Keeneland Magazine - Summer 2024 Edition

K EENELAND

celebrating bluegrass traditions

U.S. $5.00 (CAN. $7.50)

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One of the fastest sons of GUN RUNNER

G1SW AT 2

1st Hopeful S. [G1], 7f, Saratoga by 5¾ lengths in a faster time than leading young sire

Practical Joke

1st MSW, 6f, Churchill Downs, by 1½L.

G2SW AT 3

1st Amsterdam S. [G2], 6½f, Saratoga

1st Maxfield S. [L], 7f, Churchill Downs

1st Harrods Creek S. [L], 7f, Churchill Downs, by 3L.

1st Perryville S. [L], 7f, Keeneland, by 3¾L.

2nd H. Allen Jerkens Memorial S. [G1], 7f, Saratoga to Jack Christopher

G1SW AT 4

1st Forego S. [G1], 7f, Saratoga, by 1¾L. from Champion Sprinter Elite Power

1st King Cotton S. [L], 6f, Oaklawn Park, by 4L.

1st Aristides S. [L], 6f, Churchill Downs, by 1¾L.

2nd Alfred G Vanderbilt H [G1], 6f, Saratoga, beaten a head by Elite Power

2nd Breeders’ Cup Sprint [G1], 6f, Santa Anita to Elite Power

tRan two Beyer Speed Figures of 108 in 2023 at Saratoga and Churchill

Gunite is extremely important to horse racing in the current climate... He's obviously got a tremendous amount of ability. He's extremely attractive. He's very correct. He's unbelievably sound... He’s still running 3 Rags at this stage of his career. Incredible. Trainer Steve Asmussen

Dermot Ryan, Charlie O’Connor, Adrian Wallace, Robyn Murray, Blaise Benjamin, Charles Hynes or Michael Norris.

the epitome of

the

HunterValley Farm is thriving 20 years after its founding. FEATURES

40 A DARING IDEA PAYS DIVIDENDS

by Lenny Shulman

52 PRESERVINGTHE PAST FORTHE FUTURE

by Liane Crossley

The renowned Raftery Turfotos collection is the latest addition to Keeneland Library’s evolving collections.

66 KING

OFTHE HILL

by

Cynthia Grisolia

Curlin’s pampered lifestyle befits his status as a superstar stallion.

78 BLOCK PARTY

by Vickie Mitchell

New food, drink, and entertainment options in the popularWarehouse Block make this Lexington destination buzzier than ever.

90 EPIC EATS

by Patti Nickell

Epping’s on Eastside is an anchor of theWarehouse Block, satisfying everyone from the happy hour crowd to toddlers in highchairs.

ON OUR COVER

Tangent

Oil and mixed media on canvas, 11 x 14, by Julie Cross (Courtesy of New Editions Gallery)

British-born artist Julie Cross focuses on gesture and silhouette in her colorful figurative paintings.The past chair of a national art association in the UK and a member of the Society of Equestrian Artists, Cross had a pony-mad childhood and often uses the horse in her work, which usually has an autobiographical element. Carefully constructed abstract backgrounds, strong design, and beautiful textures abound in her work, offering no pretense of reality of location, giving rein to the viewer’s imagination.

CRESTWOOD FARM

DEPARTMENTS

PRESIDENT’S

28 SPOTLIGHT ON

Conductor Mélisse Brunet brings impressive credentials and French verve to her role as music director of the Lexington Philharmonic. by Rich

Copley

102 MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Stable Recovery uses horsemanship training combined with a residential recovery program to help men overcome addiction and prosper. by William Bowden

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.

Luxury Fashion for Women

K EENELAND

celebrating bluegrass traditions

The offcial 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

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Artists: Catherine Nichols (Art Director), PhilipTruman

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CORPORATE OPERATIONS

Circulation Accounting Manager: Lauren Glover

General Manager: Scott Carling

PUBLISHED BY Blood-Horse LLC

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

James L. Gagliano, Carl Hamilton, Ian D. Highet, Stuart S. Janney III, Brant Laue, Dan Metzger, David O’Farrell

ASSOCIATION, INC.

INC.

4201Versailles Road P.O. Box 1690 Lexington, Kentucky, U.S.A. 40588-1690 Tel: (859) 254-3412 (800) 456-3412 Keeneland.com

U.S.A. 40588-1690 Tel: 254-3412 456-3412

2023 Keeneland Association, Inc.

2023 Keeneland Inc.

President’s Message

The importance of doing nothing

Keeneland enjoyed a beautiful spring race meet with our third-highest handle in track history. We were thrilled to welcome full crowds each day of the week and to see the track apron packed with fans cheering on our equine and human stars. The weather cooperated (with the exception of a few days); horse racing, after all, is an outdoor sport.

We hope many of you enjoyed the walk to the track through our barns, the heartbeat of Keeneland’s grounds, as we adjusted logistics to accommodate construction of the Paddock Building.

“In order to understand the world, one must turn away from it on occasion,” said French philosopher and Nobel Prize winner Albert Camus.

Like many of you who are reading this, I have tended throughout my life to be woefully defcient at doing nothing. I keep my own calendar on my phone, with our family calendar in a notebook and on the refrigerator. Juggling busy careers and sports activities while squeezing in time for family and friends is challenging. Some days I manage better than others; some days I feel like I’m being shot out of a cannon, all the while trying to keep those around me (and

myself) steady and well grounded.

As I look at turning 50 this year, I am coming to value the importance of taking time to do nothing from time to time. We had a rare weekend day after the race meet when my husband, Will (perhaps worse than I am at doing nothing), tried to put multiple sets of plans on our schedule. I insisted that our Sunday be reserved as a day without plans — a day to do nothing. When every moment of our day is scheduled, we miss opportunities to think, to strategize, and to enjoy the life we’re building. The real value of getting off the hamster wheel for a moment is taking the time to feel gratitude for the world as it stands and dream of ways you can make it better.

SHANNON ARVIN President and CEO

Our team is hard at work keeping Keeneland an amazing place. With enough projects on our plates to keep us working around the clock every day of the year, we also work to ensure down time for our people in various ways: family picnics, pickleball tournaments, a mandatory shutdown week, etc. My wish for our team and each of you this summer is some time to turn away from the world and do nothing — and to feel rejuvenated by that time.

Cheers to blue skies ahead. KM

Contributors

WILLIAM BOWDEN

(A New Chapter) most recently worked as publications editor atTransylvania University. He was formerly a writer and an editor at the Somerset (Kentucky) Commonwealth Journal, the Lexington Herald Leader, and the NationalTour Association.

RICH COPLEY

(Sharing the Joy of Music) spent 20 years as an arts and entertainment journalist for the Lexington Herald Leader. He is now a multimedia producer for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and a freelance writer and photographer based in Lexington.

LIANE CROSSLEY

(Preserving the Past for the Future) has spent her career inThoroughbred racingrelated jobs in barns, press boxes, and offces. A 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, European Bloodstock News, andYoung Rider.

CYNTHIA GRISOLIA

(King of the Hill) is a freelance editor and journalist living inVersailles, Kentucky. Her articles have appeared in Keeneland, BloodHorse,

Kentucky Monthly, Equestrian Quarterly, and others.

VICKIE MITCHELL

(Block Party) writes for regional and national publications as well as for small businesses and nonproft organizations. She lives and works in Lexington.

PATTI NICKELL

(Epic Eats) is a freelance travel writer whose work has appeared in major newspapers and national magazines. She currently writes travel articles for the Lexington Herald Leader.

AMY OWENS

(Keeneland News/ Connections) is Keeneland Communications Associate.

LENNY SHULMAN

(A Daring Idea Pays Dividends) is a senior correspondent for BloodHorse and the author of “Head to Head: Conversations with a Generation of Horse Racing Legends,” “Justify: 111 Days toTriple Crown Glory,” and “Ride ofTheir Lives:TheTrials andTurmoil ofToday’sTop Jockeys.”

KEENELAND HAS SUCCESSFUL SPRING MEET

The 100th running of the $1 million Toyota Blue Grass (G1) on April 6, won by favorite Sierra Leone, was among the highlights of Keeneland’s 2024 spring meet. For the 16-day season from April 5-26, all-sources wagering exceeded $218 million for the third-highest handle in track history, while average daily purses of $1.16 million attracted Toroughbred racing’s top stables and jockeys, delivering quality racing complemented by community and special events that ofered family fun with a philanthropic mission.

“A big thanks to our horsemen and sponsors, the crowds who turned out daily on track, and those who watched and wagered on Keeneland across the country,” Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said. “We especially appreciate the cooperation of fans as we navigated the adjustments necessary to hold a race meet during construction of our new Paddock Building. We are proud this spring meet continued to ofer the exceptional race-day experiences and traditions people know and love about Keeneland.”

A number of individual handle records on Blue Grass Day boosted wagering. All-sources handle for the 11-race card that featured fve graded stakes totaled $29,261,346; single-race win/ place/show wagering on the Blue Grass was $2,576,663; and the All Stakes Pick 5 ending with the Blue Grass handled $1,696,981.

Te Keeneland Turf Pick 3, a wager on the fnal three turf races daily, set a handle record of $280,308 on April 13. Te wager paid a record $56,593 on April 18.

Te Daily Double wager established handle records twice during the spring meet: $329,433 on April 5 and $470,988 on April 13. Tis year, Keeneland reduced the takeout on the wager from 22% to 15%.

Given the quality of horses and riding talent, the races for leading jockey, trainer,

and owner were decided on the fnal day of the meet.

Irad Ortiz Jr. rode three winners that day to boost his meet total to 20 wins and to clinch his frst Keeneland title.

Wesley Ward won the frst two races on closing day to tally 12 wins for his seventh consecutive and eighth overall spring meet leading trainer title. Ward has won a total of 10 Keeneland titles.

RITE OF SPRING

Sierra Leone, with co-owner Peter Brant, took the 100th running of the $1 million Toyota Blue Grass and fnished second in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve.

fans enjoyed fne weather and quality racing.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s Godolphin and Fahad bin Khalid’s Juddmonte tied with fve wins apiece to each earn a third spring meet owner title. Godolphin recorded a ffh Keeneland title overall while earning the Milestone Pitcher, part of Keeneland’s prestigious Milestone Trophy Program, for having achieved 16 graded stakes wins at the track. Tree of Godolphin’s wins came in stakes.

Left,

ARMY MULE

Friesan Fire - Crafty Toast by Crafty Prospector

GHOSTZAPPER

Awesome Again - Baby Zip by Relaunch

LOGGINS

Ghostzapper - Beyond Blame by Blame

CHARLATAN

Speightstown - Authenticity by Quiet American

GOOD MAGIC

Curlin - Glinda the Good by Hard Spun

MACLEAN’S MUSIC

Distorted Humor - Forest Music by Unbridled’s Song

VIOLENCE

Medaglia d’Oro - Violent Beauty by Gone West

CURLIN

Smart Strike - Sherrif’s Deputy by Deputy Minister

KANTHAROS

Lion Heart - Contessa Halo by Southern Halo

MIDNIGHT LUTE

Real Quiet - Candytuft by Dehere

WORLD OF TROUBLE

Kantharos - Meets Expectations by Valid Expectations

www.hillndalefarms.com

KEENELAND STALWART LOUIS LEE HAGGIN III DIES

Louis Lee Haggin III, who had a unique family connection to Keeneland and was the longest-serving trustee in track history, died March 5. He was 88.

“Mr. Haggin was truly devoted to Keeneland and had a special love for this institution,” Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said. “He was a dear friend to Keeneland and to me, and we will miss his presence and guidance.”

A great-great grandson of legendary horseman James Ben Ali Haggin, Haggin followed his father, former Keeneland President and Chairman Louis Lee Haggin II, in his commitment to preserve the best of Keeneland’s rich traditions. His mother, Alma Headley Haggin, a daughter of Keeneland co-founder and inaugural President Hal Price Headley, is credited with developing the “Keeneland look.”

At Keeneland, Haggin was known for his love of the land and eforts to showcase its beauty. He spent countless hours walking the grounds with esteemed landscape architects

George Betsill and Robert Sanders and worked throughout his life to continue his mother’s legacy at the track.

“We do not make a decision about touching a branch of a tree on our grounds without thinking about Mr. Haggin and whether he would approve,” Arvin said.

Haggin became a Keeneland director in 1971 and served as trustee from 1980-2015.

A Toroughbred breeder and owner, he managed his family’s Sycamore Farm in Woodford County and also served in leadership roles in the Central Kentucky community.

Keeneland Library Begins Program for Kids

“Starting Gate Storytime” is the name of a new monthly event at Keeneland Library for young racing fans and horse lovers ages 4-8. Te program will combine a reading of a children’s book centered on horses with a literacy, art, history, industry awareness, or STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) activity. Keeneland Kids Club mascot Buckles will attend to brush up on his reading and spend time with participants.

“As a complement to the free in-classroom educational programs Keeneland Library provides to schools and partnering public libraries across the Bluegrass, we are pleased to launch this new literacy series for young learners to foster appreciation of the horse and to heighten industry awareness,” Keeneland Library Director Roda Ferraro said.

Starting Gate Storytime programs are

free, ticketed events for children and their families. For series dates, the lineup of featured stories in 2024, and to reserve free tickets, visit Keeneland.com/library.

Trough Aug. 16, Keeneland Library is celebrating this year’s milestone running of Keeneland’s most famous race at the exhibit “A Rite of Spring: Te 100th Running of the Blue Grass Stakes.” Te exhibit features photographs that capture race highlights over the decades.

For more about Keeneland Library, see p. 52.

Keeneland and Maker’s Mark® Announce New Bottle Series

In April, Keeneland and Maker’s Mark® Kentucky Bourbon announced the next chapter in their longstanding partnership with the launch of “Greats of the Gate,” a 10-year commemorative bottle series celebrating Toroughbred racing’s most iconic horses and featuring a diferent horse each year.

Arriving in October exclusively at select Kentucky retailers, the inaugural bottle will honor Man o’ War.

“Keeneland and Maker’s Mark have a rich history of working hand in hand to support organizations making an impact in Kentucky,” said Rob Samuels, managing director of Maker’s Mark and eighthgeneration whisky maker.

Te limited-edition bottle features an illustration by Kentucky artist Tyler Robertson with artwork wrapping around the bottle in yellow and black, the racing colors of Man o’ War.

“Keeneland and Maker’s Mark share a mission of service and philanthropy, and the commemorative bottles have been a fun way to engage our fans and support deserving organizations through the years,” Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said.

Keeneland and Maker’s Mark are committed to raising $4 million over 10 years for various Kentucky nonproft organizations through this bottle series. For the frst three years, the “Greats of the Gate” bottle will support Kentucky Harvest, Arts Center of the Bluegrass, and Blue Grass Farms Charities.

Louis Lee Haggin III

Man o’ War appears on the inaugural “Greats of the Gate” bottle in a new series from Keeneland and Maker’s Mark.

On August 2nd, Horse of the Year Gun Runner will take his rightful place alongside racing’s all-time greats, when he is officially inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame.

Connections

1 | TEAM SPIRIT

Mark Pope, recently named head coach of the University of Kentucky men’s basketball team, and representatives of VisitLEX celebrated with jockey Flavien Prat and assistant trainer Chris Connett (left) after Godolphin’s Silver Knott won the April 20 VisitLEX Elkhorn.

2 | UNIQUE PRIZE

After winning the April 12 Maker’s Mark Mile, jockey William Buick showed off the trophy created by artist KiptooTaurus (left). Trainer Charlie Appleby displayed the saddle cloth for Godolphin’s Master of The Seas (IRE), who won the race in his frst start since taking the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita.

3 | ALL SALUTE

Heroes Day on April 14 featured the popular rollout of the American fag on the racetrack by the Henry Clay High School Junior ROTC and the singing of “God Bless America” by Dr. Everett McCorvey, who was accompanied by Keeneland bugler Steve Buttleman.

4 | JILL BABE

The spring meet marked the 60th race meet — or 30 years — that Jill “Jill Babe” Guillen has worked at Keeneland. For most of that time, she has cooked for the jockeys. Her skills and hospitality have earned her legions of friends.

5 | RIDERS UP

Active and retired jockeys participated in an autograph signing on April 6 that raised $6,072 for the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF). Keeneland also hosted a fundraising telethon for the PDJF on April 21 that raised a record $430,000.

6 | BIG MONEY

On the April 19 College Scholarship Day Presented by Lane’s End, Cate Cox (left) of Eastern Kentucky University and Larrah Martin (right) of the University of Kentucky each received a $10,000 scholarship. With them are Ande Farish Day of Lane’s End (second from left) and Keeneland’s Kara Heissenbuttel.

Spotlight On MÉLISSE BRUNET

Mélisse Brunet strives to “understand what is amazing about music and to share it.”

SHARING THE JOY OF MUSIC

CONDUCTOR MÉLISSE BRUNET BRINGS IMPRESSIVE CREDENTIALS AND FRENCH VERVETO HER ROLE AS MUSIC DIRECTOR OFTHE LEXINGTON PHILHARMONIC

By Rich Copley / Photos by Kirk Schlea

Did Mozart set out to bore people to death with his music?

Tat was the question running through young Mélisse Brunet’s mind when she was growing up in France, toiling away with her cello in a school string orchestra. Her parents said she had to stick with it until she turned 18, but she was confused, uninspired, and bored sawing through the notes of a Mozart symphony with her equally bored classmates.

At one point, she threatened to burn her cello, but then she had a breakthrough.

“I realized that actually Mozart wanted to share some amazing things with us,” she said. But the conductor could not convey what those things were, so Brunet and her classmates could not share the wonder of Mozart’s music with the audience. Brunet decided she could do one of two things:

She could learn the cello part very, very well, or she could become a conductor and “understand what is amazing about that music and how to share it.”

Under Brunet’s baton, the philharmonic recently presented a concert with two Kentucky premieres by women composers.

Brunet took the second option and quickly found that, as a woman, deciphering the mysteries of Mozart and other great composers was easier than breaking through the glass ceiling of the orchestral conducting world.

Recent evidence of that is that in July 2022, when the Lexington Philharmonic named Brunet its music director, she was the frst woman in the orchestra’s 63-year history to hold the post. Te neighboring Louisville Orchestra has never had a woman music

Brunet is the frst woman conductor in the Lexington Philharmonic’s 63 years. She assumed the post July 2022.

director nor has the Cincinnati Symphony.

Te frst woman to lead a major U.S. orchestra was Marin Alsop when she was appointed music director of the Baltimore Symphony in 2007. It took 17 years for the second when Nathalie Stutzmann became music director of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

And this is the country Brunet came to for opportunity as there was little support at home in France.

“My parents, they said, you know, you can do whatever you want in your life, but seriously, there are no women conductors,” Brunet recalled on a cloudy late winter morning in the philharmonic’s offices atop ArtsPlace in downtown Lexington. “None of my teachers were supportive, because there were no women.”

Even her grandparents made fun of her musical ambitions, Brunet said. So, Brunet had to make her own opportunities and chart her own path to a career many told her was beyond her grasp, even when she demonstrated she could do the job well.

“Some teachers, very high-level teachers, would tell me, ‘Mélisse, you cannot do this, and you cannot apply to this class and to this class at the same time,’ and I was thinking, ‘Hold my beer,’ ” Brunet said, one of several times she invokes that Southern colloquialism for people who have been told they can’t do something.

Not until Brunet came to the United States in an educational exchange program did she fnd genuine acceptance of her ambition.

“My frst lesson at the Cleveland Institute of Music as a conductor, I do my thing, he [the

Spotlight On

MÉLISSE BRUNET

instructor] stops and he said, ‘Mélisse, this is so good,’ and I start laughing because I’m, ‘Yeah, you’re funny,’ because I never heard that in my entire 10 years at the Paris Conservatory. I never heard once that what I was doing was very good. Never. So, I thought it was a joke, that he’s gonna hit me hard right afer that, you know? But nothing came afer that. It was just, ‘Very good.’ You could be just very good. And you could just be you, without being criticized every time, and that’s been amazing.

“So, I never wanted to go back. Tere is not one minute I wanted to go back to France.”

Granted, she said, sexism, misogyny, and harassment have still been part of her experience in the U.S. But she has found Americans to be happier, more open, and uplifing than at home, and she has found opportunity.

Te story of Brunet’s frst engagement with the philharmonic is now a bit of a Lexington legend. She was a last-minute replacement for a fnalist in the philharmonic’s conductor search, launched in 2019 and then put on hold for two years by the COVID-19 pandemic. When that candidate bowed out of the search and his May

concert gig, the orchestra contacted Brunet on the recommendation of a few philharmonic musicians who had worked with her in other orchestras. Out of what seemed at the time like fairness to Brunet and the other candidates, Brunet was told this was just a guest-conducting engagement, and she would not be a candidate for the stillopen music director post.

‘Hold my beer’

Afer the frst rehearsal, violist Elizabeth Jones recalls, “People were talking, and we knew that we wanted to invite her to be our

music director. It was that instantaneous.”

“We sent emails the next morning to the management to let them know our interest in having her be a candidate for the position,” trombonist José A. Mangual, a 26year veteran of the philharmonic, said.

Philharmonic board President Carol McLeod was caught of guard. But she couldn’t ignore the rising chorus from the orchestra that continued the entire week of rehearsals. Afer the search committee had a chance to see and meet Brunet in a rehearsal, McLeod, a veterinarian and equestrian, took the conductor on a morning

Philharmonic members describe Brunet as a breath of fresh air who brings new life and excitement to performances.

During a rehearsal, musicians mark their scores after suggestions from Brunet.

Spotlight On

MÉLISSE BRUNET

visit to a horse farm, having heard some of her family in France owned horses. But it was really to discuss the music director post.

A couple months later, Brunet’s historic appointment was announced.

“Te whole group plays at a better, higher level, because everybody wants to give their best for her,” Mangual said. “And hopefully, that is translating into great concerts for our audiences.”

Clarinetist Erin Fung said she was “really excited to have somebody of her caliber come to Lexington, be interested in being here for us, and leading the orchestra. Tere was just so much instability during the COVID years and from the transition from the previous music director. She was like a breath of fresh air.

“You can already tell in the energy that our patrons come to the concerts with that there’s this life that’s here now and this energy and excitement about having her. And she’s really building a reputation for herself in the community as somebody who is warm and kind and caring and artistic.”

Two seasons into her tenure as the philharmonic’s music director, Brunet has put her mark on the orchestra from embracing collaborations with groups such as the Lexington Singers to programming that weaves venerable masterworks with brand-new music, classic flm scores, and pop music as part of the regular season, not a pops series. And she has embraced the huge stage Picnic with the Pops provides every summer at Keeneland. A lot of the concerts sell out.

that mix of genres,” Brunet said. “Also, the approach to the music, I think they can feel it’s very authentic and genuine. Hopefully, they can feel that it’s alive. It’s great stuf. And sometimes you’re gonna not like it. It’s fne … We forget what really is important is how it makes us feel to be in a room with hundreds of people.”

And you may like it, and you may not. And either way, that’s cool, because you know something diferent now. She takes the edge of something that I think people feel a little insecure about sometimes, or even if they don’t feel insecure, that feels kind of formulaic, it feels a little stif, and she makes it not feel stif at all.”

In addition to being the orchestra’s lead musician, Brunet has embraced her role as the public face of the philharmonic.

Te French woman whose initial goal was showing people what is amazing about music seems to be doing just that in Lexington.

“It shows that people need that variety,

“She makes you feel like you’re being adventurous,” said Brooke Raby, the philharmonic’s interim executive director. “Like we’re going on this adventure together, and you’re gonna fnd something new.

In addition to her role as the orchestra’s lead musician, Raby said Brunet has embraced being the public face of the orchestra, from the “Bonjour Y’all” branding she bowed in with to her amiable chatter from the stage to seizing opportunities to interact with the community. Raby acknowledged she’s sometimes the “bad guy” pulling Brunet away from patrons so she stays on schedule. Tat connection to the city and the audience makes another groundbreaking aspect of Brunet’s directorship surprising to some: She is the frst philharmonic music director who does not live in Lexington. Nonresident music directors have been normal for decades in the orchestral music world. But up until Brunet, the philharmonic’s music directors have made Lexington their home.

When she was hired, Brunet was the director of orchestral studies at the University of Iowa and lived in Iowa City. She has since lef that post and moved to Philadelphia. In addition to the Lexington Philharmonic, Brunet is also music director of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, based in Wilkes-Barre, and she was recently announced as a music director fnalist for the Delaware Symphony. In addition to those positions, Brunet has an active guest-conducting career.

Raby noted that though she doesn’t have a

Spotlight On

MÉLISSE BRUNET

audiences while still delighting them with well-known favorites.

residence in Lexington, Brunet spends more time here than any other city, including Philadelphia, and spends even more time working remotely with staf on planning and other work on behalf of the philharmonic.

“She has a deep understanding of the musical landscape,” McLeod said. “She knows what music means to a community, and she understands the Lexington community. So, we all feel that our mission for the Lexington Philharmonic is in good hands.”

Another thing keeping Brunet busy is her current status as a movie star.

Brunet is featured along with six other conductors in “Maestra,” a feature-length documentary from director Maggie Contreras focused on the La Maestra competition in Paris, the only conducting competition in the world exclusively for women. Te flm had its world premiere at Robert De Niro’s Tribeca Festival in 2023, has played other festivals and special engagements, and screened in Lexington at the Kentucky Teatre this May. Having been raised and studied in Paris, Brunet goes on a very personal journey as she grapples with reminders of abuse in her childhood and the doubt and derision she faced from those closest to her.

Brunet spent her frst decade in the United States in perpetual fear that her visa would not be renewed and she would be

sent home. In February, Brunet became a U.S. citizen, one social media photo showing her striking a giddy pose in front of a U.S. fag, waving another, at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in Philadelphia. Another picture focuses on celebratory stars and stripes socks, and then there is the red, white, and blue bouquet the philharmonic sent her.

Now she can go about her work confdent she is home.

Making space for a greater diversity of voices in the orchestra is a hallmark of Brunet’s frst couple years with the philharmonic. Programs have included internationally acclaimed stars such as composer Jennifer Higdon, who was featured in March’s concert along with Clarice Assad and Lexington native Shawn Okpebholo. Another rising star, Okpebholo was this year’s composer-inresidence with his works bookending the season, including the world premiere of his

Brunet has marked her frst several years as a conductor who seeks diversity of voices in the orchestra. She also relishes introducing new music to

After Brunet stepped in as a guest conductor, musicians immediately supported her for the permanent role.

heartbreaking “Two Black Churches” for orchestra this May.

Brunet’s third season is just months away and includes crowd-pleasers such as a second night of the wildly popular Cathedral Christmas concert, a new “Give Birth to the Dream” program that will highlight local talent, a number of new works, and Igor Stravinsky’s monumental “Te Rite of Spring” to close the season.

Whatever the program, Brunet is realizing the dream so many people told her was impossible when she started. She gets to share her infectious love of music with everyone in the concert hall, and she is aware of one demographic watching her.

“So many girls at the concerts that I do, they are conducting,” Brunet said of girls imitating her on the podium. “And I see so many pictures of them just doing it, you know, and it’s a no-brainer. And some of them come talk to me at the end and say it’s so inspiring. And for them, it’s gonna be a job that is on the list of possibilities. Like they won’t even think that it’s been hard one day, and thank goodness they won’t have to think about that.” KM

Conducting fulflls a dream Brunet once feared she might not achieve.

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175 Acre Woodford County Farm

We ar e portion of Woodspring Farm for purchase. Improvements include 3 barns with a total of 34 stalls, a 120x60 equipment/storage building that that could also be used for an indoor riding area, two large equipment sheds, training roundpen, cattle working pens (covered), 8 plank fenced paddocks, 4 large felds and a 2600 sqft 3 bedroom, two bath brick ranch residence. Outstanding location, soils, and improvements in the heart of Woodford County. Listing Price $3,450,000

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A DARING IDEA PAYS DIVIDENDS

Hunter Valley Farm Thriving 20 Years After Its Founding

By Lenny Shulman

Photos by Heather C. Jackson

Lenny Shulman

Heather C.

The stakes-winning mare Family Way, with her 2024 Into Mischief foal, is representative of the high-end mares at Hunter Valley Farm.

THOUSANDS OF GRAND IDEAS

likely have been conceived in the ale-fueled environs of McCarthy’s Irish Bar in downtown Lexington. None, however, has turned out better than the scheme hatched by four Irish expatriates one summer’s night in 2004 at the Gaelic-themed watering hole.

“It could have turned out to be a very costly idea, as well, but it proved out to be good,” noted Adrian Regan, one of the principals whose collective idea that evening was to start a farm in the heart of the Bluegrass that would be the center of a consigning, breeding, buying, and boarding operation.

Two decades later, Hunter Valley Farm is thriving. What began that evening at McCarthy’s — and was confrmed the following day when clearer heads prevailed — has been guided by Regan and partners Fergus Galvin, John Wade, and Tony Hegarty to become one of the most respected organizations in the industry.

As a consigning entity, Hunter Valley Farm annually presents 100 yearlings for sale at Keeneland’s September yearling auction, and 100 broodmares and weanlings at Keeneland’s breeding stock sale in November. A steady stream of the consignment’s graduates has achieved glory in top-fight stakes events, assuring the Hunter Valley Farm banner maximum exposure.

Tanks to fortuitous partnerships forged through the quartet’s sizable list of connections throughout the Toroughbred world, its roster of broodmares is inundated with class and proven bloodlines. And its pinhooking ventures — in which

Of the four owners of Hunter Valley Farm, Fergus Galvin, left, and Adrian Regan are the hands-on partners. Right, the former Golden Gate Stud spans 300 acres in Woodford County.

weanlings are purchased, raised, and reach a level of maturity that allow them to be resold the following year, hopefully at a gain — have ensured consignments bursting with quality and a steady cash fow to ride through economic downturns and take advantage of the cyclical rallies.

Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address was written on an envelope, so memorable achievements can rise from humble origins. Galvin admits to a certain amount of greenness among the partners early on.

“Well,” he said, “it was rather hastily put together. We were getting all the documents signed for the farm, and we got a call from the attorney informing us we needed a name. No one had thought of that. We looked up, saw we were on Huntertown Road, and I knew from working at Coolmore they had a farm in Hunter Valley, Australia. So, that’s what fgured into it.”

HORSES IN THEIR PEDIGREES

Both Regan and Galvin are from families steeped in the Irish horse world. Regan’s father served as a stud manager and then was training during Adrian’s formative years. Galvin’s father, a former steeplechase jockey, was running a small stud farm in Dublin, mentoring his son on weekends. Along with so many of their countrymen who would make their marks in the Toroughbred game, Regan and Galvin wound up in the Irish National Stud program, which has served as a fnishing school for generations of horsemen.

It was there they met.

“My dad wanted me to have a look at another side of the game even though I was working for him at the time,” Regan explained. “I was very young, and the education I got there and the people I met were real eye-openers.”

Under Michael Osborne and then John Clarke, graduates of

A DARING IDEA PAYS DIVIDENDS

the Irish National Stud program were urged to take advantage of a visa program that allowed them to work in North America for six or 12 months, so that they could gain perspective on how horses were raised and raced here. Late last century, dozens upon dozens of the young Irishmen decided to take up permanent residence on these shores, and to this day the roster of Kentucky farm owners, managers, trainers, and bloodstock agents overfow with horsemen from the Emerald Isle. Entire football (soccer) leagues were formed around Lexington, populated with Irish National Stud graduates.

“I had done a couple of years working at Kildangan, Sheikh Mohammed’s operation in County Kildare,” said Galvin. “Michael Osborne ran it for a while, and he talked up Kentucky so much; he thought every young person in the horse business should go there.

“I came over on a visa for 12 months’ work experience. I wasn’t looking any further than that, but it quickly changed once I got here. It’s a fantastic experience. And we have students now coming here every year from Ireland on six-month placements. Many go on

to college; some come back to work. It’s a testament to the horse industry here in Kentucky that everybody likes it so much.”

Regan began making connections soon afer arriving in the Bluegrass. He fancied himself a future racetrack trainer or perhaps a jockey.

“I had notions that I was a great rider, which I wasn’t, and I still had visions of training horses,” he said. “But I went to work for Padraig and Aveen Campion of Blandford Stud, and that was just what I needed, getting introduced to the farm side and then working the sales for them. I got a crash course in diferent aspects of the game, learning from one of the best salesmen on the grounds.”

“I think Adrian saw the organized side of running an operation,” noted Padraig Campion. “I learned from [legendary Spendthrif farm manager] John Williams, who was a stickler for every little detail. I picked that up from him, and Adrian also saw that as the way to do business and run things. Adrian and Fergus are two very talented guys who deserve the success they’ve had, and I’m proud of them.”

Regan shifed to employment at Crescent Hill Farm outside Versailles, just a couple of miles from where Hunter Valley Farm now sits. Pat Costello was also working at Crescent Hill before moving on and eventually starting Paramount Sales, a leading consignor at Keeneland.

“I was working at Crescent Hill on an agreement where you earned based on the business you brought in,” Regan noted, “which was good grounding for starting up Hunter Valley. And one of the best things I did when I came to Kentucky was invest in Te Lads syndicate.”

STRONG FROM THE GATE

Te Lads, formed by Costello and his eventual partners in Paramount — Spider Duignan and Ted Campion — was a pinhooking syndicate comprising approximately 20 members. John Wade, originally from Galway, and Tony Hegarty, from Donegal, were in the group. Although they had started a construction business in Chicago, Wade began taking weekends in Kentucky and talked Hegarty into investing in Te Lads.

Tat proved fortuitous afer the outft bought a Kris S.

From left, Expo Gold is the dam of champion 3-year-old flly Swiss Skydiver; Diva Delite produced older female champion Midnight Bisou and stakes winner Verifying; and Sundaysatthebeach is the dam of stakes winner First World War.

A DARING IDEA PAYS

DIVIDENDS

weanling colt for $100,000 and sold it at the 1999 Keeneland yearling auction for $900,000.

A couple of years later, Hegarty and Wade were looking to immerse themselves further into the sport. Tat led to the evening at McCarthy’s. Golden Gate Stud would soon be rechristened Hunter Valley Farm, and the partners fred out of the starting gate in a dream beginning to their fedgling operation.

Because of the connections each had established, Regan and Galvin — the two partners who are hands-on at the farm — began Hunter Valley over a frm foundation. Costello sent business their way when he gave up farm managing to start Paramount. Rob Whiteley, who managed Carl Icahn’s Toroughbred holdings, became an early client. Owner/ breeder Barry Schwartz sent mares to the farm from his base in New York. And Galvin’s fve years managing Ashford Stud in Kentucky for the Coolmore organization yielded horses to fll out Hunter Valley consignments.

Broodmare and weanling sales are a large part of Hunter Valley’s business.

Keeneland September sale hit the auction grounds in 2005. And the frst horse sold under their fag was a son of Johannesburg out of the unraced Mr. Prospector mare Love Style.

“We were lucky to have great friends,” noted Galvin. “Adrian had worked at farms that aforded him good clientele. And I saw a lot of people come through during my time at Ashford. So, we always had 20 or 25 mares here because of them. We also had European business when we started here, people like Stephen Hillen and David Redvers. Tey were all a massive help in starting Hunter Valley Farm.”

“We had bought the colt privately as a weanling and put plenty of partners in on him because we didn’t have the money to buy a horse like that,” recalled Regan.

Trainer Todd Pletcher, as agent, purchased the Johannesburg colt from Hunter Valley for $250,000 at Keeneland for his client James Scatuorchio. Tus, the runner was given the name Scat Daddy, and in 2006thecoltwontheSanfordandChampagne stakes, returning in 2007 to take the Fountain of Youth Stakes and the Florida Derby. Injured afer contesting the Kentucky Derby, Scat Daddy fnished his career with fve victories in nine starts and earnings of $1.3 million.

ADRIAN AND FERGUS ARE TWO GREAT AND KNOWLEDGEABLE HORSEMEN. THEIR RESULTS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.” —Paramount Sales’ Pat Costello

Noted Paramount’s Costello, “Adrian and Fergus are two great and knowledgeable horsemen. We’ve done business right through the years and will continue to. Tey are also two great guys, and we have a lot of laughs and a lot of fun running our consignments while keeping an eye on one another. Teir results speak for themselves.”

Te frst Hunter Valley Farm consignment of yearlings to the

Talk about an auspicious beginning.

“Obviously, to get of to a start like that with the frst horse we sold as Hunter Valley was fantastic,” said Regan. “For him to go out and do what he did, everybody remembered where he came from, so it was a great beginning.”

Scat Daddy, who became a leading sire at Ashford Stud from 2008 until his death from an apparent heart attack in 2015, was no one-hit wonder. Savvy buyers have been able to land headline horses out of Hunter Valley’s sales stalls ever since. Trainer Kenny McPeek, as agent, selected a Menifee flly at Keeneland September in 2006 for $55,000

A DARING IDEA PAYS

DIVIDENDS

who became A to the Crof and placed in multiple grade 1 afairs and earned better than $700,000. Paul Pompa went to $425,000 to take home a Street Cry colt from the 2007 Keeneland September auction, with Hunter Valley Farm serving as agent. Named Desert Party, the colt became a multiple graded stakes winner of nearly $930,000. At that same sale, Hunter Valley Farm consigned a son of Bernstein that it co-bred. He went to owner Bill Stiritz for $40,000 and became Proceed Bee, a graded stakes winner who banked better than $800,000. And Scat Daddy paid another dividend when Hunter Valley Farm, as agent, consigned his son No Nay Never to the 2011 Keeneland November sale. Te weanling sold for $170,000 and enjoyed a career as a grade 1 winner of nearly $680,000 in earnings.

Afer Hegarty and Wade bred a son of War Front under the name H&W Toroughbreds, Hunter Valley Farm, agent, sold it as a weanling for $50,000 at the 2008 Keeneland November sale. He became known as Te Factor, a multiple grade 1 winner of $922,000. Today, Te Factor is an accomplished stallion standing at Lane’s End Farm.

Tree-time grade 1 winner Shedaresthedevil was also on ofer by Hunter Valley Farm, agent. As a 2-year-old in 2019, she brought $280,000 at Keeneland November. She won the 2020 Kentucky Oaks and earned nearly $2.8 million as a racer.

“People do take notice when you sell notable horses, especially with social media these days,” Regan said. “We’ve been fortunate in that we’ve been able to increase our quality along with our numbers through the years. For a long time, I said that we’d never get as big as we are now. Our frst couple of years, we brought maybe 30 horses to the sale. Te last couple of years, we’ve averaged 90-100 in September and a like number in November, which is as large as it’s ever been.”

SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIPS

Quantity has not adversely afected quality. Hunter Valley has consigned several mares that changed hands for more than a million dollars in recent years, including Ocean Road and Breeders’ Cup winner Caravel. It also sold the Justify colt Verifying at Keeneland

September in 2021 for $775,000. Verifying is a graded stakes victor of nearly $850,000.

Hunter Valley Farm is also the co-breeder of Verifying, due to one of its many fortuitous partnerships. As compelling as the farm’s success as a consignor has been, it fgures to make a substantial splash in the breeding ranks as well. About fve years ago, trainer Andrew McKeever introduced Regan and Galvin to David Fennelly, an owner who wanted to get deeper into the breeding aspect of the industry. Tey now own in partnership Diva Delite, who is the dam of champion Midnight Bisou as well as Verifying; and multiple grade 1 winner Separationofpowers. Tose mares

Above, expectant broodmares enjoy some pasture time. Top, a barn with a covered horse walker close by exemplifes Hunter Valley’s low-key and functional aesthetic.

both reside on Hunter Valley Farm’s 300 acres.

Trough their clients Hillen and Redvers, Regan and Galvin met Sheikh Fahad Al Tuni, whose Qatar Racing stable has been one of the fastest-growing enterprises in the sport. Sheikh Fahad now keeps his mares at Hunter Valley Farm, with Regan and Galvin helping select matings. Earlier this year, Hunter Valley and Qatar Racing partnered on the mare Sundaysatthebeach. Tey are co-owners of her War Front colt First World War, who won the 2024 Kitten’s Joy Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

Tese partnerships have led to a sharp uptick in the quality of the broodmares with which Hunter Valley is associated.

“We own between 25 and 30 mares, the majority in partnerships,” said Regan. “We like to sell when we see upside, so we are constantly bringing in mares. Rotating, if you will. Fergus and I made a conscious decision about 10 years ago to upgrade the quality of our band. Tat same year, Sheikh Fahad started buying mares and allowed us to buy into them, giving us the opportunity to up our game. We board the mares that we are partners in and also consign their progeny, so it helps us in all facets.”

While breeding and consigning constitute the core of Hunter Valley’s business, the principals keep a frm hand in the pinhooking arena, both for its potential fnancial benefts and because they just plain enjoy it. In addition to the half-dozen weanlings Hunter Valley Farm purchases each year to resell, they participate in various pinhooking partnerships. Part of the attraction is the test of horsemanship in trying to project what a young horse will turn into down the road.

“One of our partners, John Wade, loves the pinhooking side of the game and is very active, so we do some with him,” noted Regan. “I

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A DARING IDEA PAYS

DIVIDENDS

pinhook still with Pat Costello and Spider Duignan as well. I love the challenge of spotting an immature horse that you think can turn into being the bee’s knees.

“We bought a Curlin colt in 2022 who was a half brother to California Chrome. He was very immature at the time. I remember going back to look at him a few times at Keeneland trying to convince myself he could turn out to be OK. We bought him knowing we’d have to wait for him to come into his glory, and eventually he did. It was very satisfying, and we sold him as a yearling at a good proft.”

Te pinhooking game has gotten increasingly competitive in recent years, particularly at the Keeneland November sale. Racehorse owners are now dipping into the weanling pool trying to identify runners early on, knowing they generally have to pay a premium if they wait and purchase the same horse as a yearling or 2-year-old.

Confrmed Regan, “In recent years, we’re running into end-users who are buying foals, which makes things tougher. I will joke to them,

‘Wait a minute now, we are supposed to buy them and sell them to you next year.’ ”

Galvin and Regan and their staf do sales prep work now only for the horses that have been foaled and raised on the farm. Te 300 acres over two tracts — the second tract was once known as Starlex Farm, where Kentucky Derby runner-up Tejano Run was raised — aford them only so much room, and they no longer take in boarders apart from a few longstanding out-oftown clients.

One of those is New York-based owner/breeder Barry Schwartz, who has been doing business with Hunter Valley for decades afer his farm manager, Peter Moore, introduced Schwartz to Regan and Galvin.

“I’ve been sending mares to Kentucky to be bred for more than 40 years, and I’ve been at a number of diferent farms,” Schwartz said. “But none have been as good for me in every respect as Hunter Valley. Tey take great care of the mares.

“Plus, Adrian and Fergus are great sources of information and very sharp when it comes to picking stallions and evaluating horses at sales. Tey contribute in every way. I’ve sold mares following their race careers, and they’ll consign them and do a fne job.”

MATURING OPERATION

Looking back on the 20 years of Hunter Valley Farm, Galvin said, “We wanted to get involved in as many aspects as possible, so it took a while to fne-tune the whole thing. We’ve been lucky enough to build up the quality of our mares and fortunate enough to get through the hiccups in the marketplace.

“And we are lucky to have great friends. Steven Hillen did business with us before we even started here. David Redvers has been incredible, and then introduced us to Sheikh Fahad. We still consign for Coolmore. Good clients trust us with top yearlings. And the past few years have been very strong.”

And then there is still their strong connection to McCarthy’s. Edwyn Kiely, who worked as a bartender there, decided he wanted out of the bar scene. He found employment at Hunter Valley Farm, working his way up to managing the farm for the past fve years. He is also the brother of Peter Kiely, who owns McCarthy’s.

“Wethoughtthatmightleadtocheaperdrinks,” said Galvin, “but his brother still blames us for taking Edwyn away from the bar, so it’s gone the other way. He adds some to our tab every time.”

Considering what McCarthy’s has meant to Hunter Valley Farm, it’s still worth it. KM

Retired to Ashford Stud, Scat Daddy was a popular sire until his death in 2015.

Sold as a weanling by Hunter Valley, The Factor was a multiple graded stakes winner and is now a stallion at Lane’s End Farm.

From Hunter Valley’s frst consignment, Scat Daddy was an immediate success on the racetrack.

Hunter Valley graduate Shedaresthedevil won the 2020 Kentucky Oaks.

Renowned RAFTERY TURFOTOS collection is latest addition to KEENELAND LIBRARY’S evolving collections

PRESERVING THE PAST FOR THE FUTURE

By Liane Crossley

Photos by Rick Samuels

Liane Crossley

Photos

Keeneland Library associate Kirk Hoefing examines a negative of heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey and jockey Bill Gavidia that is part of the Raftery Turfotos collection.

WWHEN SIX-TIME Eclipse Award-winning photographer Barbara Livingston decided to donate her Jim Rafery Turfotos collection, she chose Keeneland Library, renowned for its industry-leading preservation and outreach eforts.

With a modern feel that belies its existence as a portal to the past, Keeneland Library has more than 30,000 books dating from the late 1500s, 5 million negatives and prints dating from the late 1800s, and millions of newspaper and magazine articles about all aspects of the industry from the early 1700s to today. Te assortments are gathered from countless sources such as single rarities found at estate sales; private collections donated by individuals; and massive archives from racetracks, farms, and industry publications.

Te Rafery collection, gifed to Keeneland Library in late 2023, comprises an estimated 2 million negatives from renowned Turf photographer Jim Rafery, regarded as the most comprehensive collection of Toroughbred racing imagery in 20th century North America.

Livingston, the longtime chief photographer for Daily Racing Form, acquired the set from Rafery’s family in 2020 as part of her personal quest to preserve racing’s photographic history. Te negatives, from the 1930s through the 1990s, will be stored in the library’s climate-controlled vault and readied for preservation and demand-driven digitization. An indexing system,

custom-built by Keeneland Library, will make the negatives searchable by place, horse, race, person, and date.

“Ingesting and indexing a collection of this size is a slow-moving process,” Keeneland Library Director Roda Ferraro said. “As with all our photograph collections, this is a critical preservation efort that will enhance our capacity to serve our global user base and tomorrow’s public and industry stakeholders.”

Livingston said she grew up inspired by historic photos and Keeneland Library’s commitment to preserve them and provide their usage to media outlets and other endeavors.

“I gave the majority of negatives and slides to Keeneland Library because they will provide the collection a safe haven,” Livingston said. “His [Rafery’s] name will now continue to be seen, and with Keeneland’s help, his photographs will no doubt inspire future photographers, racing historians, and racing fans.”

COLLECTING COLLECTIONS

Te Rafery group is among the library’s largest gifed acquisitions since the original donation of 2,300 volumes by William Arnold Hanger, a local businessman and member of Keeneland’s board of directors. Te array, purchased from New York lawyer and bibliophile Robert James Turnbull, formed the core of Keeneland Library.

Trough the decades, inventory such as the Rafery collection has found a permanent home in Keeneland Library. Photographic stock includes 18,000 glass negatives from Charles Christian Cook, one of the frst to specialize in racing-related pictures; 400,000 negatives from Bert Morgan’s winner’s circle and other racing scenes from the 1920s to the 1960s; John C. Hemment’s scrapbooks of 7,000 photo prints from the late 1800s; Bill Mochon’s showcase of West Coast racing and celebrities from the 1960s to 2010s; and Katey Barrett’s 12,000 slides centered on California racing and acquired in 2014.

Daily Racing Form sent more than 7,500 volumes, including copies of their chart books, which contain charts of every ofcial Toroughbred race in North America from 1896 through 1990. Internationally celebrated caricature and equine cartoon artist Pierre Bellocq, known as “Peb,” donated about 4,000 pieces

Clockwise from left, the Keeneland Library’s vast holdings of historical material include the Morgan Collection, the General Stud Book, and the Morning Telegraph.

PRESERVING THE PAST FOR THE FUTURE

Clockwise from above, Kirk Hoefing checks negatives from the Jim Raftery collection. Indexing the collection, which comprises an estimated 2 million negatives, is a time-consuming process.

of original artwork in 2009, and his collection continues to inspire racing fans and researchers.

Before the internet made pedigree “research” available with a few keystrokes, Te American Stud Book unveiled a Toroughbred’s heritage page by page and generation by generation. Every volume published since 1898 is lodged in Keeneland Library with other industry publications, past and present. Te assortment includes the

1836 to 1903 editions of the New York-based weekly Spirit of the Times, which covered Toroughbred racing and other news; Te Toroughbred Record (started in 1875) and its successor, Toroughbred Times; complete copies of the still-in-publication BloodHorse (started in 1929); and more than 100 other industry journal collections.

“As the library began to shif its emphasis to remote service delivery in 2017 to meet evolving patron expectations for research in the digital age, our service volume doubled in three years, and that growth continues,” said Ferraro. “I am incredibly proud of how Keeneland Library rises to the challenge of employing our collections to meet our global patrons where they are.”

EXHIBITS AND PUBLIC PROGRAMS

Open to the public weekdays year-round, the library connects thousands of journalists, academics, racing fans, and industry stakeholders from all 50 states and more than 25 countries to information and image resources. Ferraro, Research Services Librarian Kelly Cofman, Outreach and Access Manager Tyler McDaniel, associates Kirk Hoefing and Dan Prater, and library intern Erika Williams always are willing to satisfy requests.

“It is safe to say if you can dream up a question that touches on the industry in some way — the horses, the people, the places, the issues — we have been asked it,” Ferraro said.

Information and images are available in all forms, from century-old books to searchable digitized formats for everyone from casual fans and history bufs to professionals from print publications, broadcast outlets, universities, and racetracks and horse farms around the world. Te popular Library Lecture series blends

PRESERVING THE PAST FOR THE FUTURE

DREAM JOB

Roda Ferraro’s passion for and commitment to Keeneland Library are evident in any conversation about her role as library director, a position she obtained in 2023 having started at the library in 2014 and assuming the role of head librarian in 2017.

Ferraro brings more than 25 years of experience leading, assessing, and promoting library, museum, research, and educational services, highlighted by her work with Keeneland Library and the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, NewYork.

“I have collaborated with the public, students, and faculty at several libraries, museums, and universities, but I have never worked with patrons as dedicated and passionate as those I am privileged to engage with every day at Keeneland Library,” she said.

Born in northwestern Pennsylvania, Ferraro moved to Nashville during elementary school. She pursued undergraduate studies at Emory University in Atlanta and graduate studies at Indiana University in Bloomington before spending several years in research oversight

and education at Nashville’sVanderbilt University and Lexington’s University of Kentucky, from which she holds a master’s degree in library and information science.

Ferraro, with frst-generation Italian immigrant roots, lived and studied in Rome before settling with her husband and then 5-year-old daughter in Lexington in 2009.

Her interest in the industry shadowed her father’s as a racing fan, and when Ferraro completed a six-month feld experience practicum with Keeneland Library in 2014, she knew she was home.

“I was hooked from Day One,” she said. “The sheer scope of the collections was the initial draw, and [then I saw] the energy and commitment patrons bring to the research process. It was infectious and unlike anything I had encountered.”

Her interaction with patrons ranges from collaborating with award-winning authors to promoting information literacy to providing research fundamentals workshops to equine industry undergraduate students.

“The depth and breadth of my work with Keeneland Library fosters a holistic and adaptive approach to ensuring the integrity and accessibility of our collections and the responsiveness of our service delivery systems,” she said. “All my favorite moments center on connecting: coming into an empty library during 2020 lockdowns to fnd and digitize nearly 2,500 images to ensure the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame had needed content for its new Hall of Fame experience; meeting Turf writers and photographers in parks during the pandemic to work together on their news stories and books in progress; sitting on the foor with children as they engage with a story about a horse for the frst time; chronicling the lives and impacts of people who came before and contribute to the industry now; linking patrons to information about their off-track Thoroughbreds; curating exhibits to share our collections with fans of all ages.Whatever form it takes, fostering and maintaining connections between our resources and patrons is the most important thing we do.”

Roda Ferraro brings experience and passion to her position as library director. She is hands-on in all aspects of the job, including hanging images with colleague Kirk Hoefing for last year’s exhibit “The Heart of the Turf: Racing’s Black Pioneers.”

PRESERVING THE PAST FOR THE FUTURE

knowledge with entertainment from authors who conducted research at the library for their racing-related books, and Keeneland Library provides free youth and adult educational programs to schools and community and industry organizations year-round.

Founded in 1939, Keeneland Library originally was nestled in a nook of the clubhouse before reopening in 2002 when the current building was completed. Keeneland Library received that year’s Special Eclipse Award for preserving and sharing Toroughbred racing’s past and present.

“Keeneland Library serves the public and entire industry daily,” Ferraro said. “Journalists use our resources to craf today’s coverage; racetracks and auction houses employ our collections for promotion and communications; and curators and educators apply our holdings to create exhibits and educational collateral.”

In addition to the archives that are used primarily for research, Keeneland Library curates ever-changing exhibits and ofers varied outreach programs to cultivate ongoing relationships with the community and industry.

Te current exhibit — “A Rite of Spring: Te 100th Running of the Blue Grass Stakes” on display at least through Aug. 16 — celebrates

From authors to historians to racing fans, Keeneland Library welcomes all.

MORE THAN A BUILDING

THAN A

Keeneland Library Education and Outreach Impacts in 2023:

• Hosted 252 programs and events for 5,036 community and industry stakeholders

• Drew 579 attendees for Library Lecture Series events

• Delivered 18 in-community and in-classroom educational programs to 1,668 youth and adults

• Freely hosted 20,807 youth and adults for “The Heart of theTurf: Racing’s Black Pioneers” exhibit in the library from Feb. 23 through Dec. 8

• Delivered free exhibit educational programs to 4,079 people from 10 middle and high schools, 13 university programs, 13 industry organizations, 22 media entities, and 27 community organizations

• Donated 545 copies of “The Heart of theTurf: Racing’s Black Pioneers” companion books to high school students and the public and 190 copies of “The Jockey & Her Horse” books to elementary school students

• Partnered with Keeneland Hospitality to host its frst Keeneland Crafted Library events in May and July

• Connected 9,927 research patrons from 48 states and 21 countries to information and image resources used by 17 industry publications, 23 industry organizations, 25 local and international media outlets, and 36 community organizations

BY THE NUMBERS

Keeneland Library collections

ITEMS

SOURCE

Millions of newspaper/magazine articles...................Various 30,000 books dating from the 1500s .............................Various 2 million negatives.................................................Jim Raftery 4,000 caricatures .....................................Pierre “Peb” Bellocq 12,000 slides .........................................................Katey Barrett 18,000 glass negatives ......................Charles Christian Cook 400,000 negatives .................................................Bert Morgan 7,000 photo prints ........................................John C. Hemment

PRESERVING THE PAST FOR THE FUTURE

the 100th edition of the spring meet centerpiece captured this year by Sierra Leone. Te race was inaugurated at the Kentucky Association racetrack in 1911, conducted sporadically until that downtown Lexington facility closed, and was revived at Keeneland in 1937. Te exhibit showcases the race’s history of close fnishes, upsets, fan favorites, and some of racing’s all-time greats. Highlights include memorabilia from notable jockeys and celebrated runners such as Whirlaway, Riva Ridge, Spectacular Bid, Strike the Gold, and Alydar. Photographs were curated from Keeneland Library collections and public submissions from professional and amateur photographers.

One of Keeneland Library’s most popular exhibits is “Te Heart of the Turf: Racing’s Black Pioneers,” which is now traveling to many locations in Kentucky and across the country afer spending most of 2023 in the library. Te compilation follows the lives and contributions of Black horsemen and women from enslavement to today with interpretive panels, photographs, artwork, artifacts, and video interviews. In its frst year, more than 75,000 children and adults have freely engaged with the exhibit and its educational programs.

Bobbleheads of famous racehorses have a place.

Another favorite, “From the Vault: Jockeys,” featured photos from as far back as the 1800s. A similar exhibit showcased historic tracks from short-lived facilities to those still operating in New York, Washington, D.C., Kentucky, Florida, Louisiana, Illinois, and California. Virtual exhibits are available online via Keeneland Library’s extensive and user-friendly website.

Te Lecture Series continues gaining traction as a venue for readers to meet the authors while mingling with a like-minded crowd. Most are held in Keeneland Library but can be accommodated in the Keeneland sales pavilion when a best-selling author comes to town. A notable example is Pulitzer Prize winner Geraldine Brooks, who wrote the historical fction “Horse” based on the life of famed stallion Lexington.

“I am excited about the steps the library is taking to continue to expand its education and outreach programming,” Ferraro said. “I love and respect our collections, but connecting our patrons to those collections through transformative experiences is what drives my work.” KM

From top, a fan letter to Spectacular Bid, a journal entry from jockey Ted Atkinson, and volumes of the American Turf Register can be found at Keeneland Library.

Gracious, white-glove service since 1984.

Davis

Zach Davis

President & Broker

President & Principal Broker

Betsy Lankford Associate

Hannah Davis Emig Associate

the since 2011, Zach’s expertise includes horse farms, historic estates, crop & cattle as well as recreational properties. Zach also works in concert a & financial teams, guidance for estates trusts.

Leading the brokerage since 2011, Zach’s expertise includes horse farms, historic estates, crop & cattle land, as well as recreational properties Zach also frequently works in concert with a client’s legal & financial teams, offering guidance for estates & trusts.

Greg Martelli Associate Broker

Betsy hails from Bourbon Countywhere she meticulously restored a historic home on her family farm, Ansford, lending extensive expertise in historic preservation Betsy rode and competed with Saddlebreds and today is an avid fox hunter

Betsy hails from Bourbon she restored a on farm, Ansford, extensive expertise in historic preservation. Betsy rode and with Saddlebreds and is an hunter.

Catherine Combs Gibson Associate

A native of Lexington, Hannah has lived across the globe from the Middle East to Germany. A lifelong equestrian, she has evented, ridden hunter jumpers, and now fox hunts. Hannah begins and ends her day lovingly caring for her own horses

A native of Lexington, across the from the Middle East to A equestrian, she has ridden hunter jumpers, and now fox hunts. Hannah and ends her caring for her own horses.

Hicks Worrell Associate

A lifelong equestrian, Robin thrives in Central Kentucky’s equine community and takes great pleasure introducing newcomers. Her knowledge & connections aid her in finding the perfect home or farm in Lexington or nearby communities

A equestrian, in equine community and takes great newcomers. & connections aid her in the home or farm in Lexington or communities.

Robin Owens Associate Tamara Bayer Associate

Greg’s passion for fine homes is He in creation & restoration of hundreds estates across With more than years’ real estate experience, his unique provides a value-added experience for

Greg’s passion for fine homes is unparalleled. He has assisted in the creation & restoration of hundreds of estates across the Bluegrass. With more than forty years’ real estate experience, his unique background provides a value-added experience for his clients.

A native, Catherine is Lexingtonian. Her seven years of relations experience lend expertise. A keen eye for & gracious demeanor ensure a superb experience for her

A proud Kentucky native, Catherine is Lexingtonian Her seven years of public relations experience lend marketing expertise. A keen eye for design & gracious demeanor ensure a superb experience for her clientele.

Lucy is from and estate license since 1979. Lucy also operates Woodford Insurance, a wide variety of insurance services. & specialized make her an

Lucy is from Midway and has held her real estate license since 1979. Today, Lucy also operates Woodford Insurance, offering a wide variety of insurance services. Lucy’s Bluegrass heritage & specialized knowledge make her an extraordinary resource.

In in real estate, Tamara’s expertise includes residential (especially the right neighborhood to fit a client’s homes on acreage, & more. Her easygoing attention to & technical savvy have resulted in many repeat clients.

In her second decade working in real estate, Tamara’s expertise includes residential (especially finding the right neighborhood to fit a client’s needs), homes on acreage, & more. Her easygoing personality, attention to detail, & technical savvy have resulted in many repeat clients

Lucy

Greg Martelli Associate

Betsy Lankford

Combs

Davis

Lucy Hicks

Owens

Tamara

any other stallion.

Curlin has sired more Breeders’ Cup winners than

King of the Hill

CURLIN’S PAMPERED LIFESTYLE BEFITS HIS STATUS AS A SUPERSTAR STALLION

By Cynthia Grisolia

Photos by Amy Lanigan

Ona cloudless March morning, Curlin, the preeminent Toroughbred stallion who stands at Hill ‘n’ Dale at Xalapa near Paris, Kentucky, is nibbling grass. Te stallion complex, which sits near the edge of Xalapa’s pristine 1,500 acres, is nearly silent. Te only sound is the chirping of blackbirds and the occasional grind of the leaf blower that’s tidying up the 31-stall stone barn just north of his paddock. Despite the quiet, Curlin suddenly snaps alert. With his ears pricked and heel cocked, he turns his nose up, catching wind of something in the air. It could be freshly blooming lilacs, or it could be he’s just detecting his own superior essence.

Curlin, now in his 15th season at stud, has distinguished himself as horsepower to be reckoned with. A mass of taut muscle in a radiant crimson sheath, he currently sits comfortably alof several of the industry’s ranked sire lists: In 2023, Curlin was the Northern Hemisphere’s No. 1 sire of grade 1 race winners on dirt and the No. 2 sire by progeny earnings on all surfaces (behind only his consistent rival Into Mischief, who statistically has a higher percentage of ofspring).

More importantly, in 2022 Curlin became the only North American stallion ever to have three progeny win Breeders’ Cup championships on the same day. Remarkably, he replicated that feat the following year when eventual Horse of the Year Cody’s Wish and champion Elite Power defended their titles by recapturing the Dirt Mile and the Sprint, respectively, and the brilliant flly Idiomatic handily won the Breeders’ Cup Distaf. Te triumvirate elevated Curlin’s

Curlin is memorialized in bronze near the Hill ‘n’ Dale at Xalapa stallion barn.

catalog of end-of-season championship winners to an astounding six and anointed him as the No.1 sire of Breeders’ Cup winners in history. Subsequently, his number of progeny crowned with individual championship titles rose to an equally impressive eight (see charts).

“We’re extremely proud of the horse,” said John G. Sikura, owner of Hill ‘n’ Dale, which maintains a 20 percent interest in the stallion with majority partner Stonestreet Stables. “He’s the fagship of the farm. In every metric of achievement or measurement he’s proven to be the best. I’d say Curlin is equal to any sire in America,” Sikura added. “His accomplishments speak for themselves.”

Indeed. As the most successful son of Smart Strike, Curlin was racking up accolades long before entering the breeding shed. He burst onto the scene in 2007 with a three-race win streak, including the grade 3 Rebel Stakes and the grade 2 Arkansas Derby. Campaigned in partnership by Stonestreet, Curlin became a leading contender in that year’s Triple Crown series. While he lost the Kentucky Derby, he snatched the Preakness with authority and ended the season with a powerful win in the Breeders’ Cup Classic over a deeply sloppy Monmouth Park oval. Dual Eclipse Awards followed: champion 3-year-old male and the ultimate crown, Horse of the Year.

Te next season was a veritable repeat, kicking of on the global stage with a victory in the Dubai World Cup and moving on to three grade 1 wins, including the Jockey Club Gold Cup. He ended his career as the No. 1 all-time North American money earner with a bank account surpassing $10.5 million — a record that stood for nearly a decade until California Chrome upped the ante. For his eforts, he was awarded another set of Eclipse Awards, including a second Horse of the Year title, and in 2014, an induction in the National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame.

Tat resume, followed by his nearly unprecedented success at stud, has made Curlin a very elusive entity: an outstanding racehorse that has

Curlin strikes a majestic pose as he takes in his surroundings from his paddock.

Hill ‘n’ Dale at Xalapa’s John G. Sikura exudes pride when he talks about Curlin’s accomplishments.

King of the Hill

become an outstanding sire. Imparting both class and stamina, his runners defy categories. He has had winners at various distances, from a sprint to a mile-and-a-quarter with both colts and fllies, on dirt, all-weather, and grass. And, if the past few seasons are any indication, the genetic torch is being passed. Witness sons Good Magic, who also stands at Hill ‘n’ Dale, and Keen Ice, both of whom have produced not only graded stakes winners in their frst crop but also Kentucky Derby winners: 2022’s Rich Strike (by Keen Ice) and 2023’s Mage (by Good Magic).

“It’s early,” said Sikura of Curlin’s long-term status, “but he has several sons at stud and is a broodmare sire in production, and we’re hoping those power points will show he is a superior stallion. Vino Rosso [standing at Spendthrif] is of to a good start; Good Magic is of to a phenomenal start,” he continued. “When a horse can perpetuate his ability to the next generation, those are breed-shaping stallions.”

THE ROYAL TREATMENT

A day in the life of Curlin is a busy one, especially during breeding season from mid-February to late June. Tere’s breakfast at 5 a.m. (four tasty pounds of Hallway Fiber Energy designed to keep his weight at a frame-ftting 1,540 pounds), grooming at 6 a.m., and a brisk walk around the stallion barn’s quarter-mile inside track at 7:30 a.m. to limber up for the frst of his two daily breedings, which is about 8 a.m. (As one might expect, Curlin’s datebook has seen no shortage of power mares, including champions Letruska, Midnight Bisou, and Beholder.)

“We try to keep his schedule very consistent,” said stallion manager Lance Mitchell, who oversees not only Curlin but also all 11 of Hill ‘n’ Dale’s elite stallions, including Ghostzapper, Violence, and Midnight Lute. “We make the schedule ft him, not vice versa. We try to make all the stallions as comfortable as possible with their schedules,” he

Ricky Bernal handles Curlin daily and ensures the horse always looks his best.

Curlin foals out of the mares Eileen’s Dream, above, and Venetian Harbor delight visitors to Hill ‘n’ Dale at Xalapa.

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King of the Hill

added, “but even more so with him.”

So when regular groom Ricky Bernal comes to fetch his charge from that mellow morning turnout, the stallion politely submits. He knows he’s got things to do. Afer a quick bath — sparkling up those signature white socks — he’s ready for his afernoon spa treatments all geared toward keeping the now 20-year-old superstar ft as a proverbial fddle. Depending on the day, it could be acupuncture, a chiropractic adjustment, or like today, MagnaWave PEMF therapy. Standing in his deeply bedded stall, Curlin relaxes as Hill ‘n’ Dale vet tech Caitlin Moore applies a loopy coil to his back and fank that is soon generating gentle electromagnetic pulses. Within minutes, he begins nodding of.

“It is like a deep-tissue massage to keep his muscles sof and relaxed,” said Mitchell, who notes that the procedures are prophylactic measures only and shared with the other stallions as well. “We like him to feel like — well, I’d say a million bucks, but he’s worth a lot more than that,” Mitchell said with a laugh. “We need him to feel like $100 million bucks!”

(For the record, an actual monetary assessment is “easier to do with newer stallions,” said Hill ‘n’ Dale general manager Jared Burdine. “But we don’t put a value on him,” he added. “Curlin is priceless.”)

In the afernoon, the stallions are on deck for a meet-andgreet with fans during one of Hill ‘n’ Dale’s public tours. On one crisp spring Sunday, 10 people gather with Angie Sikura, thefarm’sdirectorofevents—whoalsohappenstobemarried

CURLIN’S

BREEDERS’

CUP WINNERS

to the boss — to take a two-hour tour of Xalapa, which traces its origins to 1827. John Sikura acquired the farm in 2019 and has since restored it to its original grandeur, when Sinclair Oil founder Edward Simms developed the property into one of the premier Toroughbred farms in the Bluegrass.

Guests on board, the Hill ‘n’ Dale trolley courses past paddocks full of broodmares and rows of dafodils standing at attention. It carries visitors past the farm’s historic outbuildings and over the iconic stone bridge made famous by the movie “Seabiscuit.” But the highlight, naturally, is the stallion barn. Fans meet Midnight Lute, who’s munching peppermints, and watch as a groom gets Violence’s chocolate-bay coat gleaming for the afernoon breeding session. Ghostzapper, new guy Loggins, Army Mule, and Charlatan all garner “oohs” and “ahhs.” And then it’s time for the main event: Curlin, who, as luck would have it, is out of his stall having a bath (cue cellphone photo frenzy).

“When I see him, with that shiny copper coat, I think it must be what it was like to see Secretariat,” said Connie Wood, here from Bloomington, Illinois. “Tat was my impression when I saw him for the frst time.”

Good Magic Glinda the Good2017 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile

next to sire Curlin at Hill ‘n’ Dale at Xalapa

2023 Kentucky Derby winner Mage; 2024 Arkansas Derby winner Muth; 2024 Kentucky Derby contender Dornoch

Vino Rosso Mythical Bride

King of the Hill

During breeding season, Curlin has a busy schedule that includes daily turnout to keep him content.

CURLIN’S CHAMPION OFFSPRING

CHAMPIONSMEMORABLE CAREER MOMENT (THAT WASN'TTHE BC)

Stellar Wind So many: She's a six-time grade 1 winner

Good Magic Grade 1Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland

Vino Rosso Grade 1 Gold Cup at Santa Anita

ECLIPSEAWARD ALSO NOTABLE

2015 Three-Year-Old FillyRan sixth against males in the 2018 PegasusWorld Cup

2017 Two-Year-old MaleWon the grade 1 Haskell as a 3-year-old; second in the 2018 Kentucky Derby

2019 Older Dirt Male Won the 2018 grade 2Wood Memorial Nest String of grade 1s: Ashland, Coaching Club American Oaks, Alabama

Malathaat Won the 2021 Kentucky Oaks

Cody's Wish Near-perfect season winning four out of fve races in 2023

Idiomatic Won eight out of nine races in 2023

2022Three-Year-Old FillyIs expected to return to racing in 2024 for a 5-year-old campaign

2021Three-Year-Old Filly 2022 Older Dirt Female Seven-time grade 1 winner

2023 Older Dirt Male, 2023 Horse of theYear

Two-time winner of the SecretariatVox Populi Award

2023 Older Dirt FemaleWon grade 1 LaTroienne Stakes on May 3 Elite Power Grade1 Alfred G.Vanderbilt Handicap2022 & 2023 Male SprinterWon 2023 grade 1 race in Saudi Arabia

King of the Hill

Wood has been to Xalapa several times and said she is now a big fan of Curlin’s babies. Uber fan Rita Wimpy, from Versailles, Kentucky, keeps a record of the stallion’s progeny on her phone. Te list currently tops 593 names. “I’ve been watching horses for 52 years,” said Wimpy, who adds that she laid witness to Swaps and Native Dancer, among other Turf legends, “but he’s the only one that ever took my breath away. I love my Curlin,” she enthused. (Tour fans are not alone. Even the surrounding community has Curlin worship: At the upcoming Bourbon County Legends Festival, to be held Oct. 11-13, the two-time Horse of the Year will be this year’s ofcial honoree.)

Since settling at Xalapa, Hill ‘n’ Dale has been very generous in sharing its facility and stallion roster with the general public — especially, of course, its superstar. Te tour even includes visits with two of his foals born in recent weeks — Curlins, the next generation. Te experience, said Angie Sikura, aims to connect fans with their heroes and to support their ongoing engagement with the sport.

“Curlin does have a very large fan base, but we have found that many of our stallions have a strong fan base,” she said. “People have amazing memories of them winning signifcant races, and this gives them the opportunity to meet a horse they consider a celebrity.

“It even gives me a greater appreciation for these amazing animals and what they have accomplished,” she added.

At the end of the visit, one guest leaves behind a bag of horse cookies. It’s an early birthday gif. Tomorrow, Curlin ofcially turns 20.

PRESERVE AND PROTECT

In a competitive breeding industry, many may view a stallion in his double digits as on the downslide. But by all indications, Curlin, who currently stands for $250,000, is still very much on an upward trajectory both on the track and in the sales ring, where progeny regularly generate seven-fgure price tags, such as the colt out of the stakes-winning mare Miss Sunset who sold for $1.1 million at Keeneland’s 2023 September yearling sale.

“Commercial breeders tend to favor frst-year and second-year sires, but savvy breeders looking to establish the credentials of young mares will turn to a proven sire,”

Above and right, grooms take extra care to keep Curlin’s white hind legs sparkling clean.

Curlin enjoys some down time in stall No. 7 before his second breeding of the day.

said Eric Mitchell, bloodstock editor for BloodHorse. “Curlin is consistently among the top choices as a reliable source of elite racehorses that win at the highest level, on the biggest stages, and keep winning for years.”

Back in stall No. 7 for the evening, Curlin dives into another meal (four more pounds of feed) and gets some chill time before his second breeding about 5 p.m. — as part of Hill ‘n’ Dale’s commitment to his longevity, Curlin’s book is carefully capped at approximately 120 select mares. Ten it’s rest for the night before his day begins all over again.

“We try to be microscopic in all aspects of his management,” said Sikura. “When you have a horse of a lifetime, you better treat him like a one-of — because most likely you’ll never have another one like him.” KM

Curlin’s popularity among breeders and fans alike remains strong.

Caitlin Moore gives Curlin MagnaWave PEMF therapy.

BLOCK PARTY

New food, drink, and entertainment options in the popular WAREHOUSE BLOCK makes this Lexington destination buzzier than ever

By

Vickie Mitchell / Photos by Arden Barnes Vickie Mitchell Photos Barnes

Ten years ago, as Pilates instructor Robert Turner began to look for a place to open his dream business — a Pilates studio that would also

ofer yoga and massage — he heard about space in an old warehouse district being revitalized on National Avenue in Lexington’s East End.

Turner grew up in Lexington, and his memories of National weren’t exactly positive. “A bit rundown. Warehouse-y,” was how he remembered it. Sportsman’s Liquors, a corner liquor store with a sketchy past, stood out specifcally. He was skeptical.

“I knew this area, so I was like ‘Really?’ ”

But as Turner listened to Walker Properties’ plans to bring new purpose to a downtrodden edge of downtown, he started to see possibilities. Here was a chance, he realized, for Lexington to emulate other cities and polish a rough spot. Plus, the project paralleled what Turner does daily as he helps people recover from injuries and feel “better in their bodies.”

“I like the idea of bringing revitalization to spaces — rejuvenation — because it’s kind of the same principle that I have with Pilates. So, I was like, this is the perfect place.”

Chad Walker, whose Walker Properties owns many of the Warehouse Block buildings, has more demand than space.

THE WAREHOUSE BLOCK CONTAINS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE. On the opening pages, clockwise from top left, Robert Turner offers private and group Pilates instruction at his breathe studio; Blue Door Smokehouse is known for outstanding barbecue; Mirror Twin serves up beer, pizza, and fun and games; Wild Lab Bakery owners Andrew McGraw and Chapi Johnson craft in-demand sourdough bread and other baked goods; the Lexington Farmers Market is joining the Block Tuesdays and Thursdays; traditional and craft sakes can be found at the Void Sake Company; beer lovers will fnd many choices at Mirror Twin; Lucia’s World Emporium has clothing, accessories, and more.

Pilates instructor Robert Turner found the ideal location for breathe, his studio in the Warehouse Block.

As it turns out the warehouse district, now known as the Warehouse Block, has been the perfect place for breathe, Turner’s studio, and more than 60 other small businesses, ranging from bakeries to a ballet company and a brewery to boutiques, not to mention about a half-dozen ftness businesses.

Tese days, the Walker Properties’ Chad Walker doesn’t even need to pitch tenants. Te block is booked up, and about half his tenants say they’ll take more space if it comes available.

BUILDING THE BLOCK

Chad’s dad, Randy Walker, got things started decades ago when he began buying and rehabbing buildings adjacent to his Walker Electric company, when it was based in the National Avenue area. Today, Walker Properties owns all the buildings on the east side of the 200 block of Walton and on the 300 block of North Ashland as well as all but fve in the 700 and 800 blocks of National Avenue. Tat’s the area defned as the Warehouse Block, although businesses nearby on Walton and farther down on National are welcome to be part of the Block’s projects.

BLOCK PARTY

Tis spring, the Block got an infusion of food, drink, and entertainment when four new tenants opened within a couple of months at 819 National, a yellow-brick building next to a wide parking lot where in mid-May the Tuesday/Tursday Lexington Farmers Market will make its new home.

At the front of 819, Wild Lab Bakery bakes bread, bagels, and cookies. At the back of the building, the popular Blue Door Smokehouse smokes pork, ribs, and brisket at its new location. Between those two, Void Sake serves traditional and crafinspired sake as well as beers and brings local musicians to its small stage, and Mamadou “Sav” Savane scoops 18 favors of ice cream and two sorbets at his Sav’s Gourmet Ice Cream. Void, Sav’s, and Blue Door all have glass garage doors that can be rolled up on nice days.

Te new businesses, Walker said jokingly, are “my four basic food groups in one spot.”

All of the businesses wanted to be in the Warehouse Block, and the adjacent Mentelle, Bell Court, and Kenwick neighborhoods.

Blue Door had been several

blocks away on Walton and had built up a loyal following there in its 10 years. It needed to expand, “but we didn’t want to move all the way across town,” said owner Jef Newman.

Chapi Johnson and Andrew McGraw of Wild Lab Bakery had started baking bread during the pandemic, and before long, instead of giving it to neighbors, the couple were selling it at farmers markets. “We wanted to have a brick-and-mortar store, but we wanted to be in this neighborhood because we lived nearby,” said Johnson. “So, we started harassing Chad about a space.”

Joe Rice at Void also made his pleas to Walker. Te 600-squarefoot tasting room at his production facility farther down on National was too small. “Two years ago, I started asking about other real estate down here,” said Rice. “I did stalk Chad a little bit.”

Te new bar is four times the size of the old tasting room, and by mid-March, Void had already seen its best monthly sales since it opened in 2021. “And we’re only halfway through the month,” Rice reminded.

Attracting an ice cream shop had long been on Walker’s wish

Left, Joe Rice owns The Void Sake Company, above, where patrons can enjoy traditional and craft-inspired sake as well as beers and music performed by local talent.

Wild Lab Bakery’s Andrew McGraw developed a following for his bread at farmers markets before moving to the Block.

TASTE EXTRAORDINARY

BLOCK PARTY

list — partly fueled by his love of ice cream, but also by the family-heavy neighborhoods nearby. He thought his friend Sav, who lives in nearby Kenwick, wasn’t interested in a storefront and so began talking with other ice cream purveyors. Sav got wind. “I told Chad, ‘Are you out of your mind? It’s my neighborhood!’ ” Walker gladly signed Sav up for the last space at 819 National.

CHANGE COMES GRADUALLY

Mamadou “Sav” Savane is set to open Sav’s Gourmet Ice Cream, fulflling Walker’s desire to have an ice cream shop in the neighborhood.

Te Warehouse Block didn’t happen overnight, and several developments aided its transformation. Te frst was the city’s Adaptive Reuse Program, which made it easier to bring in retail and restaurants. Second were the arrivals of the Kentucky Ballet Teatre, which brought parents and kids to the district and showed them it was safe, and Mirror Twin Brewing, where people of all ages, with kids and dogs in tow, could grab beer and pizza in a relaxed, laid-back setting.

Opened eight years ago, Mirror Twin may take the prize for fastest growth. As it has churned out 1,194 diferent beers and counting, the brewery has grown physically, taking over the identical building across the parking lot when Cosmic Charlie’s departed afer the neighborhood rose up to protest the music venue’s defance of noise ordinances. Te parking area eventually became an outdoor dining area with picnic tables and covered pavilions. Leasing the second building was a no-brainer, says Derek DeFranco, director of brewing operations and co-owner.

“Before, every single week we saw people come into the original building, see nowhere to sit, and leave. We knew we had the demand for more space.” (By the way, the brewery’s name wasn’t spawned by its two identical buildings but instead by De Franco, who is a mirror twin: He is right-handed; his twin brother is lef-handed.)

Mirror Twin also opened a bar across the street, originally called Myriad Meadery, now a special events space called the Annex, and opened a cannery behind a strip of storefronts in the 700 block of National.

Te recent approval of an Entertainment District Center overlay will allow patrons to wander within the block with alcoholic drinks in hand as long as the beverage is in a special cup. So, for example, they can take their signature frozé from the Blushery and walk around the corner for ribs at Blue Door or carry their beer from Mirror Twin over to the farmers market to buy tomatoes.

Jeff Newman, owner of Blue Door Smokehouse, now has more space to serve the restaurant’s popular brisket, ribs, and more.

BLOCK PARTY

MORE IMPROVEMENTS TO COME

Although the Warehouse Block has improved, Walker continues to look for ways to make it better. He has plenty of ideas, but he also talks to others. Several times a year, he holds a meeting to talk about the Warehouse Block. “It’s an open invitation to people to fnd out what’s happening and for us to ask, ‘What can we do better?’ ”

He’s working now on trafc-calming measures and a design for the gravel parking lot where the Farmers Market will be twice weekly. Paving, power sources, a stage, and perhaps a green space will be part of the plan, and the market won’t be charged for the improvements or the use of the space.

Walker also turns to a group of merchants, including Teresa Hendricks. Like Turner, she opened her business in the Warehouse Block in 2014, moving Lucia’s World Emporium and Lucia’s Imports from a storefront it had outgrown in Woodland Triangle.

A bonus for the longtime business owner has been collaboration with the other business owners in the district, about 80% of whom are women. Tey’ve worked on all kinds of mutually benefcial projects including special events, advertising, block signage and signature art. “I don’t think I was expecting it, but we all just kind of came together to promote the Warehouse Block and our own businesses,” she said.

At The Blushery, patrons can shop and also enjoy a libation.

WHAT CANYOU DO INTHEWAREHOUSE BLOCK?

In the past decade, the business mix in theWarehouse Block has shifted. You still fnd service businesses scattered about, but retail, restaurant, and entertainment options dominate.

Here are a few things to do in theWarehouse Block.

» GET PUMPED. If you want to break a sweat, there are plenty of options with more than a half-dozen ftness businesses in the block and others nearby. Or bypass the gym and earn points toward beer and pizza by joining Mirror Twin Brewery’s running club.

» GO INTERNATIONAL.With nonstop sumo wrestling on one screen, Japanese street scenes on another, and paper lanterns overhead, it’s easy to feel halfway around the world atVoid Sake as you sipVoid’s tangerine cream sake and eat ramen from the nearby Nebutori FoodTruck. For a different international experience, shop at Lucia’sWorld Emporium, a fair-trade store whose colorful merchandise is made by artisans from around the world.

» PLUNGE INTO PASTELS. For treats that are as tasty as they are pretty, pop into Popcorn Paradise for a bag ofTutti-Fruiti or Birthday Cake popcorn, then head to Le Petit Delicat next door and pick up a rainbow of French macarons.

» EAT, DRINK, AND BE MERRY. Crack open a can of MirrorTwin’s latest concoction — if it’s National Cereal Day, your beer could be made with Lucky Charms or Froot Loops. Have a pizza or chicken wings from food partner Rolling Oven. Sit on the rooftop at El Cid and savor a margarita and tacos. Check out one of Lexington’s best happy hours at Epping’s.

» CHILL OUT. Have a massage at Centered or breathe deep in the Lexington Salt Cave. Heighten your sense of touch shopping for fabrics at the Rag Peddler.

» MAKE WEDDING PLANS. Refresh your ’do at Dry Art or Hair Loft, whirl intoTheWhite Dress for a wedding gown, and saunter to Season’s Catering to talk reception menu.Then head to the Blushery with bridesmaids to buy something frilly and make a toast with a vodka-spiked frozé.

» GETYOUR GAME ON. Spend hours hovering over board games at Legendary Games or minutes planning the perfect escape at Breakout Games. If trivia or bingo are more your style, check schedules at MirrorTwin orVoid Sake.

» MAKE IT KIDS’ PLAY. At ARTplay Children’s Studio, youngsters discover that getting a little wild and messy ignites their imagination.Tiny dancers will be on their toes at the Kentucky BalletTheatre Academy.

Lucia’s World Emporium owner Teresa Hendricks, left, has been a presence in the block for a decade.

BLOCK PARTY

SWEET SMELLS OF SUCCESS

Looking back, Walker sees the Warehouse Block’s evolution as “a very organic, slow process. I think the neighborhood has responded well to that because we keep them updated. It has become a really nice neighborhood, where you can walk and have a pizza, have a bite to eat or a drink, but it never has felt like a big party central kind of place.”

One of the block’s bonuses are the aromas that waf through it: roasting peanuts from the nearby Jif plant, fermenting grains at the brewery, meat smoking above burning embers.

“Tat’s kind of the fun — you get the smells from barbecue, peanut butter, the brewery,” Walker said. He thinks for a moment about the people who work out at the block’s many ftness businesses. Maybe the promise of a beer and pizza motivate them? “I don’t know how people work out around here,” he said with a laugh. “I think everybody just runs toward the smells.” KM

For more information, visit Warehouseblocklex.com.

CARS WELCOME

Forget those pesky “No Parking” or “Tow Zone” signs. In theWarehouse Block, the message on the parking sign is the friendly “Hey, can I park here?”

Scan the sign’s QR code and up pops a map of available parking and the block’s businesses. Unlike many urban entertainment and shopping districts, parking is unrestricted around buildings in the block that are owned byWalker Properties.

Says ChadWalker ofWalker Properties, “Nobody gets towed unless I do it, and a car has to sit in a space for a couple of days before I would call.” He doesn’t like threatening signs. “That’s not good for business.”

Mirror Twin Brewing has enjoyed tremendous growth and, says co-owner and director of brewing operations Derek DeFranco, has benefted from additional space.

EPIC EATS

Since opening fve years ago, EPPING’S ON EASTSIDE has become an anchor of the WAREHOUSE BLOCK, satisfying everyone from the happy hour crowd to toddlers in highchairs

By Patti Nickell

Photos by Mark Mahan Photos

Co-owner Richard Turnbull, right, assesses the lively bar scene on a recent busy weeknight.

It’s 4:30 on a Tursday afernoon andthebarcrowdatEpping’s on Eastside is already getting rowdy. Well, as rowdy as it can get when one’s idea of rowdiness is a heated debate over which is better, a Willamette Valley pinot noir or a Napa Valley cabernet. Not exactly a debate likely to end up in fsticufs.

Since its opening in 2019, Epping’s on Eastside, the second restaurant venture of Cole Arimes (his frst being Cole’s 735 Main), has become the culinary anchor of National Avenue and the Winchester Road corridor. It’s Lexington’s place of choice for the weekend brunch bunch and for those looking for a dinner spot where the atmosphere is casually elegant and the menu unpretentiously sophisticated.

Left, in a previous life, the handsome brick building at Walton and National avenues housed the Epping Bottling Works.

Below, Richard Turnbull and Cole Arimes opened Epping’s on Eastside in 2019 then confronted the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As the evening progresses, the restaurant begins to fll up — on the Epping’s side and the adjoining Poppy & Olive side (more on that later). Especially coveted is the sleek 28-seat wraparound bar, where as soon as one drinker abandons their coveted perch, two more eagerly wait to grab it.

Epping’s bar has become a neighborhood hot spot, and Arimes said that has always been the intent. “When we were frst renovating the building, our goal was to create a bar that would become a welcoming community gathering place,” he said.

For regulars and newcomers alike, a seat at the Epping’s bar guarantees great food, great drinks, and great service. In addition to a special bar menu, patrons can also order anything on the restaurant menu.

EPIC EATS

Arimes said he loves the fact that the 4 p.m. happy hour “brings guests in early and keeps the people-watching, conversation-starting party going until closing time.”

It’s a truism that “success breeds success,” but Cole’s 735 Main has had enough success to satisfy most chef/owners. Arimes, however, isn’t most chef/owners, and he allows that several factors played a part in his decision to add to his restaurant holdings. One was his restless nature.

“I found that things were pretty well covered at 735 Main — both in the kitchen and the front of the house, and truthfully, I was getting a little bored,” he acknowledged.

He and his partner, Richard Turnbull, who is also his uncle, began searching for a potential second location. Tey looked at both Manchester and Old Vine streets, but they couldn’t get a spot on National Avenue out of their minds. It had housed National Provisions until that restaurant/bakery closed in 2016.

Arimes’ desire to open a bar where, like TV’s “Cheers,” “everybody knows your name,” and the discovery that a spot was about to become available aligned with a third, more important factor — the location. While he said the space’s potential spoke to him, nostalgia also played a large part in his decision.

casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I grew up in this area,” said Arimes, adding that his grandparents operated Arimes Market on the corner of Cramer and Walton, a block-and-a-half away. “It just felt like coming home,” he said.

THE PLANETS ALIGNED — AND THEN CAME COVID-19

Te dreaming proved easier than the doing. Te completion of the sale took two years, but if Arimes and Turnbull thought the worst was behind them, they were mistaken. Almost a year to the date of Epping’s opening, the restaurant was forced to close — a

Prior to this, the partners had been trying to come up with a winning formula for their venture — how to distinguish Epping’s from Cole’s 735 — and at the same time duplicate that restaurant’s high standards.

“While COVID was a disaster, it did give us the time to regroup and come up with a plan,” said Arimes.

Teir frst decision was to separate the large space into not just two dining rooms but two diferent restaurant concepts, an idea they had initiated prior to the pandemic. “I had always wanted a place where a couple could come for a romantic date night and not

From left, Beth Hellebusch, Maria Rigsby, Linda Kersey, and Charlotte Michel share a toast during happy hour. Below right, bartender Nigel Haddad keeps the libations fowing.

MYSTIK DAN captured the historic 150TH RUNNING OF THE $5 MILLION KENTUCKY DERBY (G1), giving Kentucky-breds 116 victories in the “Run for the Roses.”

Congratulations to breeders Lance Gasaway, Daniel Hamby, and 4G Racing for earning the $50,000 award for a KBIF-registered Derby winner, and to Ken McPeek for becoming the first trainer since Ben Jones in 1952 to saddle the Oaks and Derby winners in the same year.

Owners: Lance Gasaway, 4G Racing LLC, Daniel Hamby III & Valley View Farm LLC

Breeder: Lance Gasaway, Daniel Hamby, and 4G Racing

Trainer: Ken McPeek

EPIC EATS

Left, specialty cocktails; above right, tirokafteri, a spicy Greek dip; center right, Thai-style crabcakes

Left, New York strip tataki; center left, grilled Scottish salmon; right, pan-roasted chicken

EPIC EATS

feel intruded upon, and, at the same time, parents could come for a family dinner and not feel intimidated,” said Arimes, adding that he likes to describe it as being “parent-friendly rather than kid-friendly.”

As Epping’s was already designated the date-night side, Arimes had to come up with a plan for the parent-friendly side. Most restaurants would have just exiled parents with kids in tow to their version of Siberia — a separate space as far away from the mainstream diners as possible.

Poppy & Olive took a diferent approach. Te only thing separating the two restaurants is an open arch and the bar, split between the two. On the Epping’s side, patrons engage bartenders in matters of mixology, while on the Poppy & Olive side, they’re likely to be engaged in cheering on the Cats on the wide-screen TV.

Grilled cheese and fried bologna are on the menu for young eaters, but if a child is a gourmet-in-grooming, they can delve into a charcuterie board made up of house-cured or smoked meats, cheese, fg jam, whole grain mustard, house pickled vegetables, and grilled house bread or dishes such as Farmer Joe’s meatloaf with boursin whipped potatoes and sauteed broccolini.

For those curious about the restaurant names, Epping’s pays homage to John G. Epping, whose Epping Bottling Works occupied the building in the 20th century. Epping founded the company in Louisville in 1863.

Pretty straightforward, said Arimes, adding there is a quirkier explanation for Poppy & Olive.

“I named it afer seeing the frst ultrasound of both of my children,” he said. “Our daughter, Hurst, was the size of an olive, while our son, Park, was the size of a poppyseed.”

FOCUS ON FOOD

Location and concept aside, the thing many Lexington diners feel sets Epping’s apart from most of the city’s other restaurants

Chef de cuisine Nathan Voorhees enjoys taking what he calls pedestrian food to the “next level.”

is its focus on creative small plates.

Plates such as pork belly burnt ends — Compart Farms Duroc pork, house chili rub, red chili honey, smoked pineapple salsa, and petite cilantro.

Or New York strip tataki with chili crisp, fried garlic, scallion, and pickled ginger ponzu.

Or tirokaferi, a spicy Greek red pepper and feta dip with olives, pine nuts, dill, crudities, and grilled house sourdough.

Diners can opt for a Calabrian sausage bruschetta or New Orleans-style barbecued shrimp.

And then there are Epping’s fan favorite heirloom carrots, smoked and grilled, with Maker’s Mark chipotle barbecue sauce, lime crema, cashew, cotija cheese, and cilantro.

Asked why the small plates have been so popular, Arimes replied, “Many diners just like to sample as much as they can.”

Of course, that doesn’t mean that those with bigger appetites are neglected. If guests’ hunger pangs are in overdrive, they might

The bar seamlessly meshes with the main dining room.

Sale begins Monday, September 9

EPIC EATS

choose pan-roasted chicken. Te black angus ribeye will satisfy any carnivore, while vegetarians will love the quinoa en nogada, a stufed fre-roasted poblano pepper.

Luckily, Arimes found his culinary partner in his chef de cuisine, Nathan Voorhees. Te two met when both were at Embers restaurant in Cincinnati, and when Arimes opened Cole’s 735, he brought Voorhees along with him.

Voorhees had worked his way up from line cook to chef de cuisine, and when it came time to hire a chef for Epping’s, Arimes had no doubt who would get the job.

“I’m essentially the repair guy here; Nate does all the creative stuf,” he said. Quite a compliment from a man who himself is considered one of the most creative chefs in the city.

Voorhees’ passion is obvious to anyone familiar with his cuisine. He admits to a special love for cooking and processing meats. “I make my own sausage,” he said, citing his house-made beer brat served over warm potato salad with pickled cabbage and maple mustard sauce.

Voorhees said other big sellers include the crispy Brussels sprouts, with red chili honey, yogurt aioli, sumac onion, pine nuts,

and orange zest. “I go through 140 pounds of Brussels sprouts a week,” said Voorhees.

But nothing compares with those carrots, whose fame extends all the way to Lexington’s halls of justice. Voorhees tells about the time he was called for jury duty. “When it became known that I was the chef at Epping’s, the prosecuting attorney told me, ‘Man, I love those carrots.’ ”

Voorhees insists it’s an exciting time for Kentucky products and tries to use local providers whenever possible. Nevertheless, he admits to enjoying (and employing) infuences from a multitude of diferent cultures.

“Some diners tell me they course their dinner based on what continent it came from,” he said.

Voorhees insists that his cooking philosophy, especially with the small plates, boils down to one thing — “lifing.”

“I like lifing what is considered pedestrian food to another level,” he said.

His attention to every favorful detail is nothing short of remarkable, considering that as a teenager Voorhees underwent multiple surgeries for cancerous tumors in his inner ear. Te doctors were

Far left, Poppy & Olive is geared toward families.

Left, the National Avenue side of the restaurant contains more dining and bar space.

forced to cut out nerves that controlled his taste buds.

“Tat completely altered my palate, forcing me to learn all over again how to taste,” he said. “When I was a kid, I had a real sweet tooth,” he continued. “But now, what I love most are all things salty and spicy.”

It’s clear that salty and spicy make for a sweet dining experience at Epping’s on Eastside, regardless of whether one opts for the small plate experience or goes full-bore with an appetizer, entrée, sides, and dessert.

In addition to having arguably Lexington’s best happy hour, Epping’s brunch — ofered on Saturdays and Sundays — is responsible for 200 covers each day.

Te two men have become entrepreneurs as well. Cole’s steak dust and Voorhees’ chili rub can’t stay on the restaurant’s shelves, especially during the Christmas season when they are popular stocking stufers.

Lexington foodies think Epping’s on Eastside speaks for itself, but does Arimes have any last words for potential diners?

“I guess only that we have zero VIP policy,” he said. “At Epping’s, we consider everyone a VIP.” KM

Top, diners who enjoy a particular bottle of wine might purchase one on the way out. Above, walk-in customers can order a coffee or tea to go.

a Difference addiction. He now is a division manager

A famous racehorse inspired Josh

to seek recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. He now is a division manager at

Franks

Taylor Made Farm.

BACK ON TRACK

STABLE RECOVERY uses horsemanship training combined with a residential recovery program to help men OVERCOME ADDICTION and prosper A. Photos Au Photos

By William A. Bowden

Photos by Joseph Rey Au

When Josh Franks frst watched champion racehorse Zenyatta on television in 2010, he was struck by her big personality and talent, as were racing fans everywhere.

Te dark bay mare had already, in 2009, become the only female to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic, and she was an ambassador for the sport due to her famously engaging persona.

For Franks, the efect of seeing all this was electric and deeply felt. Te experience eventually helped inspire him to seek recovery from drug and alcohol addiction and become a well-respected horseman with a steady job.

“Zenyatta changed the whole course of my life,” said Franks, who now works as division manager at Taylor Made Farm in Jessamine County. “Tears would come to my eyes when I watched her race. She would touch my heart and raise every hair on my arms.”

Franks’ journey from addiction to his present position in the horse business ran through Stable Recovery, a Lexington-based nonproft organization founded in 2022 and dedicated to helping men in early recovery from addiction.

Stable Recovery combines proven recovery practices with training in horsemanship on a working horse farm to get participants back on track for a healthy, productive life. It also ofers to help secure employment opportunities for men who successfully complete the 90-day program.

“We don’t just get people sober; we teach them how to stay sober,” said Christian Countzler, chief executive ofcer and co-founder of Stable Recovery, and a graduate of the program himself. “We create a brotherhood, a fellowship of men who can lean on each other for support over time. We now have graduates in our legacy status who

Christian Countzler helped found Stable Recovery in 2022. Its mission is to help people become sober and also to stay sober.

108 Court Street, Versailles, KY

TURN RIGHT when you leave

Making a Difference

STABLE RECOVERY

have achieved 365 days of continuous sobriety and are gainfully employed in the horse industry.”

A GROUNDBREAKING PROGRAM

Tis combination of equine-related therapy at a paying job on a prominent horse farm and the recovery steps taken in a group living and working environment might be unique in the recovery world. Added to that is the reassuring fact that participants can count on Stable Recovery to stay in touch and support them through their frst full year of recovery experiences.

“We’re the frst of our kind,” said Ashton Becker, program director and another staf member who completed the program himself due to addiction issues. “Tere’s not another program like it that I know of.”

Countzler pointed out that many other recovery facilities are efective at getting addicts to stay sober for a relatively short time but not beyond that. “Tey aren’t teaching them how to sustain that recovery

post-treatment in transitional living,” he said. Staying with the men beyond the frst 90 days is how Stable Recovery knows it has a more than 80% success rate of gainfully employed and sober graduates, far above the national average of 20% that Countzler quotes. Tat reputation has already gotten around, even as Stable Recovery celebrates only its second anniversary in June. “I’ve had phone calls from all over the United States and have had men show up here from every part of the country,” Countzler said. “We don’t have to do any marketing. We have a waiting list of applicants.”

SCHOOL DAYS ON THE FARM

Stable Recovery grew out of Frank Taylor’s concern about the labor situation in the horse business. Co-owner and head of new business development at Taylor Made Farm, he teamed up with Countzler in 2020 to form the School of Horsemanship on his farm as a training ground from which to recruit new employees.

Ashton Becker is program director at Stable Recovery.

James Shearer, left, who is in the Stable Recovery program and learning horsemanship, and Jose Zeberina, a Taylor Made Farm employee, lead a mare and foal.

For some owners and trainers, preparing a horse for an iconic event like a Kentucky Derby only happens once in a lifetime. So they’re very selective about who provides their care. Tat’s why we’re proud of the number of winners that have been entrusted to us.

And you’ll fnd we have a similar track record caring for champions in eventing, show jumping, dressage, reining, barrel racing and more. Call us – and learn why more winners come through our door before they cross the fnish line. THERE HAVE BEEN 150 KENTUCKY DERBY WINNERS SINCE 1874. HAGYARD HAS CARED FOR 139

. Hagyard.com / 859.255.8741

Making a Difference

STABLE RECOVERY

“Te idea came to me out of watching how DV8 Kitchen operates,” Taylor said, referring to a Lexington daytime eatery that gives second-chance employment opportunities to people in early stages of substance abuse recovery. “It seemed to me that addiction and the labor shortage in the horse business could help fx one another.”

Taylor went to his three brothers who are partners in ownership — Mark, Ben, and Duncan — and told them about the horsemanship training idea. “I was going to bring in a bunch of recovering addicts and teach them how to be horsemen and work on the farm. Tere were obvious concerns in the beginning. We’ve [School of Horsemanship] been at this for four years now and are still going strong.”

at all,” said Franks, who directed the school before his recent promotion and still retains oversight. “We start by teaching them how to walk a horse, leading them in and out of the stall, and advance to grooming safely, then basic tack such as halter and neck strap. Tey learn to wrap a horse’s legs and how to hold for a farrier or veterinarian. Further along, they learn to administer basic medications.”

With each passing day, the men and horses are learning about each other, beginning to trust one another. In their former addicted lives, the men lost the trust of friends and family. Tey must win that back, and seeing trust come to life with a living, breathing horse is strong psychological medicine.

Taylor knew Countzler from the latter’s work at Shepherd’s House, a Lexington addiction treatment facility from which Taylor was drawing students for the School of Horsemanship. It was Countzler who suggested creating a complementary sober living facility and gave it its name — Stable Recovery.

“I realized that if we could build a housing program around the School of Horsemanship we could help a lot of people,” Countzler said. About 32 men were being housed recently, divided between a facility in Lexington and on the farm. Te two organizations now work hand-in-hand to solve addiction and the labor shortage.

“Most of the guys come in to the school with no horse experience

“Tese guys in early recovery are afected by the horses,” Becker said. “Tey may have been lied to by their families, by the judicial system, or a corrections ofcer in a jail and believe that no one respects them. A horse needs respect too and needs to learn to trust you to show up and feed it every day, to clean it. Te horse and the man are able to grow in that trust together.”

Becker added, “Horses don’t do background checks. Tey don’t care if you’re a former felon or addict. Everyone gets a clean slate with a horse, and that’s good for these men, to know they can start over along with the horse.”

IT TAKES DEDICATION

Participation in the Stable Recovery program is not undertaken lightly by the men or ofered casually by the organization. Applicants are carefully screened for attitude and willingness to give “maximum efort,” the third part of Stable Recovery’s motto, “Ambitious Sobriety, Purposeful Work.”

“We vet people very closely,” Countzler said. “We want someone with the desire and the desperation to want to recover. You have to have almost lost everything to be serious about wanting to change your life. It’s a hard program and not for everybody. We have very high standards.”

For the frst 30 days, the men live in a 17-bed group facility in Lexington and are transported by van to Taylor Made Farm four days a week to work around Toroughbreds while learning how to care for them as students in the School of Horsemanship. Tey are

From left, Christian Countzler, Frank Taylor, and Ashton Becker bring personal experience with addiction to their roles at Stable Recovery.

Making a Difference

also required to follow the 12-step program of Alcoholics Anonymous as a way to focus on the seriousness of their addiction and commitment to sobriety.

House rules are very strict at this point — no cellphones, a check-out requirement for leaving the house (always with someone else), a 10 p.m. curfew, and chores that include a regular deep clean of the house. Structure and responsibility are the key themes in all matters.

“Housekeeping is one of the most important things,” Becker said. “Tey have to get comfortable with the responsibility of everyday mundane chores. Recovery is a daily process — there is no day of.”

A PERSONAL CONNECTION

FrankTaylor makes it a point to personally know all of the men in the Stable Recovery program that he and Christian Countzler created two years ago. It’s a mark of how deeply he feels about the importance of helping others overcome the addiction issues he has faced himself.

“Part of being sober is that you’ve got to help other people get sober and stay that way,” he said. “God was working in my life and had me thinking about this organization fve or six years ago. Nobody’s ever recovered.You’re in recovery and could fall back any moment.”

That’s whyTaylor stays in contact with the men and why they respect him as someone who, as the saying goes, “walks the walk” and not just “talks the talk.” On most mornings he attends an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting with them and always goes to the graduation programs from the School of Horsemanship and Stable Recovery.

Taylor is proud of all the men who have made a serious commitment to straightening themselves out and regaining their self-respect. As but one example, he points to Josh Franks, divisional manager at hisTaylor Made Farm. “Josh arrived two years ago to attend the School of Horsemanship having never touched a horse. Now he’s managing 150 to 200 horses and a dozen employees.”

The sense of personal commitmentTaylor has shown to Stable Recovery has also characterized his own career. He has been around horses and in the horse business virtually his entire life.

“My dad had me riding horses when I was 5, and I showed my frst yearling at Keeneland when I was 10,” he said. He pointed out that asTaylor Made Farm, launched in 1976, grew into the worldwide leader inThoroughbred sales and marketing, it became the frst consignor to sell $1 billion worth of horses at Keeneland and is presently nearing the $3 billion mark.

A signal honor from his peers cameTaylor’s way recently when the KentuckyThoroughbred Farm Managers’ Club named him the 2023Ted Bates Farm Manager of theYear.

Frank Taylor

Stable Recovery graduate John Daugherty works at WinStar Farm.

Frank

Making a Difference

Tese rules of group living and working are put in place to jolt the men into confronting what addiction has done to them and show them a better way. In that sense, it’s a civilian boot camp.

John Daugherty, a Stable Recovery graduate who now works as a groom at WinStar Farm in Woodford County, recalled the particulars of the regimen and what it meant to him.

“Most of us who came in there hadn’t followed rules in so long we had forgotten what they’re like. We had a morning meditation and discussion class at 6 to clear your mind and get of to a good start for the day. We were at work on the farm from 7 until 4, and had another meeting back in Lexington at 8. It kept us so structured.”

Afer the frst 30 days, known as the red phase, the men progress into the 60-day yellow phase and a loosening of the reins, so to speak. Tey get their cellphones back, have more freedom of movement, and are learning advanced forms of horsemanship.

Afer those 90 days, they move into the green phase, nine months of remaining in the Stable Recovery program while pursuing

gainful employment at horse farms such as WinStar, Taylor Made, and Spy Coast, and associated horse businesses like Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital. All the while they are progressing toward Stable Recovery’s one-year goal of sober living.

‘A RIPPLE EFFECT OF GOOD’

As Stable Recovery observes its second anniversary, Countzler can look back on a very rewarding beginning and the many accomplishments of staf and participants thus far. Established as a 501(c)(3) nonproft, the organization has been efective in attracting donations and grants to fund its operations.

“Two years ago I couldn’t have dreamed the program would work this well,” he said. “We’ve graduated about 60 men and placed them all over Lexington and beyond with a valuable skill and in a state of recovering from alcohol or drug addiction. We are making a diference, one man at a time, many of them now reunited with their families. It’s a ripple efect of good.”

Becker spoke to the dedication of staf members, “It’s more than

John Daugherty, left, works closely with WinStar Farm head trainer Neal McLaughlin.

Says Franks: “Stable Recovery gave me my life back.”

a job for us. Tere’s nothing we ask these men to do that we haven’t done ourselves. We’ve gone through it and lived it.”

Te large house that Stable Recovery recently opened at WinStar Farm is Daugherty’s home, where he lives along with several other program graduates. It represents the organization’s long-range commitment, which Daugherty especially appreciates.

“Stable Recovery is a reentry program. It reintroduces you back into society and gives you a chance. Tey follow through with your life. Tat’s how it difers from other places I had been in. Because of drug use, I had lost everything, my marriage and my kids. I now have a relationship with them.”

Daugherty works closely under the guidance of WinStar Farm head trainer Neal McLaughlin, who said, “John is a wonderful employee

with a great attitude who we’re happy to have on the team. He takes care of six horses every day. Stable Recovery is an efective program that teaches its men well, and they arrive here ready to work.”

Finally, there is the simple yet eloquent testimony of Franks: “Stable Recovery gave me my life back. Taylor Made Farm gave me a reason to live.” KM

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Old Insurance Service Insurance

In a show of support for the program, Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin recently presented Stable Recovery with a check for $25,000.

LONG LIVE YOUR VALUES.

Your estate plan tells a story –it’s a testament to your lifetime of accomplishments, and it ensures your values live on.

Your will or trust can ensure the charitable causes you care about continue to receive your support long into the future.

Blue Grass Community Foundation is here to help.

Call us today to explore simple, efective strategies to plan your charitable legacy.

Fran Taylor Owner, Lexington Silver, Former Executive Director, Keeneland Foundation, BGCF Board Member + Legacy Fundholder