines-Gentry banded together to form Paramount, with Costello and Duignan as minority partners. Te pair eventually bought out the others, and today Paramount’s consignments include oferings from industry heavyweights such as Coolmore/Ashford, Lee and Susan Searing’s C R K Racing, Castleton Lyons, and the produce that comes of Duignan’s Springhouse Farm on Lexington’s Tates Creek Road. “Tey have sold for Castleton at major sales since Paramount was founded and have done a successful job down through the years,” noted Castleton Lyons general manager Pat Hayes. “Whether it’s advising us of which sale to go to or getting the job done once you’re at the sales grounds, they’re easy to deal with and very practical. Tey know all the major players in the game and are always up to speed with what’s going on at the sale. We get great feedback from them at all times.” Although the past year has brought with it considerable market uncertainty, a cautious optimism emanates from Costello and
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EDWARD WHITAKER/RACING POST
Cautious optimism
In 2020 Kameko won the QIPCO Two Thousand Guineas.
Duignan as they discuss Toroughbred commerce entering the current yearling auction season. “It was a tougher season going through the [COVID-19] pandemic last year,” noted Costello. “I think we all had more horses in the 2-year-old sales this year than in other years, but we eventually got to sell them.”
SKIP DICKSTEIN COADY PHOTOGRAPHY
Above, Union Rags won the 2012 Belmont Stakes. Left, Nyquist’s résumé included the 2016 Kentucky Derby and the previous year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.
ence i r e p x E
COADY PHOTOGRAPHY
garden to plate
Brody’s Cause commanded the 2016 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes.
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EXCELLENCE Added Duignan, “If you had talked to me this time [summer] last year, I would have been bracing for a bad year, so it probably turned out better than we anticipated. We adjusted and set our sights lower and survived it. Even though it was a tough year, I thought it could have been worse.” With foal crops continuing a trend of decline since the recession of a dozen years ago, demand has grown to exceed supply, strengthening the prices that buyers must pay for desirable stock at auction. “Te 2-year-old sales this year were amazing, and I think we’ll see that carry on into the yearling sales,” said Costello. “We’re looking for a positive year because there is great demand out there for racehorses. At Oaklawn Park’s meet this spring, they set a record of $9 million spent on claims. Tat’s now carrying over to Churchill Downs. It’s getting nearly impossible to claim horses. Tere’s 10 people in on desirable ones. I believe, with this sort of demand, that it’s exciting times coming ahead for Keeneland and down the road.” If demand remains at this level, the result could be an uptick in future foal crops. “Tat’s where it all starts, with demand,” Duignan acknowledged. “If there’s demand, people will put mares back into production because it makes sense to do so.” Certain economic factors have been driving up interest in racing as well. Te continued strength of the stock market and the rebound of oil — a business that includes many participants in the
Duignan and Costello rely on colleagues, from left, Liz Moloney, Andrea Greathouse, and Lesley Campion at Paramount.
Toroughbred industry — have aided the cause. “Tere is no question that the stock market helped everybody get along through the pandemic,” Duignan noted. “Tat and oil being strong are key. So, we have some positive things. Depreciation is another huge factor. If you can go depreciate a horse 100 percent, that’s 30 percent you’re not going to lose in taxes. Purses are strong. Te checks that owners are getting are defnitely helping. And then you have the state-bred programs and the bonuses they ofer. It’s lovely to win a grade 1, but it’s also good to get those big checks.” With connections and experience on both sides of the Atlantic, Costello and Duignan expressed optimism that at least some international participation at the sales will tick up afer pandemic travel restrictions caused many principals not to travel last year. “While the domestic market looks strong and Europeans should be OK to travel by September, I’m a little worried about the situation in Japan,” Duignan stated earlier this summer. “Just going by
Paramount uses the round pen as part of its program to prepare a yearling for sale.
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EXCELLENCE
Duignan has built a broodmare band at his Springhouse Farm, and their offspring, such as this yearling, provide a sizable part of the Paramount sales consignment. Longtime staff on the farm and at the sales ensure their teamwork does not go unnoticed by buyers.
what’s happening in the lead-up to the Olympics, they seem to be lagging behind a bit with vaccinations. However, they did participate in the 2-year-old sales, in some cases by using agents.” Asked about some of the changes they’ve seen over 20 years of selling horses, Costello noted new procedures put in place because of the pandemic are likely to become permanent. He pointed to how potential buyers can now look at horses remotely before compiling their short lists and ultimately deciding on their purchases. “Today, we’re taking video of the horses walking, a direct result of the COVID restrictions,” he said. “Bidding and buying horses online, that is here to stay to an extent as well. I think the agents will always be coming around to look at horses on the farm and at the sales, but some of the principals might stay home and watch videos and tell agents which ones they want him/her to look at. Some will continue bidding online. We sold quite a few that way last year.” Te proliferation of partnerships has also had a profound efect on all aspects of the industry, and represents a double-edged sword. “At the top end at sales, it might be a bit of a negative with so many people partnering up,” allowed Duignan. “It would be better for sellers and consignors if they were bidding against each other. Now, you can have a diferent vet representing each partner, and you see four of them sitting together and comparing notes. Tat’s not always good. Tat is part of people’s business plan trying to get that Derby horse or that stallion, and I understand it. But I’d still
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prefer if they were bidding against each other. “On the other hand, you can look at people who started of with [partnership groups] West Point or Eclipse Toroughbreds and have now gone on and formed ofshoots from there and have become bigger players on their own. Tose things, and the Australian plan, have helped. Racing is still a very big sport down there. And it’s driven by syndicates. You get in a taxi and the driver owns a horse. Everyone in Australia owns a piece of a racehorse.” Added Costello, “It’s the MyRacehorse model. It’s exciting when people can own a piece of a Derby winner like Authentic. Tat can lead to people getting further into the game.” Turf horses represent another potential growth segment of the market that Paramount is embracing. New York has instituted a series of high-purse stakes races for both genders on the grass, and Saratoga is carding just as many turf races as dirt races. “Te market for turf horses has changed in the past couple of years,” said Costello. “Turf horses were a dirty word [in North America] for many years. Not anymore.” “Turf runners tend to be sounder and stay around longer,” added Duignan. “You can run for huge purses in places like Kentucky Downs and New York, and they are worth more than they were a decade ago. You get a good-looking Kitten’s Joy, and you can sell him for top dollar. And there’s room for some younger turf sires to come in. You have to give a horse like [Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf
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RECORD of
EXCELLENCE winner] Oscar Performance a shot. He was a very good racehorse and had speed. His frst crop are yearlings now, and we have a few by him in the Keeneland sale. I’m all in on him.”
Brody’s Cause, a millionaire who won the Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland as well as the Toyota Blue Grass, and Duignan has also co-bred Pick of the Litter, who took the 2014 Hagyard Fayette Stakes, setting a track record at Keeneland for 1⅛ miles in the process; Jo Jo Relationship building Air, who won turf stakes at both Churchill Downs and Del Mar; and Te building of relationships, both internally and with clients, has current 2-year-old Lucci, who won frst time out sprinting on the Belbeen a major driver of Paramount’s success in the sales arena. Account mont Park turf and earned a trip to Royal Ascot, where he led most of manager Lesley Campion has been key in bringing new clients to the the way before fnishing ffh in the Norfolk Stakes. fold. Moloney brings a life’s worth of experience, hailing from a family “A lot of my mares get sold when they get good,” said Duignan with that has long worked for Ireland’s legendary Ballymacoll Stud. Great- a chuckle, “so I now have a lot of young ones carrying their second or house interacts with the various sale houses to help the third foals.” operation run smoothly. Asked about what he looks for when identifying “Our people have been with us for years. We have mares to bring into his band, Duignan frst pointed to become kind of a family,” Costello said. “We all know the requirement that the mare be physically pleasing, what we have to do, and we do it. And we have a simbefore adding, “I love those deep families, like those ilar situation with the 40 or so crew who work the Phipps families. Even if they’re down for a couple WE’RE IN Keeneland sale. Most of them have been with us 15, 18 of generations, they can come back. If you can buy a years. We work so well together, and I think our clients THIS FOR THE good-looking individual out of one of those families, see that too.” the genes are there. Phipps. King Ranch. Elmendorf. LONG HAUL, Trust is huge when trying to forge repeat business “And more and more, if you can get a good broodover time, and Paramount has earned that from its mare sire, those statistics don’t lie. Bernardini, Smart AND THAT’S Strike, Distorted Humor, Giant’s Causeway. Unbridled’s customers through the years. “We build up a rapport where they know we’re Malibu Moon, I think. Tose mares are going to AN ADVAN- Song. not going to put them on a bad horse,” said Duignan. make you look smarter.” “Buyers have to feel comfortable. We’re in this for the It’s also smart to be able to identify up-and-coming TAGE…” long haul, and that’s an advantage, being around as sires before the rest of the market comes around to long as we have. When a buyer asks a question, they them. Duignan employed Not Tis Time, for example, —Gabriel Duignan know they’re going to get an honest answer. and was rewarded with Lucci. He also bred to Practi“We have buyers who say, ‘Bring me out what I need cal Joke and Classic Empire ahead of the curve and has to see.’ We know what they want, and that’s a bit of a comfort level for seen their progeny heat up on the racetrack and in the sales ring. them.” “You have to prospect the next big thing,” he noted, “because when Added Costello, “Over the years you know what type of horse a lot they’re proven, you’re looking at a big stud fee.” of the buyers want, so there’s no point in showing them one they’re not Added Costello, “You can’t send 10 mares to Into Mischief. He’s a going to like.” rich man’s horse now.” Trust has also allowed Costello and Duignan to be politic with ownBoth men expressed great anticipation for working with Keeneers when discussing the relative merits of their horses. land’s latest sales team, as fellow Irishman Tony Lacy begins a new “I have a tough time trying to sell cheaper horses for people, and administration with the retirement of sales director Geofrey Russell. we’ve learned over time not to try to recruit certain horses,” Costello Finished with their interview, Costello and Duignan spring from noted. “Everyone’s crop isn’t going to turn out the way they planned, their conference area to catch up with Moloney and Greathouse on and up to a point you have to take the bad with the good, but we try not what they’ve missed in the previous 30 minutes. And take some into look at certain kinds of horses as much anymore.” coming slings and barbs. “We live and breathe horses,” Costello said, explaining the ofMare power fce camaraderie while also summing up why Paramount has for With 70 mares at Springhouse, Duignan’s breeding prowess has so long been able to remain in the top echelon of Toroughbred become a major part of the Paramount consignments. He co-bred consignors. KM
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It’s an enviable assignment: photographing Keeneland racing and sales. Here veteran photographers share some of their favorite Keeneland images.
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C U M B E R L A N D FA L L S S TAT E R E S O RT PA R K C R E AT E S M E M O R AB L E E X P E R I E N C E S W IT H NAT U R E By Rena Baer
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Te exit sign for Cumberland Falls State Resort Park beckons from the I-75 roadside like a cool swimming hole on a steamy summer day. But even better than a quick side trip to the park to break up a long interstate drive is an overnight stay or two and the opportunity to enjoy the multitude of adventures the park ofers. Te main attraction, of course, is the “Niagara of the South.” Cumberland Falls forms a 125-foot wide curtain as the river water thunders over the sandstone ledge, crashing down 65 feet and creating huge clouds of white mist. Te park has several overlooks, including three close enough to the falls for visitors to feel that mist
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Left, visitors can experience the power of Cumberland Falls and even feel the mist on their faces from one of several viewing areas. Below, the falls date back some 10,000 years when Native Americans lived in rock shelters at the base of the cliffs.
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against their faces. It’s an impressive sight that reminds visitors of Mother Nature’s power and grandeur. “Tere is something special about this place, even magical,” said Joe Mounce, the park’s manager. “You can hear it while standing in awe of the falls; you can smell it in the freshness of the forest; and your soul can taste the primal and ancient history of all those who stood before us in wonder of this place. Tere is no other park quite like Cumberland Falls.” Tough the 1,657-acre park became state property in 1931, its primitive history stretches back 10,000 years to when Native Americans lived in rock shelters at the base of the clifs along the Cumberland River, which was once known as the Shawnee River. As
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early as 1650, the Shawnee, Cherokee, Chickasaw, and Creek nations held the area sacred and visited ofen. While exploring Kentucky in 1750, Dr. Tomas Walker named the waterfall afer the Duke of Cumberland. But it wasn’t until 1800 that the Commonwealth of Kentucky ofcially granted ownership to Matthew Walton and Adam Shepard. It changed hands a few more times before being bought by Delaware Sen. Coleman DuPont, a Kentucky native, and given to the state in 1931. Te new ownership change was timely as discussions had been taking place for the Cumberland River Power Company to build a dam above the falls. Te park’s DuPont Lodge is named in his honor. Te Civilian Conservation Corps fnished building the lodge — along with 15 cabins, campsites, picnic areas, roads, and trails — in 1933. A fre destroyed the lodge in 1940, but a new lodge was built in 1941. Its lobby showcases solid hemlock beams, knotty pine paneling, and a massive stone freplace that will take visitors back in time. Te lodge’s expansive patio ofers a sweeping view of the Cumberland River that is almost as breathtaking as the falls, especially in autumn when the surrounding Daniel Boone National Forest turns into a blazing tapestry of reds, oranges, and yellows. Te lodge contains more than 50 guest rooms, with additional cabins and hybrid cabin/guest rooms at the Woodlands bringing the total number to 96 accommodations. Te cabins are fully equipped and include freplaces while the Woodlands rooms are more like efciencies.
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From left, the Cumberland River cuts a swath through the dramatic landscape. The lobby of the DuPont Lodge showcases hemlock beams and a massive stone freplace. The patio offers a sweeping view of the river.
The park offers 20 miles of scenic hiking trails.
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Activities include “gem mining” and an introduction to archery. Fishing, water sports, hiking, and horseback riding give visitors plenty of options for fun.
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Paddlers and kayakers can get a different view of the falls.
MOVING UPSTREAM Visitors will immediately note the huge boulders that line the Cumberland River downstream from the falls and wonder how they got there. Scientists estimate that Cumberland Falls has moved approximately 45 miles since it formed about 2 million years ago. (The oldest measured parts of the modern Kentucky landscape are about 5 million to 10 million years old.) Though people less familiar with geology might assume the migration would be downstream, the falls are actually moving upstream. “Erosion has caused the waterfall to migrate horizontally upstream,” said University of Kentucky research geologist W.M. Andrews. Water pouring over the falls, especially during foods, causes cavities to form beneath the falls, which in turn creates erosion. “This wears away at the rocks at the base of the falls,” he said. “Gradually, the ledge holding the falls gets undermined, and eventually part of it collapses.” As these collapses occur, the falls retreat a bit upstream, leaving a pile of boulders from the falls at its base.
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Te lodge is also equipped to handle smallto medium-sized meetings and banquets. For overnight guests and those weary road warriors taking a break, a meal at DuPont Lodge’s Riverview Restaurant might be just the thing to wind up a stop at the falls, which are 20 miles west of the interstate, southwest of Corbin. Te cornmeal-fried catfsh sandwich on a hoagie bun is popular. For bigger appetites, the Park Burger is a great grilled alternative to stopping at the local Wendy’s or McDonald’s. And there are always Kentucky’s signature hot brown and actual Derby Pie on the menu.
OFF THE BEATEN PATH One of the best things about Cumberland Falls — besides the falls — is everything else that there is to do. “I wish more people knew what the park has to ofer,” said Mounce. “I think too many times visitors miss some great experiences just because they are unaware of everything there is to see and do.” Te park abounds with almost 20 miles of beautiful hiking trails, among them the highly rated Eagle Falls Trail across the river in McCreary County on property also owned by the state. Tough it’s just over two miles out and back, the trail is only recommended for experienced hikers because of elevation changes, obstacles, and the boulder hopping required to get to these falls. It’s not a hike for anyone who doesn’t have solid footing and good footwear. Te trail winds through the forest above the river, at a few points ofering a tremendous view of Cumberland Falls. It descends 44 feet to the river, where hikers follow the orange blazes as they hopscotch from boulder to boulder to get to Eagle Falls. Te efort pays of with an incredibly beautiful waterfall that seems as if it should be somewhere in the Caribbean with its green water and its more secluded location in an alcove of the river. Te roiling pool at the bottom of the falls practically begs sweaty hikers to jump in from the huge boulders
that surround it, but swimming is prohibited. People have been pulled into the river by the current and hurt jumping of rocks. Te park also cannot guarantee the cleanliness of the water. A much easier hike that also pays of with a magnifcent view of a diferent kind is the Pinnacle Fire Tower trail. A half-mile gradual uphill hike leads to an old fre tower that has been lovingly restored. Visitors can climb the tower when a park ranger is present for the most expansive 360-degree views of the Daniel Boone National Forest and see all the way south to Tennessee on a clear day. Te park ranger will share the tower’s history and why it is no longer used: Te state stopped manning the tower in the 1960s when overtime laws were enacted and, as a cost-savings measure, began using helicopter surveillance instead. In addition to ofering hiking, the park also works with a local vendor up the road to provide horseback riding from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. — frst come, frst served — for those 6 years old and up. Te stables are kept very clean and the horses look content. Sheltowee Trace Adventure Resort, just up the road as well, ofers plenty of guided adventure with whitewater rafing trips, including a trip to the falls; canoeing; kayaking; and stand-up paddleboarding to the falls. It also ofers sightseeing cruises aboard the 65-foot, double-decker Cumberland Star Riverboat. Ninety-minute cruises are available, along with two-hour breakfast, lunch, and dinner cruises. Cumberland Falls also provides plenty of educational and recreational programs. Visitors can check with the front desk at the lodge or with the gif shop by the falls to fnd out what’s scheduled with the rangers for that week. Programs include guided tours to places such as Natural Arch, where a naturalist will explain its geologic formation and answer any questions. Families can design their own T-shirts using a leaf as their stamp or get an introduction to archery, learn about
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snakes, or become more familiar with the night sky. During gif shop hours, visitors can try their hand at “gem mining” by using sieved trays to sif through bags containing fossils or gems. Many people also come to the river to fsh for bass and walleye.
Cumberland Falls is famous for its moonbow, a phenomenon that occurs only in one other place: Victoria Falls in Africa.
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Water from the Cumberland River crashes 65 feet, creating huge clouds of mist.
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MOONBOW One of the natural events that Cumberland Falls is most known for is the moonbow, a white rainbow that only occurs on clear nights during the full moon and the two days before and afer. Tis phenomena takes place consistently at only two places in the world: Victoria Falls on the Zambia-Zimbabwe border in Africa and Cumberland Falls and is the result of moonlight passing through the mist given of by the falls. “Our moonbow nights are the largest events of the year,” said Mounce, adding that sometimes crowds reach up to a few thousand people, with visitors circling the parking lot for a space as people come and go. Tose in the know say the moonbow, which takes place two hours afer the moon comes up, is best experienced in the winter when moonrise is earlier. Te moonbow lasts two hours, and conditions have to be just right for the moon to shine through the waterfall’s mist. Also in the winter, there is less humidity, which accentuates the mist coming from the falls and makes for a more prominent moonbow. Most people who experience a moonbow don’t forget it. And it’s a favorite with experienced photographers, who can capture some color using a tripod and slower shutter speeds. Mounce said the whole idea behind the park is creating a memorable experience with nature and with the park staf. “Our people on our staf are our greatest resource,” he said. “You won’t fnd a friendlier group of people anywhere. Tey perfectly complement the natural environment to make the visitors feel welcomed and immersed in all that Cumberland Falls has to ofer.” KM
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SUCCESS Restaurant entrepreneur KUNI TOYODA has a winning concept in BELLA CAFÉ AND GRILLE, the new Chevy Chase hot spot By Patti Nickell | Photos by Shandon Cundiff
Diners have focked to Bella Café and Grille since it opened for in-house lunch and dinner service earlier this year.
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he sidewalk tables at Bella Café and Grille in Chevy Chase are occupied by diners who laugh and chat in acknowledgement that there is nowhere they would rather be on this sultry summer evening. Servers defly weave their way around the tables delivering strawberry sparklers, bourbon peach smashes, and spicy pickleritas. Inside the 60-seat café, a similarly festive scene is underway. On this Friday night, Bella Café is playing to a packed house.
Lexington, despite its robust restaurant scene, has been waiting for a place like Bella Café, a place that unites sophisticated menu oferings with the casual yet opulent setting of a Manhattan bistro. Making such a place happen was a dream come true for Kuni Toyoda — a dream nearly 50 years in the making.
EAST MEETS WEST IN THE SOUTH Bella Café is the latest business venture of Toyoda, a selfmade man with a back story that has to be one of Lexington’s most unusual. What else can you call it when a Japanese man bases his entire career on distributing and promoting Italian cuisine in a city previously more accustomed to fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and biscuits? Born and raised in Tokyo, Toyoda enrolled in that city’s Gakushuin University, also the alma mater of many members of the Japanese royal family. At the urging of his father, he earned a law degree, but Toyoda’s real interest was not in becoming another Perry Mason but rather another Conrad Hilton. “I was very interested in the hospitality industry and especially the hotel side of the industry,” he explained. With that in mind, in 1972 he emigrated to the U.S. (Minnesota specifcally) and went back to college where he earned a degree in hospitality. His career as a hotelier wasn’t a long one, however, as food franchising titan Warren Rosenthal recruited him to handle international development at his Lexington-based restaurant company Jerrico. It proved a benefcial partnership for both men, although one destined not to last a lifetime.
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Owner Kuni Toyoda envisioned a restaurant “where residents would feel like dropping in on a regular basis.”
“I had promised myself I would be on my own by age 40,” said Toyoda. “I was 39-and-a-half when my partner and I purchased Fazoli’s from Jerrico.” He started with fve restaurants, and by the time he sold his franchises in 2006, he had more than 400. But just because he no longer had Fazoli’s didn’t mean the foods from Italy were no longer in his future. His next venture, Smashing Tomato, became Lexington’s go-to spot for wood-fred pizza with the freshest ingredients. He still owns the two Lexington locations in the Fayette Mall area and at Hamburg. It’s nice to harbor the romanticized notion that Toyoda’s career was a case of East meets West or of a Japanese man so taken with the cui-
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MENU for SUCCESS sine of Italy that he devoted his professional life to it. When asked, however, Toyoda allows that while he does indeed love Italy and makes frequent trips there, it was not sentiment but cold hard facts that determined his choices. “At that time, I looked at the marketing data for ethnic fast food or ‘quick casual’ as I like to refer to it, and I found that Italian was No. 1 and Mexican No. 2,” said Toyoda. “Tere was nothing at the time in either of these categories, and it was clear people wanted them,” he continued. Never one to go for silver when gold was within reach, he opted for Italian and never looked back. Next on his agenda was opening a casual dining restaurant in the manner of a Roman or Tuscan trattoria.
place for all special occasions, and it consistently provides memorable meals, both in quality of food and ambiance.” Naturally, she was eager for Bella Café to open, and she said that once again it lives up to what she has come to expect of Toyoda’s restaurants — from the baguettes on the bar to the fresh fowers on the table, “attention to detail is paramount,” said Lalonde. She also loved the “elevated touches on the menu” such as trufed arugula on the café burger, a brown butter bourbon stick for the walnut torte, and “the best hot honey Brussels sprouts in Lexington.” Finally, Lalonde credited Toyoda with expertise in creating an ambiance that matchs the locale. “Bella Notte is a trattoria in the heart of one of the city’s busiest arteries while Bella Café is a neighborhood bistro in the venerable Chevy Chase area,” she said.
A CHEVY CHASE DREAM
Outdoor tables are inviting when the weather is pleasant.
Bella Notte became an instant hit with Lexington diners, who loved everything about it — from the menu that added regional Italian specialties such as saltimbocca and piccata classico to the always-popular pizzas and pastas — to the giant tree in the indoor courtyard, which Toyoda purchased from the same supplier that works with Disneyland in California. One of these local diners is attorney and self-admitted foodie Cheryl Lalonde, who has been a loyal customer at Bella Notte for 25 years and who now counts Bella Café as a favorite too. “I have probably had a thousand meals during the quarter-century I have been going to Bella Notte,” said Lalonde. “It is my go-to
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Fazoli’s, Smashing Tomato, and Bella Notte had made Toyoda a key player on the Lexington restaurant scene, but he wasn’t about to rest on his laurels. He had long harbored the dream of branching out beyond the Italian dishes his restaurants were known for. He also longed for a location that would attract diners with a more sophisticated palate. How long has he been dreaming? For at least a decade, according to Toyoda. Tat dream of combining sophisticated cuisine with perfect location led him to develop a relationship with Abbas Larian, who at that time owned Le Matin Bakery and Zuni Café, which occupied the space that is now Bella Café. “I really liked the Chevy Chase area,” said Toyoda. “It has a sort of Georgetown [Washington, D.C.] vibe. I wanted a neighborhood restaurant where residents would feel like dropping in on a regular basis.” His patience paid of. When Abbas decided to retire from the restaurant rat race, his successor was able at last to bring his vision to life. He wasted no time inviting interior decorator Julie Rainey, owner of R2 Studio, on board. Rainey, who has designed for Keeneland as well, has been working with Toyoda since the early 1990s on all his projects. She was tasked with designing the new restaurant, made easier by the fact that “Kuni comes to the table with his ideas almost fully formed. My role is more to implement his vision. “He already had such a detailed schematic that I literally just
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MENU for SUCCESS CAFÉ FAVORITES Left, halibut with polenta, sautéed greens, cremini and shiitake mushrooms, golden raisins, and lemon balsamic brown butter; below, pork chop with spicy cabbage and stone fruit mostardo
Center, brisket and short rib-blend burger with bleu cheese garlic mayo and truffed arugula; above, grilled salmon salad with greens, Gorgonzola cheese, heirloom tomatoes, baguette croutons, and balsamic; left, lemon tart
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The restaurant offers a wide selection of wines and specialty cocktails prepared by bartender Jonathan Hargett.
added my input on a cocktail napkin,” Rainey said. J.J. Ponce and sous chef Jorge Reyes. While Toyoda said they are still With the last menu printed, the last bottle stacked on the bar, in phase one, which means a limited menu, they do plan to introduce and the last piece of art hung on the walls, the dream was about to an expanded menu in the coming months. become a reality. Bella Café was scheduled to open its doors in the “We want the menu to refect enough diversity and seasonal spespring of 2020 when Toyoda discovered just how quickly dreams can cialties that people in the neighborhood will think of this as their regturn into nightmares. ular dining spot, and those in other parts of Lexington With the COVID-19 pandemic raging full force will fnd enough variety to make it a regular stop as throughout the spring, summer, and fall, Bella Cafe’s well,” said Toyoda. doors remained shuttered. When they fnally opened For now, diners will have to be satisfed with such in November last year, those eager to experience dishes as halibut with polenta, sautéed greens, cremini WE JUST LIKE Toyoda’s newest addition only got to see the restauand shiitake mushrooms, golden raisins, and lemon rant’s front curb as they picked up their orders. balsamic brown butter, or a flet mignon, grilled with TO TAKE CARE “It was a big disappointment,” said Toyoda, “but garlic butter and served with sautéed broccoli and every restaurant owner in Lexington was in the same pomme puree. OF PEOPLE.” boat.” Tere is chicken prepared two ways — butterWhen restaurants fnally got the green light to open milk chicken breast strips, hand breaded and fried, — KUNI TOYODA earlier this year, Lexingtonians got their frst look at served with café ranch dressing, Jameson’s spicy the combined eforts of Toyoda and Rainey, and the sauce, and choice of side — and J.J.’s smoked chickreviews were overwhelmingly positive. en, a spice-rubbed half chicken, served with hot honey Brussels Words like “elegant,” “chic,” and “simple” were used to describe the sprouts and pomme puree. décor, with most people, according to Rainey, commenting on “the And to prove he hasn’t forgotten what got him here, Toyoda gives large bookshelves that run the length of the back wall and the color a nod to Italy with a bolognese with rigatoni, spicy pork salami, bascheme that is a relaxing mix of pale green and clean white. con ragout, tomato cream, and baguette crostini. Te baguettes come “We had some challenges in that we were working with such a courtesy of former Le Matin Bakery co-owner Debbie Larian, who small space,” she continued, “but in the end I think it was the intimacy agreed to continue making them for Bella Café. that attracted people.” According to Toyoda, halibut is the best-selling item on the menu, Well, that and the food. Te kitchen is overseen by chef de cuisine both the dinner portion and the halibut sandwich with lemon chipotle
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The dining room combines elegance and simplicity with its pale green and crisp white color scheme and thoughtfully arranged shelves.
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MENU for SUCCESS PRETTY ENOUGH TO DRINK Clockwise from left, the creative cocktails include the strawberry sparkler, bourbon peach smash, indigo 75, and passion fruit New York sour.
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slaw, followed by the café burger, a combination of brisket and short ribs with bleu cheese garlic mayonnaise and trufed arugula. Tose who want to sample Bella Cafe’s oferings but still aren’t quite ready for an indoor dining experience will be happy to know the restaurant will continue to ofer curbside pickup for the foreseeable future. Toyoda’s success in the restaurant game where many others have failed can be attributed to several things. First is his ability to spot trends and act quickly on them, and second is the fact that he is a hands-on owner, present at one of his restaurants every day. Finally, Toyoda claims his success owes something to one aspect of the Japanese culture. “We just like to take care of people,” he said. And patrons like Lalonde love to hear that. “I would follow Kuni Toyoda to any new restaurant he opens,” she said. KM
Bella Café and Grille has become the neighborhood destination Toyoda envisioned.
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Making a Difference
By William Bowden | Photos by Mark Mahan
BOOK VALUE
INTERNATIONAL BOOK PROJECT
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INTERNATIONAL BOOK PROJECT PHOTO
Left, executive director Lisa Fiedler Fryman packs books for a shipment overseas. Above, children at a youth center in Morocco delight in their copies.
The International Book Project ships millions of free books to the underserved around the globe
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Making a Difference INTERNATIONAL BOOK PROJECT
L Lisa Fiedler Fryman can still recall how excited the children at a middle school in Fez, Morocco, were when they opened the boxes and began looking through their colorful new books.
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Thousands of books arrive and eventually leave the Delaware Avenue facility. Right, Alexandria Wright, domestic operations coordinator, gets books ready to ship.
“Before our books arrived, the school’s tiny library had only a small collection of old, well-worn workbooks,” said Fryman, executive director of Lexington’s International Book Project, which had shipped the books to the school as part of its global outreach to underserved populations. “It was uplifing and, at the same time, heartbreaking to see how much it meant to the students to have these high-quality books. We ofen take for granted our own access to books.” Fryman had journeyed to Morocco in 2018 to have a frsthand look at one example of the impact the organization makes with its worldwide mission to increase literacy and education. “Books Change Lives” is
the slogan that drives everything IBP does. Since its founding in 1966, the International Book Project has shipped an astounding 7.7 million free books to its network of partners that includes schools, universities, libraries, churches, and other community organizations in 167 countries on six continents, as well as within the United States. Now in its 55th year, IBP relies on donations of new and used books from a variety of sources for its inventory.
Letters from India Te late Lexington educator and social activist Harriet Van Meter founded the International Book Project a year afer her 1965 visit to India with other foreign stu-
dent advisers. While there, she observed long lines of people waiting not for food but for books. On returning to Lexington, Van Meter wrote to an English-language Indian newspaper, Te Hindu, ofering to send books to anyone who would write to her. Te response was overwhelming — more than 400 letters within a few weeks. Van Meter’s basement quickly became the center for collecting, sorting, and shipping books, frst to individuals and families, then to schools, colleges, and libraries in India, and eventually to countries around the world. In 1986 she stepped down from her role as executive director and continued as an adviser until her passing in 1997.
Today, the International Book Project, a privately funded 501(c)(3) nonproft, is located in an architecturally interesting former manufacturing facility on Delaware Avenue in east Lexington that sports a barrel-shaped, airplane hangar-like ceiling. Purchased in 1983 and named the Van Meter Building in honor of the founder, it underwent an extensive renovation in 2017–18. Te building is a beehive of activity as thousands of donated books arrive from individuals as well as publishers and other sources, are sorted by subject matter, then packed for shipment. Warehouse shelves were recently stacked to the ceiling with 80,000 children’s books and 50,000
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Making a Difference INTERNATIONAL BOOK PROJECT
Will Glasscock, president of the International Book Project’s board of directors, once was on the receiving end of the organization’s generosity while serving in the Peace Corps in 2012-14.
textbooks, gifs from the philanthropic arms of two for-proft book dealers. Publishers such as McGraw Hill sometimes donate thousands of brand-new textbooks superseded by a new edition. Te books leave in small boxes of about 40 volumes, similar to how Van Meter started, but also in large, multi-box shipments on pallets and by mega-shipments in sea containers holding 20,000 to 45,000 books that travel the oceans on huge container ships. It’s a big, well-oiled operation that typically ships several hundred thousand books each year to organizations that have completed an application stating their needs. Most books are in English, the language recipients want to learn.
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“One of the distinguishing characteristics of the International Book Project is that we ship only what our partners ask us for,” Fryman said. “An elementary school may want math books, a high school just general library books, or a university might want STEM [science, technology, engineering, and mathematics] or medical books. Since we have far more requests than money for shipments, they must make a good case for how our books will beneft their students or the populations they serve.” Te applications are ofen touching in their appeal on behalf of students. A teacher in Langali, Tanzania, wrote, “Christina wants to be a doctor and Suaumu wants to be a nurse. Godfrey wants to be a pilot and
Joseph wants to be a songwriter. Tese students have big dreams, but they are missing out on key resources. Te International Book Project can fll that gap.” A letter from a university in the Philippines read, in part, “…thank you to your wonderful coordinator and volunteers for hand-picking our books. Tey are perfect! You’ve given them [students] the opportunity to read great books, and you’re kindling their love for literacy.” Fryman has seen many such expressions of gratitude. “Books are so fundamental to education, to getting a job, fnding opportunities to live a better life,” she said. “Receiving books from us lets people know there is a world beyond where they live, be
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Making a Difference INTERNATIONAL BOOK PROJECT
it an island in Indonesia or a remote village in Africa.” Indeed, in addition to the large shipments IBP routinely sends, it takes pride in its mission to serve even the smallest of its partners, ofen in very remote places, that might be overlooked by other philanthropic groups. “Nobody wants to send books to Zambia, but we do,” Fryman said. One small shipment traveled to its fnal destination by canoe. Will Glasscock, a government relations consultant who is president of the International Book Project board of directors, was on the receiving end of the group’s generosity while he and his wife were teaching at high schools in Ngoro, East Java, Indonesia, during 2012–14 on a Peace Corps assignment. Peace Corps volunteers ofen initiate applications for books from the countries where they serve. “Te libraries at our schools had only textbooks,” Glasscock said. “Tey had no books, like fction, just for the pleasure of reading. Some of my lowest-achieving students were so excited to have a book. It was amazing to see their change in attitude and what the books did for the school.”
‘‘
BOOKS ARE SO FUNDAMENTAL TO EDUCATION, TO GETTING A JOB…” — LISA FIEDLER FRYMAN
Charla Hamilton, IBP director of operations, oversees the large shipments and maintains close contact with partners. She accompanied Fryman on the Morocco trip to see exactly what her eforts accomplish. Hamilton’s job also entails supervising the more than 1,000 volunteers who, over the course of a year, are hard at work sorting and packing boxes of carefully selected books. Te pandemic put a crimp in those numbers, but by early summer 2021 some volunteers were returning to work. “When people started getting vaccinated, we were able to once again provide a safe environment,” Hamilton said. “We have a long list of people who want to volunteer,
Although most of IBP’s books are sent to schools and communities abroad, about 12 percent go to destinations within the United States. “Tere are people in our own country without access to books,” Fryman said. “We have shipped pallets of 5,000 books to the farm country around Salinas, California, and to schools in various regions without good books in their libraries.” Even closer to home, IBP’s “Books in the Bluegrass” program serves low-income families in the immediate Lexington area through such partners as Kentucky Refugee Ministries and Habitat for Humanity. New refugee families and those occupying a new home from Habitat receive a bookcase stocked with books refecting their preferences.
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COURTESY OF WILL GLASSCOCK
Closer to home
Glasscock taught at a high school in Indonesia that received books from Lexington.
“It’s really a lovely thing for us and our clients,” said Mary Cobb, director of Kentucky Refugee Ministries Lexington. “Most of the family members are learning English, and they especially like books for adult learners. Te International Book Project has even stocked a bookshelf in our lobby for people waiting to talk with us. Tey can also take those books home with them.”
many of them part of church groups, and high school and college students. We hope to be scheduling as normal beginning in the fall.” One volunteer who returned is Joe Bryson, a retired Lexington attorney who has been with IBP for four years. “Tis has been an ideal volunteer job for me,” he said. “I really like the people here. Te
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Making a Difference INTERNATIONAL BOOK PROJECT
hours are fexible, and it keeps me active, sorting and boxing books.” Te pandemic also caused cancellation in 2020 of IBP’s annual gala fundraiser, but board members pitched in and conducted successful individual campaigns. Te organization also draws funding through grants and contributions from individuals, corporations, and foundations, plus income from its endowment.
Charting progress Historically, the International Book Project has measured its progress primarily by the sheer number of books shipped annually. However, a recent strategic planning process focused on a more complete view of IBP’s goals, refected in its new mission statement: “International Book Project develops lasting partnerships with educators in underserved communities to provide books, promote literacy, and advance opportunity.” One example of this continuing relationship idea is the commitment to ship 10 more boxes of books annually for three years to the middle school that Fryman visited in Morocco. Tis goes beyond a stopgap gif of books to a longer-range investment in building its library. A similar policy extends to other recipients of small-box shipments. Te IBP’s “Books as Bridges” program is another way to strengthen those ties. Students in a Kentucky classroom link with students in an overseas class to share penpal letters about themselves, their schools, and family life. During the 2018–19 school year, Books as Bridges connected more than 2,500 students in Kentucky and in 12 countries, from Guatemala to Nepal. Refecting the broader ideas in the new mission statement, IBP now evaluates itself by focusing on annual increases in two of three areas — total number of
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Charla Hamilton, director of operations, prepares to load a sea container with pallets of books using the IBP’s own forklift, attesting to the magnitude of the organization’s efforts. She’s shown in front of the Delaware Avenue headquarters and warehouse.
Making a Difference INTERNATIONAL BOOK PROJECT
books shipped, number of educator partners, number of people using the books — and varying the choices each year.
Legacy for literacy If Harriet Van Meter could return today to see the dynamic organization she created so many years ago, she would not recognize some aspects of its operations, such as loading a massive sea container on the street in front of the building with 40,000 books. But she would feel right at home with the spirit of mission shown by staf and volunteers that mirrors her original idea. “It’s very big with me, to share the bounty of books and education that I’ve grown up with and to promote the empowerment of people to change their lives, their communities, and to understand other cultures,” Janis Gilbert said. She began volunteering at IBP six years ago afer retiring as a special education teacher in Fayette County Public Schools. She works in the walk-in bookstore as well as in sorting and boxing. Van Meter was recognized nationally during her lifetime for her leadership role in advancing literacy, most notably as one of eight fnalists for the 1986 Nobel Peace Prize. In 1989 she was awarded the Kiwanis World Service Medal. As International Book Project board president, Will Glasscock is among those carrying on Van Meter’s legacy. His time in Indonesia showed him frsthand the impact books can have on regions of the world where literacy is still an elusive goal for many. “It’s hard to appreciate what a life would be like with no books,” he said. “But there are a lot of places in the world where that’s still the case.” Tanks in no small part to the vision of a remarkable woman and the eforts of those carrying on her work today, the light of literacy will shine brightly in more and more of those places. KM
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Hamilton expertly guides a pallet of books into the container, which holds from 20,000 to 45,000 books and travels the oceans on huge container ships.
From left, Lisa Fryman; Charla Hamilton; Alexandria Wright; and Madison Griggs, director of development, are passionate about their work.
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