Keeneland Magazine Fall 2023 Edition

HENRY FAULKNER’S MYSTIQUE BEREA COLLEGE PARTNERING UP IN RACING

HENRY FAULKNER’S BEREA COLLEGE PARTNERING UP IN RACING

K EENELAND

celebrating bluegrass traditions

More personalized cancer care. More hope.

CHI Saint Joseph Health has been leading the way in cancer screenings, diagnosis and treatment for more than 40 years. As we continue to bring world-renowned cancer care to our communities, we’ve expanded our afliation with Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center - rated as one of the nation’s top cancer programs by U.S. News & World Report - to reach more Kentuckians.

To schedule a cancer screening, call 844.940.HOPE (4673).

Top-class Grade 1 winners, all with first yearlings now selling.

tTIZ THE LAW, Champagne, Florida Derby, Belmont (11⁄8m) and Travers winner by

tDermot Ryan, Charlie O’Connor, Adrian Wallace, Robyn Murray, Blaise Benjamin, Charles Hynes or Michael Norris. Tel: 859-873-7088

Constitution

JUSTICE REAL ESTATE

—Located in highlydesirable Midway, a farm like this is rarely placed on “the open market”. Consisting of 532 acres on some of most fertile land in the world, it was developed by one of the most notable figures in our global thoroughbred industry. Improvements include 6 world-class horse barns with 84 stalls, 3 employee houses, and farm office. The Elkhorn Creek is along the farm’s rear boundary–adding to its aesthetics.

SHADAYID STUD– NORTH SIDE

SHADAYID STUD–SOUTH SIDE

273 ± acres just outside the town of Midway on Leestown Road, this side of Shadayid Stud was painstakingly developed into the premier horse farm it is today. Two magnificent treelined stone entrances lead you to the farm’s 44 stalls, 41 paddocks, rehab barn with office, 3 hay barns, shop, and 3 bedroom/2 bath manager’s home. Additional highly-improved acreage available across the road.

REASONABLE OFFERS CONSIDERED

ERHAAB STUD—Consisting of 525 ± acres, formerly known as Elko Bell Farm, this farm is historically known as the most fertile and productive land in Scott and Franklin Counties. With approximately 3,000 feet of frontage on US 460, horse improvements include 9 concrete block barns with 105 stalls, 6 fabulous concrete block run-in sheds, a covered six-horse walker, and covered round pen. Housing includes a c.1870s 5,900 SF home (currently used as an office) and 4 employee houses. Bordered by the Elkhorn Creek, Erhaab Stud has over 22 miles of fencing and nearly 4 miles of paved roads. REASONABLE OFFERS CONSIDERED

CORNER WOODS FARM—One of the most notable thoroughbred breeding farms in Central Kentucky, Corner Woods Farm has produced Champions and many Graded Stakes Winners. Situated at the corner of Ferguson and Greenwich Pike, this 198 acre vibrant working horse farm features five barns with 50 stalls. A long tree-lined drive leads you to this 1866 primary residence positioned at the highest point on the farm with over 5,200 SF of gracious living area (plus an elevator). A 3,000 SF manager’s home and 2 employee houses add to the farm’s functionality while its tree-lined perimeter adds to its aesthetics.

EXCEPTIONAL FARMS IN THE BLUEGRASS

WINCHESTER FARM Location!

Location! Highly developed 268acre horse farm on the desirable Mt. Horeb Pike and adjoining Castleton Lyons. Improvements include 6 horse barnswith78stalls&3employeehouses. Overlooking the Elkhorn Creek, and in a park like setting, you will discover the wonderful 4-bedroom 3.5 bath home whose lower level serves as the farm ofce, but suitable for a gracious living area if desired. Winchester Farm is convenientlylocatedtoFasig-Tiptonand the Kentucky Horse Park and suitable foranydiscipline.

HUNTERTOWN ROAD Former

Donna Moore Farm is a 15-acre equine facility with boarding & training accommodations and a custom stone andwoodresidence. Tehorsefacilities include an 18-stall barn, ofce/tack room, laundry with restroom; 48’ x 200’ indoorarena;a2ndbarnwith6portable stallsand5paddocks. Te3,554SFhouse has many custom features including 3 primary suites, new kitchen appliances andupdatedlightingandcabinets,+two 4-seasonsolariums! 2gatedentrances.

TIMBER TOWN

Perfectsize,location, and quality of improvements on this 130± acre horse farm just minutes from downtown Lexington, Keeneland, and the horse park. All the ingredients you need to make your mark in the bluegrass:graciousmainresidence,guest & managers homes, 3 barns with 39 stalls, farm ofce, newer shop, and hay /equipment buildings. Historic stone wall and mature tree lined driveways. Exceptionally well-maintained and laidoutbytruehorsemen.

614 WALNUT GROVE This 84 acre retreat offers spectacular vistas, gently rolling pastures, stocked spring fed pond, and over a mile of frontage on Hinkston Creek. The improvements include 2 metal barns,shopwithattached1bedroom apartment, a 30-amp RV hookup, original 30' deep well, a 16'x16' log garden cabin and a beautifully restored 1780's log home with a primary suite and kitchen addition! Fantastic!

LYNNWOOD FARM Nestled in a park like setting the house has a quite eloquence of a time past yet ofers today's conveniences of an elevator and highly efcient kitchen and bathrooms. Adding to the charm of this house are covered porches, brick patio and second foor screen porch. Te farm is made up of 196+/acres, 4 barns with a total of 51 stalls, 3 employee houses, Houston Creek running through and frontage on Lexington Rd and Hume Bedford Rd.

JACOBS FARM In the same family for decades, this 331 acre farm is an absolutely beautiful, well-located farm on desirable Briar hill Road. Across the road from Bluegrass Station and close to downtown Lexington and the interstate, this farmoffersawonderfulhedgeagainst inflation. This farm is in 2 deeded tracts (217.87 acres and 113.86 acres) with the smaller tract bordered by the railroad. Will sell the 217 acre tract separately.

PARADISE AWAITS

While away warm Kentucky nights at Lost Palm, our tropical, pineapple-scented rooftop paradise. Inspired by 1960s South Florida — Lexington’s Southern Sister in Horses — Lost Palm’s indoor outdoor drinking parlor features a famboyant tiki cocktail program and light bites.

RESERVATIONS AVAILABLE ON RESY OR RING US AT (859) 785-3906

APPALACHIAN DINING, REDEFINED

Granddam is The Manchester’s expansive Appalachian dining hall, serving up nostalgic regional cuisine with unexpected twists and a focus on local farms and purveyors. We’ve got wood-fire cooking, tableside preparations, and a spirited cocktail program inspired by the farms of the Bluegrass. Come say hey, at your leisure.

RESERVATIONS AVAILABLE ON RESY OR RING US AT (859) 785-3905

Moore Steve Klein Niki Wiley

Meredith Lane

Durham

Mattone

Porter

Gwen Mathews

Wheeler

Barb

Donworth

Klein

Alex Lennon John Scott Durbin Marcus

Moreman

Milam

Miller

Blake

Pam Stilz Kitty Lane

Diamond

Mary Gardner Turner Steve Roberts

Turek

Price

Herrington

McNeill

Morrison

McKeighen

Mitchell

Wehrman Chris Wells

Ransdell

Dawn Scott

Downs

Queen

Kristol Yeager Jake Wiseman

UNPARALLELED LUXURY & MODERN LIVING

103 S. LIMESTONE STREET, LEXINGTON, KY 40507

The grandeur of The Penthouses at City Center lobby is just the beginning. Dedicated high speed elevators bring you directly to your residence and take you to the most unobstructed views Lexington offers. The spaciousness and exceptional dimensions of these residences are incomparable yet intimate with privacy to provide serenity and peace of mind. Experience the ultimate, the pinnacle penthouses created for the sophisticated buyer who values the epitome of fine living.

Somerset, KY

136+/- Acre estate, incredible features, State-of-the-Art Equine facilities. Professionally sculpted and architecturally designed main residence with 5 bedrooms and 4 baths overlooking your own private stocked lake. This home is also highly livable, practical, and comfortable with an exceptional floor plan and layout. Detached garage and 1 bedroom, 1 bath guest quarters. The INN offers 4,925 +/SF and has been recently renovated with 8 en-suite bedrooms. Top-of-the-line appliances, central meeting and dining areas, plus patios for meeting or small convention center, ample outdoor entertaining, and conversation areas. The equestrian facility includes a 5-stall isolation barn with 1/1 apartment. 25 Stall center aisle barn with a 4,900+/- SF covered area for a European free walker and hydrotherapy spa. 5/8 +/- Mile synthetic cushion training track with 50-foot wide banks and turns. Adding to the allure of this property are paddocks and private areas with magnificent trees set off by up lighting plus fiber optic cable for internet. You will discover a property with all the amenities which are too numerous to mention Additional acreage available.

A turn-key equestrian facility on 47+/- acres. The equestrian amenities include 5 barns with 56 stalls, 10 various size paddocks, gallop track, round pen, breeding shed, and updated primary residence with beautiful views overlooking the pool & stunning farm views. 3 Bedroom, 2 bath home with open floor plan which has been updated with a completely remodeled kitchen, new roof, updated flooring, bar, office, exercise room, and owner’s bath. 3 Bed, 2 bath employee housing. High-speed internet. Mature landscaping, beautiful Oaks, and lush green pastures. This exceptional facility provides functionality & convenience. Located just 15 miles from WEC.

Phone: 352-804-8989

Email: Joan@Joanpletcher.com

For additional information visit: www.joanpletcher.com

Turn-key Training Facility - Ocala, Florida

row barn,

row barn, and a 26-stall shed row barn. This property would work for any discipline. Opportunity to train your horses on either dirt or turf surfaces. 1 Mile +/- irrigated dirt racetrack, plus there a 7/8 mile +/- turf course. Enjoy watching your horses from the viewing stand. Watching Park Farm, horse property, is a horse trainer’s dream with all the amenities needed for your equestrian operation. Amenities on the farm include an Equestrian swimming pool with a deck and PVC fenced exterior for safety, (7) European walkers, (12) round pens, (3) riding arenas, (42) lush green paddocks, automatic waterers, an office, (2) workshops/storage buildings, a gated entrance, underground piping for water/sewer lines, and ornamental landscaping. The property is fenced and cross-fenced with 4 and 5-board fencing. Beautiful building sites to build your dream home overlooking the farm. The equestrian facilities are top-notch with all the amenities needed for Thoroughbred or Sport Horse or the breed of your choice.

This iconic training center has graduated 5 Eclipse Champions, Two 2 year old Champions, - 29 Grade I Winners, 29 Grade II Winners, 33 Grade III Winners, 36 Stakes Winners and 22 Graded placed horses. A few of their champions include: Big Brown -Kentucky Derby, Preakness- Eclipse Champion, Left Bank - Eclipse Champion, Lady Eli - 5-Time GI Winner Eclipse Champion, Midnight Lute - Breeders Cup Sprint Champion twice, Eclipse Champion Twice, RombauerPreakness 2021, and Spring in the Air - Champion 2 YO Filly in Canada, GI winner in U.S.

Office: 352-804-8989

Cell: 352-266-9100

Email: Joan@Joanpletcher.com

This exquisite 244 +/- acre horse training facility offers a turnkey equestrian experience! Located in NW Marion County, only 10 miles from the World Equestrian Center and 10 miles to OBS Sales. The training facility is complete with 6 Barns- 198 Stalls consisting of a (2) 40-stall center aisle barns, 38-stall shed row barn, a 24-stall shed

a 30-stall shed

FEATURES

64 PARTNERING UP

by Lenny Shulman

Kentucky Derby winner Mage is the latest example of how partnerships are becoming the norm inThoroughbred racing and breeding.

82 A COLLEGE LIKE NO OTHER

by Jacalyn Carfagno

Berea College is among the top liberal arts institutions based on its contribution to the “public good.”

100 FASTTRACKTO FAME

by Liane Crossley

The Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity is renowned for producing champions, leading sires, and Breeders’ Cup winners.

110 LAND OF PLENTY

by Edward L. Bowen

The third in a three-part series examines how James Ben Ali Haggin, inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2022, created a farm whose acreage produced generations of important horses through a succession of owners to this day.

124 A LITERARY FAN FAIR

by William Bowden

The Kentucky Book Festival brings writers and readers together to celebrate literature.

ON OUR COVER

Small Iroquois Club Horseman

Gouache on board, 9 3⁄16 x 7 1⁄32

by Henry Lawrence Faulkner

(1924-1981)

136 PACKINGTHEM IN

by Patti Nickell

Josie’s, the popular Lexington dining spot, has a devoted following and owners who quietly do good for the community.

A Kentucky original, Faulkner was a painter, a poet, and a true Southern character. Born in Eastern Kentucky and orphaned as a toddler, Faulkner spent his early years in an orphanage and foster homes and grew up to travel the world and enjoy many different social circles. His colorful paintings depict a wide range of subject matter, from buildings, still lifes, and florals to image collages and animals, especially his beloved goat, Alice.

CRESTWOOD FARM Family operated

The McLean family has owned and operated their full service, 1,000 acre Crestwood Farm since 1970

The McLean has owned and their full service, acre Crestwood Farm since 1970.

STALLION ROSTER

for over fifty years

for over fifty years

Since then, Crestwood has bred and/or raised multiple Hall-of-Fame inductees, Champions and 290+ stakes horses.

Since then, Crestwood has bred raised Hall-of-Fame inductees, and 290+ stakes horses.

Maryjean Wall

A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE AWAITS.

CASTLETON LYONS offers a unique opportunity for serious breeders to board their thoroughbreds. Here you’ll find a highly skilled staff in a state-of-the-art facility with old world charm. Over one thousand acres of lightly grazed lush pasture supported by the best quality soil, so famous for producing great race horses, await your thoroughbred investments. Individual, detail-oriented attention for horse and client in a top class environment can be found within minutes of Bluegrass Airport, Keeneland, Fasig-Tipton, and the world’s best equine hospitals.

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

Editor: Jacqueline Duke

Artists: Catherine Nichols (Art Director), PhilipTruman

Copy Editor: Rena Baer

Visuals Director: Anne M. Eberhardt

Creative Services: Jennifer Singleton (Director), Forrest Begley

Account Executive: Amanda Ramey Masters

Sales Support: Catherine Johnston

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

KEENELAND ASSOCIATION, INC.

KEENELAND INC.

4201Versailles Road

P.O. Box 1690

Lexington, Kentucky, U.S.A. 40588-1690

U.S.A. 40588-1690

Tel: (859) 254-3412

Tel: 254-3412 456-3412

(800) 456-3412

Keeneland.com

© 2023 Keeneland Inc.

© 2023 Keeneland Association, Inc.

To order Keeneland magazine and additional copies, call 1-800-582-5604

TO SUBSCRIBE OR TO SEND A GIFT SUBSCRIPTION to Keeneland magazine, visit BloodHorse.com/KeenelandOffer

California’s Premier Equestrian Facility

Brett Ellingsberg

(805) 729-4334

Broker-Associate

DRE# 1029715

www.syvhome.com

This renowned Thoroughbred Training Facility is located in the Happy Canyon area of the Santa Ynez Valley and situated on 160± flat and usable acres. This property offers everything for the equine enthusiast including a 37-stall show barn plus 4 additional horse barns, 4 expansive front pastures with dozens of additional fenced pastures, 100+ turn-outs and pens, 7/8 mile professional racetrack, 4 covered round pens, two residences plus guest units and employee housing, equipment and hay barns, offices, and 3 private wells. Turn-key and ready for immediate use and enjoyment.

Price Available Upon Qualified Request.

• 7/8 Mile Racetrack

• 34-stall Show Barn

• 30-stall Yearling Barn

• 24-stall Breeding Barn

• 17-stall Foaling Barn

• 8-stall Stallion Barn

• 100+ Turn-outs and Shelters

• Numerous Fenced Pastures

• Multiple Residences and Offices

• Three Private Wells with Cisterns

• Adjacent 77 Acre Parcel Also Available For Purchase

Claire Hanssen

(805) 680-0929

Realtor-Associate

DRE# 887277

www.clairehanssen.com

Spa treatment

One of my favorite summer trips is to Saratoga Springs, New York. Experiencing our great sport in other locations helps us appreciate the uniqueness and special character of each racetrack. Saratoga Race Course is a place where people wait outside the gates early in the morning to dash to their favorite picnic tables when the gates open. At Saratoga you will fnd people of all ages and walks of life, all there for the thrill of the sport of Thoroughbred racing.

The town of Saratoga Springs itself has a bevy of fantastic restaurants, and I’ve always wondered if the town releases a special oxygen because it is common for a night to end well past midnight while my mind and body remain convinced the time is only 9:30 p.m. (until the next morning when it’s time to wake up and get to the barns). Many friends, old and new, congregate there in the summer, and they all have the love of the horse in common.

Saratoga is charming and in many ways takes you back to another era, with careful attention to ensure that sense of another era continues. The New York Racing Association (NYRA) continuously innovates and invests in our sport and their facilities, both in Saratoga and with a new Belmont Park on the horizon. Like Keeneland, NYRA is a company that believes in the importance of creating fun experiences at the racetrack.

At Keeneland, we don’t see the mad dash to the picnic tables in the morning, but we do see all of you lining up at the gates early, our Keeneland Kids Club events selling out in record time, and our race meet tickets selling out in under 10 minutes. This love of the sport is not lost on us,

and we are grateful to each of you for your support and excitement.

We are always excited about the fall at Keeneland, as it is our busiest season, starting with the world’s largest yearling sale in September and continuing with the October race meet, the November breeding stock sale, and the November horses of racing age sale. These auctions are critically important to our international industry, with our sellers bringing their horses here in anticipation of being met with an eager market and our buyers making purchases with the hopes their horse will win the Kentucky Derby or another graded stakes and become the dam or sire of an accomplished runner. We will have several thousand horses pass through our sales ring this fall, each majestic animal carrying the dreams of their connections proudly on their backs. Many of our Keeneland sales graduates will race on our track during the October meet, where their connections and fans cheer wildly for their desired victories. One of our greatest privileges at Keeneland is to be there to celebrate with them in the sales ring and on the racetrack.

SHANNON ARVIN President and CEO

We are especially excited this fall to share news with you about plans for our grounds and how we are working to make them a reality. We approach these plans with deep conviction in a healthy future for our community and our industry, all the while putting in the hard work each and every day to justify and provide substance for those convictions. Our work is for the love of our community and our international industry, but frst and foremost for the love of the horse, for generations to come. Cheers to blue skies ahead. KM

SHARED GOALS SHARED SUCCESS

In racing, breeding, and sales. For more than 40 years, our team has been defined by the success of our partners - and that goal is what continues to drive us. This is what we stand for.

Contributors

WILLIAM BOWDEN

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

EDWARD L. BOWEN

(Land of Plenty) is the former president of the GraysonJockey Club Research Foundation. He is a former editor-in-chief of BloodHorse and has authored 22 books aboutThoroughbred racing and breeding. His latest book is “Doing the Usual, Unusually Well: A History of Claiborne Farm.”

JACALYN CARFAGNO

(A College Like No Other) is a professional writer and an editor based in Lexington. She has covered the equine industry and written restaurant reviews and commentary for the Lexington Herald Leader in addition to working for a wide range of clients.

LIANE CROSSLEY

(FastTrack to Fame) has spent her career in Thoroughbred racing-related 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.

PATTI NICKELL

(PackingThem In) 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

(Partnering Up) is a senior correspondent for BloodHorse and the author of “Head to Head:

FALL 2023

Conversations with a Generation of Horse Racing Legends,” “Justify: 111 Days toTriple Crown Glory,” and “Ride ofTheir Lives:The Trials andTurmoil ofToday’s Top Jockeys.”

MARYJEAN WALL

(The Faulkner Mystique, Changing the Color of Racing) won multiple Eclipse Awards during her 35 years asTurf writer for the Lexington Herald Leader. In addition to “Madam Belle: Sex, Money, and Infuence in a Southern Brothel,” she is the author of “How Kentucky Became Southern: ATale of Outlaws, HorseThieves, Gamblers, and Breeders.” She holds a doctorate from the University of Kentucky.

Signifcant wealth requires sophisticated solutions.

Investing involves risk and past performance does not guarantee future results.

The Barron’s “Top 1,200 Financial Advisors: State-by-State” list. Rankings considered advisors with a minimum of seven years financial services experience, who have been employed at their current firm for at least one year. The Top 1,200 award included top advisors in each state, with the number of ranking spots determined by each state’s population and wealth. For both awards, other quantitative and qualitative measures include assets under management, revenues generated by advisors for their firms, and the quality of the advisors’ practices, regulatory records, internal company documents, and data provided by the advisors themselves. Years prior to 2014, this Barron’s list consisted of 1,000 advisors. Data and sources for all Forbes awards and their rankings provided by SHOOK® Research, LLC. Past performance is not an indication of future results. For more information, please see www.SHOOKresearch.com. Awards are based on in-person, virtual and telephone due diligence meetings and apply an algorithm that measures best practices, client retention, industry experience compliance records, firm nominations, assets under management and firm generated income. Investment performance is not a criterion. Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner

We believe in thinking differently. For over 30 years, our team has guided families, business owners, and foundations in managing the complexities and opportunities that wealth creates.

Keeneland News

COMPILED BY AMY OWENS FALL 2023

FALL MEET STAKES SCHEDULE WORTH RECORD $9.05 MILLION

Keeneland will award a total of $9.05 million — a record for any racing season at the track — for 22 stakes to be run during the 2023 fall meet, which covers 17 days from Oct. 6–28. Te meet’s richest race is the $1 million Coolmore Turf Mile (G1T) during the signature Fall Stars Weekend, while Keeneland has added $100,000 to the purse of the Darley Alcibiades (G1) to increase its value to $600,000 and has raised by $50,000 the purse of the $350,000 Franklin (G2T), which also was upgraded for 2023.

Keeneland will present 12 stakes on grass and 10 stakes on dirt while ofering multiple stakes on six days. Te Kentucky Toroughbred Development Fund is contributing $1.3 million to fall meet stakes purses, pending approval from the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission.

“Te strength of the fall meet stakes schedule refects our focus on providing the highest-quality racing for our horsemen and fans,” Keeneland Vice President of Racing Gatewood Bell said. “With these additional increases, all Grade 1 stakes are now worth a minimum of $600,000 apiece; all Grade 2 stakes are $350,000; Grade 3 races are $300,000; and listed stakes are $250,000. We believe these purse levels will attract the best in the sport and make

for an exciting fall season of racing.”

Te October season opens with Fall Stars Weekend, which features eight stakes that are part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In. Winners will earn automatic starting positions and free entry into the 40th Breeders’ Cup World Championships on Nov. 3–4 at Santa Anita Park.

Opening day, Oct. 6, will card three stakes, all Win and You’re In events: the $600,000 Darley Alcibiades (G1), the $350,000 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix (G2), and the $350,000 Jessamine (G2T) Presented by Keeneland November.

Tis marks the frst year that Keeneland’s November breeding stock sale is sponsoring the Jessamine for 2-year-old fllies. Te November sale begins Nov. 8.

Joining the Coolmore Turf Mile as Win

and You’re In races on opening Saturday, Oct. 7, are the $600,000 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (G1) and the $350,000 Toroughbred Club of America (G2).

Tis marks the 10th year the historic Breeders’ Futurity has been sponsored by Claiborne Farm.

Other stakes on the frst Saturday of the meet are the $750,000 First Lady (G1T) Presented by UK HealthCare and the $350,000 Woodford (G2T) Presented by FanDuel. Both races are expected to attract Breeders’ Cup hopefuls.

Sunday of Fall Stars Weekend has the $600,000 Juddmonte Spinster (G1), the $350,000 Castle & Key Bourbon (G2T), and the $250,000 Indian Summer (LT) Presented by Keeneland Select. Te Spinster and the Bourbon are Win and You’re In races.

Te season’s sixth Grade 1 event is the $600,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Presented by Dixiana on Saturday, Oct. 14.

Tis marks the 40th running of the Queen Elizabeth II, an internationally recognized invitational for 3-year-old fllies racing 11⁄8 miles on the turf. Te stakes was inaugurated during the 1984 Fall Meet in honor of Queen Elizabeth II’s visit to Keeneland.

For more information about tickets and special events, visit Keeneland.com.

CAESARS SPORTSBOOK PARTNERS WITH KEENELAND, RED MILE FOR SPORTS BETTING LAUNCH

With sports wagering now legal in Kentucky, Caesars Sportsbook, the sports wagering platform for Caesars Entertainment, in May announced agreements with Keeneland and Red Mile Gaming & Racing to open Central Kentucky’s only brick-andmortar retail sportsbook location, subject to regulatory approvals from the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission.

“Keeneland’s venture with Caesars Sports-

book holds exciting potential and furthers our mission to introduce new audiences to horse racing,” said Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin. “Caesars is a globally respected brand, and we value their commitment to racing and their expertise in sports wagering.”

As an ofcial sports betting partner of Keeneland and Red Mile, Caesars Sportsbook will ofer on-track hospitality and VIP

experiences at both tracks to members of the industry-leading customer loyalty program, Caesars Rewards.

In addition, Caesars Sportsbook will operate a retail sportsbook at Red Mile, subject to regulatory approvals, so guests can enjoy sports betting, gaming, and simulcasting under one roof.

Sports wagering in Kentucky will begin Sept. 7.

COADY PHOTOGRAPHY

The $1 million Coolmore Turf Mile highlights Fall Stars Weekend.

KEENELAND LIBRARY HAS CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP

Keeneland Library Director Becky Ryder will retire at the end of October afer more than a decade at the helm of the globally renowned Toroughbred information repository and public research facility. She will be succeeded by Roda Ferraro, who formerly served as head librarian at Keeneland Library and curated its popular “Te Heart of the Turf: Racing’s Black Pioneers” exhibit.

“Keeneland Library’s role in preserving Toroughbred racing’s storied history and making it accessible to fans worldwide is incredibly important to Keeneland,” Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said. “Becky and Roda have both been dedicated stewards of this legacy, using technology, innovation, and creativity to advance the library’s goal of being a true public service institution. We thank Becky for expertly guiding the library through a decade of key expansion and preservation eforts and look forward to continued growth, particularly in education and outreach, under Roda’s oversight.”

Ryder’s tenure at the library included overseeing the conversion of a manual card catalog into an online catalog system; establishing a framework for Keeneland’s Digital Library, which could launch this fall; and creating the Library Lecture Series, which allow authors to showcase their research at Keeneland Library.

Before joining Keeneland, Ryder spent 18 years with the University of Kentucky Libraries and initiated the Daily Racing Form Preservation Project. Keeneland Library under her direction then made progress moving its extensive DRF collection online with help from interns from UK’s School of Information.

Ryder, who is active in the library services feld and in the Central Kentucky community, co-founded Phoenix Rising Lexington, an

organization that seeks to raise awareness of the signifcant history of African Americans in the equine industry.

Ferraro has more than 20 years of experience in 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, New York, since 2014.

Trough Ferraro’s focus on creating responsive systems of remote access for researchers and racing fans around the world, the volume of Keeneland Library’s research services doubled during her tenure as head librarian. Additionally, the library’s outreach programs have tripled their range under her management, while her focus on digitizing collections grew the library’s digital assets by more than 500 percent in six years.

KEENELAND MAGAZINE HONORED

American Horse Publications, which has promoted excellence in equine media for more than 50 years, on June 24 awarded Keeneland magazine the top prize in the General Excellence Self-Supported Publication category for publications with circulations of at least 15,000 during its 2023 Equine Media Awards in Tempe, Arizona.

Te competition was for material published in 2022. Keeneland magazine entered its Spring 2022 and Fall 2022 editions.

“Keeneland is a magazine that includes content relevant to its audience and sets a classy tone that refects that audience and location,” the judge said. “It accomplishes weaving together both pieces of its mission — Toroughbreds/racing and the area. Its artwork covers set it apart from others in this class. Kudos for the article on Keeneland employees — such crucial players in the business, who most ofen are invisible to attendees at races, etc. A unique voice was something of a surprise. Keep up the good work.”

Keeneland Library Director Becky Ryder, left, retires in October. Roda Ferrero, right, succeeds her.

KIRK SCHLEA PHOTOGRAPHY/SCHLEA VISUAL ARTS

Connections

LEXINGTON’S FINEST

Keeneland tour guide Carol Sue Ray (third from left) received a Service Excellence Award at VisitLEX’s Lexington Hospitality Awards in May. The awards recognize members of Lexington’s hospitality industry for their hard work and dedication to locals and visitors. Joining Ray are other Keeneland representatives (from left) Jenna George, Sarah Fink, Mary Perkins, Hannah Sawyer, Tiffany McDonald, and Marsay Agruna.

ROYAL ASCOT

Two horses sold at Keeneland’s September yearling sale captured Group 2 stakes during the prestigious Royal Ascot meeting in England in June. Sold for $100,000, Valiant Force (right) won the 5½-furlong Norfolk to earn an automatic berth to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1) in November at Santa Anita. King of Steel (bottom right), purchased for $200,000, took the 1½-mile King Edward VII as the favorite. Amo Racing Ltd. owns King of Steel and co-owns Valiant Force.

CLASSIC ALUMNI

Two horses sold at Keeneland’s 2021 September yearling sale captured Triple Crown races. Consigned by Runnymede Farm, agent, Kentucky Derby winner Mage (top) sold to New Farm for $235,000. Jon Ebbert bought Belmont Stakes winner Arcangelo (above) for $35,000 from the consignment of Gainesway, agent.

SPECIAL THANKS

Members of the Keeneland team accepted an award of appreciation and celebration of the 20th Keeneland Concours d’Elegance car show held July 15. The annual event at Keeneland showcases the fnest collector vehicles in the country, from antiques to future classics.

VISITLEX PHOTO

SKIP DICKSTEIN/ROB SIMMONS

MATHEA KELLEY PHOTOS

PETE BERDOVICH

COGLIANESE PHOTOS/WALTER WLODARCZYK

SO MANY BUYERS FLY TO KEENELAND EACH YEAR, THEY PUT AN AIRPORT RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET.

THE WORLD COMES TO KEENELAND

Buy or sell race-ready horses when the world comes to Keeneland at the November Horses of Racing Age Sale.

Keeneland November

Breeding Stock Sale

Sale begins Wednesday, Nov. 8

Learn More at November.Keeneland.com

Spotlight On

HENRY FAULKNER

THE FAULKNER

IN HIS CENTENNIALYEAR, LEXINGTON ARTIST

HENRY FAULKNER

IS MORE IN DEMANDTHAN EVER

By Maryjean Wall

photos by John Stephen Hockensmith

Wall Artwork John Hockensmith

In this self-portrait, Henry Faulkner incorporated his love of animals — he rescued the drake he holds — and nature.

Artwork

Spotlight On

HENRY FAULKNER

To

LOOKINTOAHENRYFAULKNER painting is to begin your innermost journey. Tis is the way he painted, and this is the way he wanted you to appreciate his work. Te entry fee is your imagination. Faulkner will be your guide, and he makes clear the real world has no place where you’re going. He takes your hand gently. He bids you step inside the frame. You enter his fantasia.

It’s a bit like Narnia. With some Alice thrown in.

You might meet a cat, black as the night and wearing jewels. Te cat’s eyes suggest a knowledge of things too deep for humans to comprehend. Te cat holds a teacup. Do take a sip, it seems to say. Sugar? One or two?

You might also come across a tiny goat. She’s riding high on Noah’s Ark or straddling a globe of the Earth or riding the feathers of some great, magnifcent bird. Her name is Alice. Yes, that Alice. Faulkner’s beloved Alice. Te goat of Lexington lore. She thinks she’d like to be your friend.

You’ll wander through Gratz Park in Lex-

Faulkner and his cat, Geronimo, display some of the artist’s works circa late 1960s.

ington or down Sicilian streets in Taormina, Italy, where pots of brilliant fowers and Old World architecture inhabit a landscape most fanciful. Pattie Hood, an art appraiser in Lexington, says your eye will follow dabs of paint that circle some of Faulkner’s scenes and rise, like the artist, in a crescendo of notes to a natural resting place.

Ten, and only then, will you breathe.

Henry Faulkner, who died in 1981, is known for many things, including poetry, but mostly for his artwork. His paintings have always had their fans. In recent years the paintings have acquired a much wider following with their investment value on the rise. During this 100th anniversary of the artist’s birth, it seems worth noting the Faulkner mystique is a true Kentucky story, placing

FRI Oct 6

2023 Fall Meet Stakes

OCTOBER 6–28

FRI

$600,000 Darley Alcibiades (G1)

2YO Fillies, 1 1/16 miles | $100,000 KTDF Contribution

$350,000 Jessamine (G2)

Presented by Keeneland November

2YO Fillies, 1 1/16 miles (turf) | $50,000 KTDF Contribution

$350,000 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix (G2)

3YOs & Up, 6 furlongs | $50,000 KTDF Contribution

$1 Million Coolmore Turf Mile (G1)

3YOs & Up, 1 mile (turf)

$600,000 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (G1)

2YOs, 1 1/16 miles | $100,000 KTDF Contribution

SAT Oct 7

$750,000 First Lady (G1)

Presented by UK HealthCare

3YOs & Up, F&M, 1 mile (turf) | $100,000 KTDF Contribution

$350,000 Thoroughbred Club of America (G2)

3YOs & Up, F&M, 6 furlongs | $50,000 KTDF Contribution

$350,000 Woodford (G2)

Presented by FanDuel

3YOs & Up, 5 1/2 furlongs (turf) | $50,000 KTDF Contribution

$600,000 Juddmonte Spinster (G1)

3YOs & Up, F&M, 1 1/8 miles | $100,000 KTDF Contribution

SUN Oct 8

$350,000 Castle & Key Bourbon (G2)

2YOs, 1 1/16 miles (turf) | $50,000 KTDF Contribution

$250,000 Indian Summer (L)

Presented by Keeneland Select

2YOs, 5 1/2 furlongs (turf) | $50,000 KTDF Contribution

Oct 13

SAT

Oct 14

SUN

Oct 15

SAT

Oct 21

SUN

Oct 22

FRI

Oct 27

$300,000 Sycamore (G3)

3YOs & Up, 1 1/2 miles (turf) | $50,000 KTDF Contribution

$600,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1)

Presented by Dixiana

3YO Fillies, 1 1/8 miles (turf) | $100,000 KTDF Contribution

$350,000 Franklin (G2)

3YOs & Up, F&M, 5 1/2 furlongs (turf) | $50,000 KTDF Contribution

$350,000 Lexus Raven Run (G2)

3YO Fillies, 7 furlongs | $50,000 KTDF Contribution

$250,000 Perryville (L)

3YOs, 7 furlongs | $50,000 KTDF Contribution

$300,000 Rood & Riddle Dowager (G3)

3YOs & Up, F&M, 1 1/2 miles (turf) | $50,000 KTDF Contribution

$300,000 Valley View (G3)

3YO Fillies, 1 mile (turf) | $50,000 KTDF Contribution

$200,000 Myrtlewood

2YO Fillies, 6 furlongs | $50,000 KTDF Contribution

$350,000 Hagyard Fayette (G2)

3YOs & Up, 1 1/8 miles | $50,000 KTDF Contribution

SAT

Oct 28

$300,000 Bryan Station (G3)

3YOs, 1 mile (turf) | $50,000 KTDF Contribution

$200,000 Bowman Mill

2YOs, 6 furlongs | $50,000 KTDF Contribution

Turf Races

Breeders’ Cup Challenge Races

*Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund. All KTDF purse allotments are subject to approval of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission.

Fine Art Editions

him in the pantheon of artistic icons from the commonwealth like, dare we say it, Paul Sawyier and Matthew Jouett.

Neither Sawyier nor Jouett painted in Faulkner’s style; nor he in their individual styles. But all have played their parts in contributing to Kentucky’s reputation as a commonwealth of fne arts, a state recognized for its rich history of literary and artistic talent in a variety of genres: painting, sculpting, photography, music, acting, and the written word.

Faulkner was born Jan. 9, 1924, in Beech Spring, Simpson County, in south central Kentucky. He struggled through a nightmarish youth. He took turns in orphanages, the foster care system, and even a mental asylum. He was not a model youth. He represents all who have felt like square pegs ordered to ft themselves into round holes when this just doesn’t work. It certainly did not work for him.

He did not begin to fnd his way out of the madness imposed on him until he learned to make his brush bring paint to life and his pen to write the haunting lines of poetry. Like nearly every other artist, he found solace in the inner world his art opened to him. Trough art and poetry, Faulkner built an interior life that made it much more possible for him to live authentically in fantasy. Te outside world was hell.

Te result was a body of work cherished for its sensory qualities.

“We are able to feel the touch of his brush as it moves across the painting,” said Hood.

“Tere is a confdence in the brush stroke,” said Greg Ladd, owner of Cross Gate Gallery in Lexington and director of the annual Sporting Art Auction at Keeneland. Te Faulkner painting “Floral” topped the auction last November, selling for $123,375 including auction fees.

Hood, whose specialty is Faulkner’s art, said the artist’s favorite subjects were birds, animals, fowers, and butterfies,

along with Old World architecture. He did not ofen show people in his paintings, which might suggest he wished to escape the difcult relations he experienced with people. Faulkner also produced a few religious paintings, and it is worth noting he painted these in a darker tone than he did his other work. It is possible the religious pieces connote his distrust of organized religion.

But in every painting, Faulkner’s sensory aspect comes through.

“Much as we are mesmerized by watching an accomplished pianist’s fngers dance on the keys, we can feel the brush and pigments across his paintings,” Hood said.

It is no small wonder that 40 years following Faulkner’s death, his work continues to increase in value and draw new patrons. But then, the mysteries he hints at in his work refect a talent realized through one man’s life that might never go out of style.

The stuff of urban legend

We should say right here Faulkner also stands as a gay icon in Lexington. Just as it is impossible to separate the man from his art, it is impossible to separate Faulkner’s personal history from the direction his art took. His story is complex. Most stories are.

Faulkner’s complexities were most ofen manifested in his eccentricities that in turn evolved into urban legends. People tolerated his strange self and then retold the stories of his nonconformity until the stories were locked in the tapestry of Lexington culture. Hood said she believes Faulkner’s outrageous life is part of the mystique that brings high value to his artwork.

Among the animals that populated these urban legends with Faulkner was his very best cat, named Black Rastas. Faulkner was so fond of the cat that he painted Rastas several times. One of these paintings, “Tea Time with Rastas,” gives us a look at the bewitching cat decked out in

shining gold jewelry. Te cat pierces the viewer with deep blue eyes.

When Black Rastas crossed the rainbow bridge, during a year now lost to everyone’s memory, he did not remain long on the far side. He made a sharp turn crossing the River Styx and wound up back at Faulkner’s house because Faulkner wanted to have him stufed.

“He sits on top of a bookcase in my library,” said Robert Morgan, an artist in Lexington who once lived in Faulkner’s household and was his studio assistant. Morgan knew Rastas as the “head cat” in Faulkner’s vast menagerie of dogs, felines, and goats. “He always had a head cat, a head dog, and a head goat,” Morgan said. As head cat, Rastas fercely defended his territory, which primarily was Faulkner’s bedroom.

Tis did not suit one of Faulkner’s dogs. Te dog hated the very existence of

Rastas. And vice versa. Tey fought like, well, cats and dogs. When the deceased Rastas returned from the taxidermist, stufed, the dog saw his chance. He took a swipe at the cat, who certainly looked to be Rastas even if he had no bite to his bark, so to speak. Te dog tore away half of Rastas’ face. Te dog was delirious with success. Te dog had scaled Mount Everest without a single scratch.

Tere are so many tales of Faulkner and his Rastas that it’s a wonder the cat did not appear in more paintings. Morgan said the man and cat were so close they had mutual conversations. Yes, twoway talks. “Henry would make songs out of meow kind of noises,” Morgan said. “He’d do a verse to Rastas, and Rastas would do a verse back to him. He had a gif. He talked to animals. He’d meet animals on the street, and they’d start doing fips.” Te animals, not Faulkner. Or perhaps we have that backward.

Faulkner had always told Morgan that RastaswasoneoftheHemingwaycatsthat somehow came into Faulkner’s possession in Key West. Probably a lot of felines living in Key West have been wrongly identifed as descendants of Ernest Hemingway’s houseful of funky felines. But in Rastas’ case, two things made this seem likely: Faulkner said it was so, and the cat had the requisite six toes on both front feet. End of story. But not quite.

Rastas died in Lexington just as Faulkner was preparing for his annual winter in Key West. He did not have time to get Rastas of to the taxidermist, so he wrapped him in paper, asked a neighbor if he could keep his “ham bone” in her deep freezer, and lef town. About six months later the neighbor peeked inside the freezer to check on the alleged ham bone. But it wasn’t a ham. Quite likely, she screamed.

One of Faulkner’s neighbors made sure Morgan was gifed with the stufed cat following Faulkner’s death. But the question became how to display the much-loved Rastas, he with the dog-

www.FineArtEditions.net

The Gift of Color isanunprecedented overview of the career of Henry Faulkner. This book is illustrated with over 100 vivid reproductions of his paintings, includes selections of his poetry and presents the reader with a narrative of his meteoric rise to fame. This comprehensive chronological compilation contains Faulkner’s moods that embodied the life and times of this prolifc 20th century artistic genius.

Bookstore Edition $95.00 Special Edition $495.00

THE SENSE IS THESE IDEAL WORLDS HE PAINTED ARE NOT GOING TO LAST.”

—JONATHAN COLEMAN, PH.D., BLUE GRASS TRUST

LEXINGTON HERALD-LEADER

Spotlight On

bitten face. Problem solved: Morgan came across a tiny mask that covered the cat’s missing mouth and eyes. Rastas was restored to his handsome self. Te cat resides for indeterminate eternity on Morgan’s bookshelf, where, fully masked, he models proper social behavior for times like COVID and Zika virus or whatever else comes down the road.

So many Faulkner stories linger in local lore that they could fll the catalog of a life strangely lived. You need only ask around the proper circles, which used to be Tird Street. Faulkner bought a house on stylish Tird to the delight of some neighbors and the consternation of others. He was a hoarder. His place was not always an elegant example of the neighborhood. Nearby is Hampton Court where lived one Don Glover, a bartender in the former Montparnasse Café that eventually morphed into the Bar Complex. Occasionally Faulkner wandered by Glover’s house. One day in particular stood out.

“I was in my yard,” said Glover, “when Henry was walking up the street — wearing an ankle-length, black velvet dress. Te dress had a Ruth Bader yoke,” Glover said, evoking the yoke on robes of late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. “Henry was carrying a doll. He was walking Alice [the goat]. He walked up and asked me, ‘Can you give me a ride to Louisville? I’ll give you a painting if you give me a ride to Louisville.’ ”

Glover wasn’t taken aback. Tis was Faulkner as everyone knew him. Te dress, the doll, and the goat did not at all seem shocking.

“Henry was harmless as a fy,” Glover said. And most people would have agreed. He was harmless. Even if he was one of a kind.

Faulkner loved animals, probably because he had been treated poorly by humans throughout much of his life. Te

HENRY FAULKNER

Top, “Alice in Venice”; right, “Hunt-Morgan House”

Spotlight On

goats in his paintings and those he walked down the street were especially noticeable to the outside world.

“Everybody wants to know about the goats, and goats are very popular in his images,” said Hood, the art appraiser. “He had the goat Alice, and he took Alice everywhere with him. Tere is a note from Tennessee Williams inviting Henry to dinner [in Key West] but saying to leave the goat at home.”

Morgan said, “Tere was only one Alice. He had 20 cats and four dogs and 18 goats when he died. None of the other goats was named Alice. Alice was long dead by that time. People stepped up and found homes for all the animals.”

One long-forgotten goat story was the night one of the old-time news wire machines jumped alive with their loud clacking in what was then the Lexington Herald and Lexington Leader building on East Short at Market Street (it’s now a parking lot). Reporters were rolling with laughter over a news fash from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, informing the world that one Henry Faulkner of Lexington, Kentucky, had been cited for walking a goat down a city street.

Tose Floridians really had themselves in a twist over this one. Everyone in Lexington knew this goat and could say her name: Alice. Faulkner never leashed her because she never lef his side. She was as harmless as her owner. Alice pretty much had free rein, so to speak, here in horse country where nothing ever was boring or mundane as long as we had Faulkner in our company.

Layers of mystery

One of Faulkner’s peculiar practices was his habit of trading paintings for favors or to pay his bills. Tis was his practice throughout his career, as he never seemed to have much cash. As a result, there are many more Faulkner paintings

HENRY FAULKNER

Above, “Taormina Terraces”; below, “The Peaceable Kingdom”

Spotlight On

in existence than might be expected from one artist’s lifetime. He always needed money. He struggled to earn a living. He painted a lot. His fate was typical of that of most artists: Te riches arrived only afer his lifetime.

“When Henry was alive, $1,000 to $2,000 for a painting was a big deal,” said Hood. “Tere’s not a top-out yet. Tey’re going for maybe $75,000 for generally a larger piece and a subject someone’s really interested in. A foral that is not too large will bring $25,000 to $30,000.”

Typically, Faulkner painted on Masonite instead of canvas. Morgan remembers mixing the surface preparation for these boards when he worked as Faulkner’s assistant. “He had a special ingredient that had to be hand mixed. It was

black turpentine and several bindings. He liked heavily textured surfaces because the paint he put on it was thin. Te result looked like the paintings were deep and had layers of mystery to them.”

Te layers of mystery lead to the fascinating work of trying to decipher Faulkner. Jonathan Coleman, Ph.D., executive director of the Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation, said Faulkner’s habit of starting from black can be interpreted in numerous ways. “Te black background gives a sense that things are getting ready to fall apart,” Coleman said, adding he found this especially present in the Faulkner landscapes. “Te sense is that these ideal worlds he painted are not going to last.” Faulkner’s poetry creates a similar sense of his fantasy world

FAULKNERS IN DEMAND

The annual Sporting Art Auction at Keeneland has offered Henry Faulkner paintings for a number of years and plans to offer more this November. Last year, “Floral” by Faulkner topped the auction at $123,375.

“It was expected to do well but maybe not that well,” said Cross Gate Gallery owner Greg Ladd, who organizes the Sporting Art Auction held in the Keeneland Sales Pavilion following the November sales.The sales-topper price last year refected the recent rise in interest in Faulkner paintings. Ladd’s son, Field, who is director of acquisitions for the gallery, said all the Faulkners sold in the auction have held up well in terms of prices fetched.

The quality and scarcity of Faulkner’s work make it attractive to modern collectors, who like “the colorful and interesting,” Field Ladd said. “The whimsical and light-hearted are something people are looking for as opposed to more serious, academic pictures.”

Faulkner paintings have become so popular that buyers need to be aware.

“There have been a bunch of fake Faulkners,” said Field. He said the Faulkners going through the Sporting Art Auction have been vetted and proven genuine, and the clientele has learned Keeneland is a safe place to buy or sell this art.

HENRY FAULKNER

Faulkner featured his beloved goat Alice in a number of paintings.

MARIE CONSINDAS

The Greene Settles Collection

In 2013, First Southern National Bank purchased the Greene Settles collection of Lexington artist Henry Lawrence Faulkner, that included over 233 pieces in oil on panel, watercolor, and sketch, and display many of those paintings in their holding company offces and in the Bluebird cafe in Stanford for the community to enjoy.

ART

in Stanford, Kentucky

The Gift of Color

First Southern National Bank joins with John Stephen Hockensmith, a friend of Faulkner’s in the art world and owner of Fine Art Editions Gallery, in presenting The Gift of Color, the defnitive collector’s anthology of Henry’s life stories, poems, sketches, and paintings.

Books are available for purchase at Kentucky Soaps & Such, in Stanford, Kentucky. A selection of giclées featuring Faulkner’s work are also available.

Spotlight On

HENRY FAULKNER

collapsing at some vague and desperate time.

Coleman is cofounder with Morgan of the Faulkner Morgan Archive, which the two describe as Faulkner’s legacy. Te archive is funded in part by the Mellon Foundation, which supports communities through “the power of the arts and humanities,” as stated on its website. Te Mellon Foundation has a direct connection to the late Paul Mellon, whose Toroughbred racing pursuits under the Rokeby Stable banner included winning the Kentucky Derby with Sea Hero, winning Horse of the Year with Fort Marcy and Arts and Letters, and winning European championships with horses like the renowned Mill Reef. Te archive was inaugurated nine years ago as a depository for historical material concerning the LGBTQ+ community in Lexington.

Celebrity friends

Among the archived materials are photos of Faulkner with the many celebrities he befriended. Faulkner was drawn to celebrity. He believed he belonged in circles of the rich and famous. One of his closest friends was playwright Tennessee Williams, who died in 1983 afer choking on a bottle cap. Williams wrote his way to renown with stage plays including “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” and “A Streetcar Named Desire.” He and Faulkner were running mates in Key West, where Faulkner temporarily resided in Williams’ house. Faulkner in turn entertained Williams in Lexington. Faulkner was a teetotaler and had a tough time coming to terms with Williams’ addictions to alcohol and drugs.

Morgan recalled Williams driving several times with Faulkner into Eastern Kentucky

to observe “local characters,” presumably for local color to go into the writer’s notebook. Following Faulkner’s death, the playwright returned to Lexington to look into some rural Kentucky property Faulkner had bequeathed him in his will. Te property was rundown, not the vision Faulkner had for it earlier in life.

Faulkner, photographed in Paris, Kentucky, with a sketchbook under his arm, has a signature as recognizable as his work.

JOHN STEPHEN HOCKENSMITH

Top, “Fucatzzi”; above, “Geronimo”

Unlock the craft, history, & heritage of Castle & Key

Construction Is Underway

ON OUR 79 NEW LUXURY CONDOMINIUMS

Beautiful, exceptionally spacious residences complemented by round-the-clock concierge, housekeeping, a spacious ftness center, in-room and on-site dining, and more!

Indulge yourself with a home at The Adelphi Residences, where understated elegance is understood, and living well never goes out of style.

All photographs portrayed in this advertisement are artist renderings. This advertisement is not an offering. It is a solicitation of interest in the advertised property. No offering of the advertised units can be made, and no deposits can be accepted, or reservations, binding or non-binding, can be made until an offering plan is fled with the New York State Department of Law. This advertisement is made pursuant to Cooperative Policy Statement No. 1, issued by the New York State Department of Law. File No. CP22-0055. Sponsor: RVD Holding LLC, 353 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

HEADLEY-WHITNEY

CELEBRATES

HENRY FAULKNER’S CENTENNIAL

Henry Faulkner’s centennial celebration of his birthday will be recognized with an exhibition of his paintings at the Headley-Whitney Museum Sept. 8 to Nov. 12.

“The exhibit will feature 100 Faulkner works on loan from over 30 collections,” according to Christina Bell, executive director and curator. Included will be the sales topper from last year’s Sporting Art Auction at Keeneland, a foral that brought $123,375, including auction fees.

The museum has produced a

30-minute documentary to accompany the exhibit. “Henry Faulkner Poetry in Paint” will premier Sept. 7 at the KentuckyTheatre in Lexington, where Henry once brought a baby goat to a movie. The goat was not Alice but a kid Henry took into the theater, wrapped in a blanket because it needed special attention and he couldn’t leave it alone at home.

This special exhibition of Faulkner’s art is planned during this 55th anniversary of the founding of the Headley-Whitney Museum.

Left and below, Christina Bell, executive director of the HeadleyWhitney Museum, hangs Faulkner paintings for an upcoming exhibit.

MARK MAHAN/MAHAN MULITMEDIA PHOTOS

Spotlight On

Many more celebrities entered Faulkner’s realm. One was actress Bette Davis, whom Faulkner befriended on art trips to California. She became a collector of his work. In California, Faulkner also befriended actor Vincent Price, who later discovered the guest house at the Madden family’s Hamburg Place in Lexington, making at least two trips to the horse farm. Friends who visited Faulkner also included author James Herlihy (“Midnight Cowboy” and “All Fall Down”). Herlihy was working on a book about Faulkner when Faulkner died in 1981. Alice DeLamar of Palm Beach and New York, an heiress who inherited a $10 million fortune that would be worth more than $150 million today, funded Faulkner’s trips to Taormina in Sicily. She was a major patron of the arts and a major patron of Faulkner.

And so it went, in this exotic life welllived. As Morgan tells it, “Henry had lots of friends. He cultivated friendships in celebrity circles. Horse farm owners Anita and Preston Madden were big buddies [and purchased a number of his paintings]. George Headley [for whom the Headley-Whitney Museum is partly named] was a big friend. Te lead singer of Te Cars [a rock band formed in Boston in 1976 and whose hits included “Shake It Up”] was going to have Henry come to Hollywood and record with him.” English author Daphne Phelps gave Faulkner a place to stay in Sicily, and she, in turn, stayed with Faulkner in Lexington. In Key West, Faulkner stayed temporarily with the descendants of Bertolt Brecht (“Te Treepenny Opera,” “Mack the Knife”). Look that one up in Wikipedia for a description of a fascinating life long-lived.

John Stephen Hockensmith, a photographer and printmaker in Georgetown, Kentucky, combined with Hood and others to produce a cofee table-sized book that celebrates Faulkner paintings and poetry. “Te Gif of Color,” published in 2018, reveals

HENRY FAULKNER

Above, “Runnymede”; below, “Horses After Miro/Chagall”

Reign In The Horsepower

Spotlight On

HENRY FAULKNER

with each color plate how Faulkner saw his whimsical world — a world in vivid color. Among the book’s illustrations is a drawing from 1953 titled “Know Your Self.” Tere couldn’t be a more apt title.

Te search for self is the journey Faulkner ofers everyone who takes a look at his paintings, all these years following his death. “He had to paint,” said Hockensmith, and yes, he did because he always needed cash. But the more we learn about the artist, the more we realize his real purpose in painting was to explore an inward journey, to create a world he found possible to inhabit when reality was so hostile to him. His search becomes our search for self and thus his gif to us. KM

Harness the power of Kubota’s legendary lineup of tractors, utility vehicles, zero-turn mowers and hay equipment. From paddock to pasture, you’ll be able to handle all of the tough jobs with ease.

Above, Faulkner and Tennessee Williams are pictured in Key West, Florida; right, “Flower Vendor”

It all starts with proper planning and following a tried and true process. With 42 years of proven service around Central Kentucky, BACK Construction has a wealth of knowledge and experience with design build services. Their team of professionals are ready to serve your home needs in fve different areas, including architecture and design, general remodeling, handyman services, roofng, windows and doors.

The team at BACK Construction always uses a team approach when dealing with sales, design, and production, and has experienced in-house craftsmen and tradesmen who will stand by your side until the very end. When hiring a professional remodeler, the team at BACK recommends asking questions such as:

Are they known for being ethical and reliable?

Are they able to walk you through the entre process from frst phone call to fnal clean up?

Are they a trusted and reputable member of your community?

5 DIVISIONS OF SERVICE

With a motto like “We build it BACK better” you can be sure the quality you’re expecting for your dream home is guaranteed.

Rose Arbor Farm, 5201-5301 Old Richmond Road

Welcome to Rose Arbor Farm, the perfect Lexington property for the equine enthusiast. The excellent amenities include a 5,200 sq ft exceptionally maintained main residence, a separate garage apartment, 19 stalls in 4 barns, 10 paddocks with excellent fencing, asphalt roadways and much more. The property is extremely well designed for easy management and care of your horses. The location is fantastic, near Juddmonte, Woods Edge and Champagne Run. This is an extraordinary property in a superior location.

Mercury Training Center, 6240 Long Valley Road

We are proud to offer for sale Mercury Training Center, a completely turn key thoroughbred training center. This recognized thoroughbred training facility on 44 acres includes a private 5/8 mile dirt training track with hedge lined break-away safety rails and a clocker’s stand and gate to facilitate ofcial works to qualify horses for gate approval and racing. Three large barns contain 114 total stalls.

Barn 1 has 36 stalls with a 15’ shed row to train during inclement weather. Barn 2 has 30 stalls with a feed room and a maintenance shed. Barn 3 has 48 stalls with a 10’ aisle, feed room, wash bay and a dedicated area for an equine spa. The property also has an ofce and a 5 horse equiciser. Completing the property are on-site living quarters that include a 4 BR 3 BA residence, a 1 BR 1BA apartment and a 2 BR 1BA apartment.

100 Lighthouse Way, Midway

This immaculate residence is situated on 14 pristine acres in Fishers Mill Landing. Featuring 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, and a stunning open concept kitchen and living room, this house is ready to be called home. Additionally, there is an upstairs bonus room that could easily be used as a 4th bedroom and a framed and roughed in full basement should you wish to expand your living space. Bring your horses home too! With ten 14’x14′ stalls and a 13′ rubber paver aisleway, you won’t fnd a more turn-key farm in Kentucky. All 9 paddocks have auto-waterers and 3 of them contain brand new runin sheds. Don’t miss out, call to schedule your private showing today!

Cave Spring Farm

3555 Keene Road, Nicholasville, KY

744± ACRES 4 3.5

61 stalls 5 barns 6-horse equiciser and 52 ft. round pen

Do you want to buy a farm on which G1 winners MSHAWISH and TOM'S D'ETAT were raised?

The absolutely stunning 744-acre Cave Spring Farm has been a productive farm for over two centuries. Beautiful views from every direction, highquality soils, excellent fencing, and spectacular location are just some of the adjectives to describe this special property. A portion of the main residence is of stone construction and traces to the 1790’s, after which several additions followed to comprise a charming and practical 4-bedroom 3.5-bath Kentucky Farm House. For the last several decades, a large portion of the farm (265 acres) has been utilized in the raising of top quality Thoroughbred horses. Improvements for that endeavor include 61 stalls in 5 converted tobacco barns, a 6-horse equiciser, 52-ft round pen, 18 paddocks, and several large felds all with appropriate plank fencing, auto waterers, etc. The balance of the farm has been implemented in the raising of high-quality cattle (480 acres) with appropriate fencing, waterers and working area.

Tom's d'Etat Mshawish

PARTNERING UP

Kentucky Derby winner Mage is the latest example

By Lenny Shulman

Lenny Shulman

The winner’s circle at Churchill Downs overfowed with the many owners of 2023 Kentucky Derby winner Mage.

of how partnerships are becoming the norm in Thoroughbred racing and breeding

WWhen Mage burst away from a pack of fellow 3-year-olds to score at Churchill Downs May 6, he became not only the latest Kentucky Derby winner but also the poster boy for the movement that has come to dominate Toroughbred racing for the past decade: partnerships.

Mage was bred by Grandview Equine, which is a union of longtime horseman Robert Clay and two associates. Te colt is owned by OGMA Investments, Ramiro Restrepo, Sterling Racing, and Commonwealth Toroughbreds. Commonwealth is a syndicate that sells micro-shares in horses, meaning hundreds of people who jumped in for as little as $50 own a slice of the Derby winner. Mage’s sire, Good Magic, was raced by a partnership consisting of his breeder, Stonestreet, and Bob Edwards’ e5 Racing, which paid $1 million for Good Magic at auction before letting Stonestreet back in for a 50% stake. Good Magic stands at stud at Hill ‘n’ Dale at Xalapa in a partnership between Stonestreet and Hill ‘n’ Dale owner John Sikura.

Even Mage’s trainer, Gustavo Delgado, split conditioning chores with his son, Gustavo Delgado Jr.

It wasn’t always like this. In the daily program a racehorse’s connections didn’t take up 10 times more space than its pedigree. Troughout the 20th century, sprawling breeding farms owned by monied individuals competed against each other, seeing who could breed and race the fastest horses. Ten came the advent of the commercial market, with top horses changing hands at

No matter the size of the ownership stake in Mage — and some got in for $50 — everyone shared equally in the joy of the colt’s victory.

ANNE M. EBERHARDT

MATHEA KELLEY

Only 6 three-year-olds have won a Triple Crown race and the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

‘89 Sunday Silence

‘90 Unbridled

‘92 A.P. Indy

‘07 Curlin

‘15 American Pharoah

First Yearlings sell at Kee Sept.

PARTNERING UP

auction. When Arab sheikhs and the empire of Coolmore’s John Magnier came to dominate that market, adjustments needed to be made. Strength in numbers became the battle cry as horsemen teamed up to better compete.

Today, with spiraling bloodstock prices mirroring an infationary world, partnerships are found in every aspect of the Toroughbred industry. Even the largest

commercial farm operations will partner withoneanothertostandstudsorbuyyearlings. Breeders team up to purchase broodmares. Syndicates buy weanlings to resell as yearlings; yearling buyers do the same to resell their purchases as 2-year-olds. Buyers who wish to race join with like-minded partners to spread the risk on expensive stock. Some syndicates concentrate on offering pieces of racehorses to well-heeled

investors. Others, in an efort to bring even more people into the Toroughbred game, ofer micro-shares so even the most modest investment makes one an owner who can experience the thrill of rooting home his or her very own racehorse. Even one who wins the Kentucky Derby.

“It’s unreal. Tis year’s Derby was one of the top, favorite days of my life,” said Ellen Lambertus, an advertising account

The late Cot Campbell pioneered modern Thoroughbred partnerships.

Campbell, center, enjoyed the spoils of victory when Dogwood Stable’s Palace Malice won the 2013 Belmont Stakes.

Robert Clay formed Grandview Equine in 2016 with a couple of friends and bred 2023 Kentucky Derby winner Mage. Above left, Clay is pictured second from left (and seated on the far right) with his son Case and two of his partners, Ann Rosenstein Giles and Bill Giles.

ANNE M. EBERHARDT

ADAM COGLIANESE/NYRA

KIRK SCHLEA PHOTOS

executive for BloodHorse magazine, whose $100 investment with Commonwealth bought her two shares in Mage. “When he circled the horses at the top of the stretch, some kind of weird scream came out of my mouth. I think I remember drinking champagne for the next 30 minutes. It was 100% diferent from any other racetrack experience; not even close. I don’t even want to go back to the Derby next year. I might just stay home in my pajamas and be happy with my experience.”

PIONEER OF PARTNERSHIPS

Introducing more people to the thrill of owning a racehorse is exactly what Cot Campbell had in mind back in 1971. He bought a flly with crooked ankles for $5,000 by forming a limited partnership with a few pals. When Mrs. Cornwallis won the Alcibiades Stakes at Keeneland, the Wall Street Journal ran a prominent article about the ownership group, and Campbell was on his way to becoming the George Washington of racing syndicates. His Dogwood Stable stands as the model for countless partnership groups that have followed. Dogwood won the 1990 Preakness Stakes with Summer Squall and the 2013 Belmont Stakes with Palace Malice. Still, the Toroughbred establishment did not initially embrace the syndicate concept.

“We represented a break fromtradition,anditwasnot apopularthingasfarasKentucky horsemen were concerned,” noted Campbell in a 2011 interview. (He died in 2018.) “It became more popular when we started winning. Today, some of the breeders who scofed and looked down their noses are putting together partnerships. It was an idea whose time had come — a logical way to own a racehorse and participate at a high level while limiting your exposure.”

Afer 40-plus years at the helm of Tree Chimneys Farm near Midway, Kentucky, Robert Clay wasn’t quite ready to divorce himself from the Toroughbred game. So, afer completing the deal to sell the historic property (famously the longtime home of the great stallion Seattle Slew) to Goncalo Torrealba in 2016, Clay joined up with a couple of associates and formed Grandview Equine.

I DON’T THINK THERE IS ANY QUESTION THIS MODEL IS GROWING THE GAME.”

—Commonwealth’s Chase Chamberlin

PARTNERING UP

Clay realized early on with Grandview that to buy the sale horses that ft his criteria, he’d have to bring in others. “We weren’t going to have enough to spend to play the game unless we spread the risk,” he said. “And then to see 300 people in the Derby winner’s circle with Mage, that’s a good thing. Some of those people are going to go of and own horses on their own.”

Exactly 382 people are participating in the ownership of Mage through Commonwealth, according to co-founder and head of racing Chase Chamberlin. Commonwealth opened up to investors two years ago, hitting a home run right of the bat with co-ownership in grade 1 winner Country Grammer. Typically, it purchases horses at sales in concert with co-owners, in many cases taking about a 25% stake.

To win a Kentucky Derby in two years is “a dream come true,” Chamberlin said.

“Technically, it’s a limited partnership with me as general partner,” Clay noted, “but, in actuality, it’s a couple of friends.”

Clay originally decided to buy yearling colts with a diferent consortium. But when he ended up purchasing shares in a few stallions, he switched gears and decided to buy broodmares that matched up as mates for the stallions. His original partners eventually moved on to other ventures and the “couple of friends” came in. And got lucky. One of the stallions they bought shares in was Good Magic.

“As luck would have it, I was at the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar in 2017, and Barbara Banke [owner of Stonestreet] asked if she could sit next to me just before Good Magic won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile,” recalled Clay. “Good Magic has a lot going for him. He is a son of [top sire] Curlin, and I thought he represented good value at stud.”

One of the mares Clay and partners purchased to send to Good Magic was Puca, a daughter of Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown. Tat mating produced Mage. Grandview Equine sold the colt to New Team for $235,000 at the 2021 Keene-

land September yearling sale from the consignment of Runnymede Farm, agent.

“My thinking is, if you hang around long enough, the Derby will be good to you,” said Clay. “Mage is the frst Derby winner I’ve bred. And now, Barbara and I sit next to each other whenever we’re at the races.”

“Te partners in Mage are getting written up in their hometown newspapers. Tey’re doing media appearances,” said Chamberlin. “We’ve been in the New York Times, Washington Post, NBC Sports. It’s been pretty amazing.

“For some, this is their frst foray into

Brian Doxtator, left, and Chase Chamberlin, right, co-founded Commonwealth and opened it to investors two years ago. It took them just two years to win the Derby.

Multiple owners enjoyed the undefeated career of 2022 Horse of the Year Flightline.

ANNE M. EBERHARDT

SKIP DICKSTEIN

PARTNERING UP

with Ben Haggin, whose ancestors helped found Keeneland. Afer campaigning a dozen juvenile winners — many of them Canadian-breds trained by Mark Casse — Woodford partners expressed a desire to race in the States and to elevate the quality of its stock.

According to Haggin, Woodford purchases between six and eight yearlings at the Keeneland September sale each year and then creates an LLC under which it sells the package of horses to investors. It seeks to bring in some 50 folks each year at a cost of $25,000 per unit.

“We have a group of professional people who have been successful in diferent industries and that have some capital to invest,” noted Haggin. “We’ve sought to price this at a level that leads to repeat business, and most of our people play every year because they don’t want to miss out on a grade 1 winner. We poll our people, and they’ve told us they want colts with fancy pedigrees, so we partner with others on nice horses like that.”

horse racing. Others may have dreamed about the Derby but assumed they’d never be able to be part of it. I don’t think there’s any question this model is growing the game. People that own a horse have a reason to pay attention. And they’re also more apt to wager. When you multiply that across multiple horses, it starts adding up.”

MODELS THAT WORK

Commonwealth is not the frst syndicate to make a giant impact on Toroughbred racing in the past couple of years. MyRacehorse, another partnership group ofering micro-shares to the masses, coowned (in the name of MyRacehorse Stable) 2020 Horse of the Year and Kentucky Derby victor Authentic. And 2022 Horse of the Year Flightline, who retired undefeated afer six victories and earnings of $4.5 million, was owned by the consortium of Hronis Racing, Siena Farm, Summer Wind Equine, West Point Torough-

breds, and Woodford Racing. (Keeneland kicked of its November 2022 breeding stock sale with an auction of a fractional 2.5% ownership stake in Flightline, which sold for $4.6 million to an anonymous bidder. Tat share boosted Flightline’s worth to a reported $184 million.)

West Point Toroughbreds and Woodford Racing are long-standing partnership groups inspired by Cot Campbell’s Dogwood model.

Woodford Racing was formed by Bill Farish of Lane’s End Farm near Versailles, Kentucky, in 2005 in conjunction

Woodford owned a portion of Metropolitan Handicap winner Honor Code and then hit the jackpot on Flightline, a freakishly fast horse who, although racing sporadically over a two-year span, won his races by eye-popping margins, including the grade 1 Pacifc Classic by 19¼ lengths and the 2022 Breeders’ Cup Classic by 8¼ lengths. Both Honor Code and Flightline stand at stud at Lane’s End, and that has led to yet another partnership.

Because Woodford, as co-owner, was awarded breeding rights to Flightline, it formed a breeding partnership that has purchased fve mares to breed to the son of Tapit.

“Tat sold out quickly, which surprised us, because our folks were only involved in racing until this,” Haggin said. “Compared to the racetrack, there isn’t as much action with mares and foals, but because of our access to Flightline, we now have a broodmare partnership that’s very popular and

Members of Flightline’s ownership groups attended the 2023 Eclipse Awards celebrations. Below right, Bill Farish and Ben Haggin operate Woodford Racing, which got in early on Flightline.

ANNE M. EBERHARDT

HORSEPHOTOS.COM/NTRA

PARTNERING UP

is a new part of our business.”

Te exploits of horses like Mage and Flightline create an increased appetite from the public to get in on the thrills. Chamberlin said that Commonwealth tripled its user base in the two months afer Mage won the Derby. And Haggin reports a potential client he’s been chasing for fve years texted him recently to report he was ready to ante up.

“Te people are out there,” said Haggin. “Tese partnerships ofer a good introduction to our sport at a low-cost level. And the racetracks are doing a great job of allowing access to partners. Everyone wants a paddock pass, and the hospitality of the tracks to accommodate partnerships has been strong.”

SPREADING THE RISK

Today, partnerships populate every corner of the Toroughbred industry. Because the mantra of nearly everyone from a backyard breeder to an owner of a 10,000-acre farm is “to run this as a business,” it is prudent to spread risk whenever possible.

Banke took on the responsibility of owning her Stonestreet racing and breeding operation upon the death of her husband, Jess Jackson, in 2011. Stonestreet encompasses several showcase farms in

the greater Lexington area, and Banke has increased the quality of her broodmare band and the foals it produces. While she sells most of her young fllies and colts to achieve her business goals, Stonestreet has enjoyed bofo results by fnding partners that allow it to participate in the careers of its produce. It also buys into “outside” horses, partnering up with owners that share their philosophies and goals. Te latter process led to Stonestreet co-owning 2023 Preakness Stakes winner National Treasure.

“When we breed and raise a horse like Good Magic, we know the horse has been

great all the way through the process,” said John Moynihan, longtime bloodstock adviser to Stonestreet. “We are not only proud to stand behind the horse, but we let people know that if they’re interested, we’d be happy to retain a percentage.

“So, we stayed connected to Good Magic, and when he went to stud, to own a piece of him is a blessing for us. He’s a horse we can breed to, as we’ve done with Curlin [two-time Horse of the Year owned by Jess Jackson]. And [multiple grade 1 winner] Charlatan, who we had owned and then kept a piece of, as well. You have to have stallions, and so it’s a huge boost to our program.”

Curlin and Charlatan—like Good Magic—also stand stud at Hill ‘n’ Dale at Xalapa in a partnership arrangement.

Taylor Made, a sprawling operation based near Nicholasville, Kentucky, just outside Lexington, is the perennial leading seller of yearlings by gross at Keeneland’s September auction. Run by brothers Duncan, Frank, Ben, and Mark Taylor, it has embraced partnerships in various forms as a key way to grow its customer base.

“Te partnership model allows us to spread our reach to a wider audience to build fans and advocates for the sport,” noted CEO Mark Taylor. “Tere are a lot

Barbara Banke, with adviser John Moynihan, often retains an interest in horses she breeds.

Banke’s Stonestreet bred Good Magic, who won the 2017 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and 2-year-old male championship honors. He is the sire of Kentucky Derby winner Mage.

PHOTOS BY Z ANNE M. EBERHARDT

CHAD B. HARMON

PARTNERING UP

Ruler, needed investors to help him build a broodmare band.

of people who have disposable income to put into the horse business, but they’re not comfortable doing it on their own; they don’t want to take that much risk. Our brand here is about customer service and hospitality, and we’re plugging that culture into the partnership model and believe it will be a big part of our future.”

Taylor Made ofers multiple racing partnerships. In one, investors buy into horses that will run for two racing seasons before being sold at auction. Another buys into proven fllies such as graded stakes winners Bella Sofa, Beau Recall, Going to Vegas, and Lady Prancealot and is geared toward investors who want to race on the high end and get immediate action. As an added bonus for the farm, Taylor Made seeks to make deals with the owners of such star horses whereby it will eventually consign them when they go to auction following their racing careers.

As a bloodstock investment, Taylor Made also purchases mares out of the November Keeneland sale. Te mares foal, are bred back, and are sold the following year in what Taylor calls “a mutual fund approach to the broodmare side of the business.”

Taylor noted that while some investors are happy being involved at a minimum price point, others have stepped out on their own to buy bloodstock.

“We’re just scratching the surface, because we’ve been focused on the partnership model for only the last fve years or so,” Taylor said. “It has a lot of growth potential, and it’s something we’re really bullish on.”

Bill Betz, who started his farm outside Lexington in the 1970s, originally formed partnerships for a basic reason: survival. Betz, who has gone on to cobreed grade 1 stakes winners such as champion Echo Zulu, Canadian champion and Derby winner Mine Tat Bird, Hoppertunity, El Corredor, and Roman

“I asked mostly friends and acquaintances, and a few agreed, so I’d go out to the sale and buy a mare and breed her. I remember D. Wayne Lukas pointing out one of his clients and saying, ‘He fred the guy he used to be with, and he’s going to fre me one day.’ And it’s true. People will have bad luck in this business and leave you in a vulnerable spot. So, I decided to put together partnerships in which I owned a piece. Tat not only ensures more numbers, but it instills confdence in people that if I’m willing to put money into the deal, it is safe for them to do it.

“Plus, it helped me get exposure at the sales. Instead of working as an agent for other breeders and getting 5% [commission], I’d rather work for 95%. We have about 25 in our consignments of yearlings in September, and nearly all of them are homebreds from the partnerships. Te partners have become a close-knit group; most have been with me 25 years.”

Lambertus, the co-owner of Mage, recalls going to the colt’s barn in the days leading up to the Derby and his groom allowing her to hold the shank of the gentle colt while he was getting his post-gallop bath. “Tose were some of the best experiences,” she said.

“Te track photographer sent us a link to buy win photos from the Derby, and they personalized it, so my name is on the ownership line for having won the 149th Kentucky Derby. Tat’s the best thing I’ve seen in my life.” KM

ANNE M. EBERHARDT © BENOIT PHOTO

ANNE M. EBERHARDT

Taylor Made CEO Mark Taylor knows partnerships are a way to encourage participation in racing. Among the horses campaigned by Taylor Made partnerships is Lady Prancealot, above.

Bill Betz expanded and succeeded in the business because of partnerships.

Godolphin’s continual refinement of its portfolio has resulted in an unparalleled opportunity. Developed with expertise and unerring attention to detail, 1090 James Lane offers world-class equine facilities in a desirable locale. Neighbors include Godolphin at Jonabell, Mill Ridge, Shadwell, and Winter Quarter farms.

The farm originated from formerly unimproved land around two decades ago and has been meticulously maintained. Gated entrances with significant, mature landscaping lend gravitas to the more than 2.8 miles of paved roads winding through the farm’s 450 acres. Every feature has been situated to emphasize the farm’s gently rolling hills and desirable viewsheds.

Four 20-stall barns and one 12-stall barn (for a total 92 stalls) were constructed by Coleman Calloway of Broadview Builders. The generous stalls measure 14 x 14, with center aisleways of 16 feet. Careful detailing ensures maximum light and air circulation. Lucas stall fronts, grills and glass exterior doors, as well as fly spray systems contribute to equine well-being. Each barn also offers appealing amenities for personnel, including a comfortable staff room with water closet, hot water, and heat. Feed and tack rooms add further utility. Outside, each barn boasts a loading ramp and ample green space, perfect for impromptu viewings of bloodstock.

450 Acres on James Lane

Expertly designed & meticulously maintained

Centaur fencing enhances the farm throughout. Eleven fields join thirty one paddocks to contribute to the capacious setting. Two residences, one recently renovated and another constructed ca. 2006, could serve as homes or offices.

Sinking Creek frontage, a pond, and an old stone springhouse add to the bucolic setting. The farm is also enhanced by a 50’ covered lunging ring and a Monarch covered hotwalker for six, as well as an enclosed hay building. A 9-bay equipment building offers storage in addition to space for a shop. Visit our website for video & more.

With 35 years of pioneering science as its foundation, Kentucky Equine Research delivers on its commitment to address nutrition and management challenges for the modern equine.

Kentucky Equine Research continues to investigate innovative supplements, validate novel feed ingredients, and optimize partner feeds. Learn more at ker.com.

Berea College offers free tuition and on-campus jobs to students who otherwise could not afford the college experience.

A

College Like No Other

Berea College, the South’s frst coeducational and racially integrated institution, among the top liberal arts schools based on its contribution to the ‘public good’

By Jacalyn Carfagno

When Berea College named Cheryl Nixon as its 10th president on July 1, the school knocked down yet another societal barrier by naming its frst female leader.

Her appointment, she said, is just a continuation of the “dramatic, meaningful” founding of the college “to live out this incredible purpose of racial equality and gender equality.”

WBerea is also committed to ofering a quality residential college experience to students who could not otherwise aford it. To achieve that, Berea has ofered all students free tuition since 1892, plus an on-campus job that gives them work experience while defraying other expenses. Today more than half of graduates are the

frst in their families to attend college.

Tose lofy goals are paired with dedication to providing quality education. US News and World Report last year ranked Berea 26th overall among 210 liberal arts schools, 16th in best undergraduate teaching, and third in most innovative schools.

Cheryl Nixon became Berea College’s frst female president on July 1. Below, Peter Hackbart has taught Entrepreneurship for the Public Good for 16 years.

Daniel Swigert was a well known Thoroughbred owner and breeder in American horse racing history. He was also a charter member of Churchill Downs, breeder of four Kentucky Derby Winners, owner of the still famous Elmendorf Farms and is memorialized in Lexington’s Thoroughbred Park. The Swigert House was the first completed dwelling in Fayette Park in 1889 boasting over 5000 square feet, the home sits on a 0.6 acre lot and is steps from downtown Lexington. The Swigert House has been placed on the National Register of Historical Places as well as on the Bluegrass Trust for Historic Preservation. BOOK

859-376-0189

angiesellsky@gmail.com

http://angie-stamper.remax.com

Photo Credited to Ben Childers Photography

A

College Like No Other

Instructors include bestselling author and Kentucky poet laureate Silas House, who co-wrote the folk opera “In Tese Fields” with Sam Gleaves. Also a Berea graduate, Gleaves has released fve recordings, toured with folk singer Pete Seeger, and now teaches traditional music at Berea. Feminist scholar and American Book Award-winning author bell hooks taught at Berea for over a decade before her death in 2021.

Certainly Berea was the nation’s most innovative school when John Fee, the son of a Kentucky slaveholder, began holding classes there in 1859. Fee, with the help of Cassius M. Clay and Northern abolitionists, founded the town of Berea and a school where classes and nondenominational church services were open to everyone. He chose “God has made of one blood all peoples of the Earth” (Acts 17:26) as the guiding principle, a scripture that is ofen quoted on campus over 150 years later.

In the rocky early years, Fee, his family, and associates faced hostility from pro-slavery mobs and fed to Cincinnati. During the war Fee spent time at Camp Nelson, the Union encampment not far from Berea, where he worked with fellow minister Gabriel Burdett to establish a school for African Americans. As the war ended, Fee returned to Berea to restart his school there. Burdett became the frst African American trustee of Berea College in 1866, the frst full year the school operated afer the war. Tat year, there were 187 students; 96 black and 91 white, male and female. Tat ratio remained fairly stable until 1904 when the Kentucky Legislature passed the Day Law outlawing interracial education. Berea, the only integrated college in the state,

challenged the law all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court but was unsuccessful and remained segregated until the law was amended in 1950.

Entrepreneurship to improve life

Nixon inherits an institution that has stayed very close to its original values while vastly expanding oferings and opportunities. Te almost 1,500 students now come from 45 states and 70 countries. Teir average family income is less than $35,000 a year.

Berea ofers majors in more than 30 felds, from Appalachian studies to sustainability, physics, and theater. Students learn about animal husbandry and horticulture on a 500acre organic farm that produces more than 47,000 pounds of food each year.

One program that any major can apply to is Entrepreneurship for the Public Good (EPG), which teaches students the concepts of entrepreneurial leadership and how to practice them to improve life in surrounding Central Appalachia’s rural communities.

JUSTIN SKEENS/BEREA COLLEGE PHOTOS

Students rock climb to learn about team building and reaching for higher goals.

Berea’s large endowment allows for smaller class sizes and closer relationships between students and professors.

A

Like NoOther

Peter Hackbart, who is retiring this year afer teaching the class for 16 years, said students learn about communication, particularly careful listening and working collectively to identify problems and fnd innovative solutions. When the students inevitably encounter obstacles, “We teach them there is a way: Take another step.”

And they have.

One student project involved designing a system — and selling it to the administration — that cut food waste on campus by $27,000 a year. Another EPG project, which spanned several years, identifed adventure tour-

ism opportunities in the region, particularly cycling. Hackbart’s students noticed cyclists stopping in Berea and interviewed them about why they were there, how long they stayed, and how much they were spending and where. Presenting their data to local and state authorities, the students gained partners to hook up the region to U.S. Bike Route 21, which now runs from Cleveland to Smyrna, Georgia.Tat’sawaytospureconomicdevelopment in small towns, Hackbart said. Small towns don’t have enough attractions or amenities to draw visitors for several days, “so we began to build trails, journeys so that people would spend more time” in the region.

Trough these projects, Hackbart said, students from less privileged environments learn “that in an incredibly complex, chaotic world they can fnd their way.”

Berea’s huge endowment — $1.5 billion —

A

College Like No Other

for such a small school provides the opportunities for students to fnd their path without taking on enormous debt. Tat was a selling point for a rising sophomore in Hackbart’s class, David Brothers from Indiana. “All that money [the endowment],” he said, is focused on a small group of students, which means smaller class sizes and more individual contact with professors. “Tey care about you more,” he said before pausing. “Tey’re not — how do I put this nicely — robbing you like the other colleges.”

Tat care starts before they get to school,

the students said. Berea representatives visit high schools, reach out to counselors, and try to tell poor but bright and eager young people that they can get to college. “When you apply, you get an individual counselor,” explained Chase Phillips, another EPG student. “Tey don’t just email you a number to text if you have a question,” he said, but “call your parents, do multiple telephone interviews … that individual support does make a big diference.”

John Hite said “no way” could he have gone to college without the free tuition and

work opportunities at Berea. He arrived there from Casey County in 2014 as a student struggling to support his grandparents back home. Hite knew he wanted to work outdoors and with animals, and that led to his student job with the forestry department. When he graduated in 2019 he got a job that sounds pretty unique to Berea: horse program forest technician.

Other firsts

Among Berea’s many other frsts, it was the frst college in the country to have a

Berea’s forest management program includes teaching students how to harvest timber using a team of Suffolk Punch horses. Below right, a recent college project included building a new barn for the horses.

JUSTIN SKEENS/BEREA COLLEGE PHOTOS

“I love a great love story and I’ve found one here. False Riches is about people who love horses and deal with the trials and tribulations of the horse racing world. Stupendous.”

FALSE RICHES

A

BY JOHN PAUL MILLER

“John Paul Miller has written a timely novel on the intricacies of horse racing and the issues facing it today. His characters are part of the fabric of racetrack life and will take you on a surprising journey.”

HELEN ALEXANDER

— CHRIS MCCARRON Two Time Winner of the Kentucky Derby and Hall of Fame Jockey

A

College Like No Other

carbon sequestration program, said Clint Patterson, the college’s forester. Berea has been teaching forest management since 1899, putting it on par with the oldest programs in the country.

When Patterson became the forester 13 years ago, he thought Berea should “do something unique and better,” and that led him to draf horses. “Tere’s not a better way in terms of low impact and sustainability to harvest timber,” he said.

Patterson watched as a crew working with a team of Sufolk Punch horses pulled a newly downed tree out of the

forest. “You can see the trees we lef aren’t skinned up; they’re not damaged,” he said. Te soil surface wasn’t churned up and the understory was hardly touched. Because of the size of mechanized equip-

ment, Patterson said, “it’s very difcult to do that even with a really conscientious, really passionate logger.”

Te diference in the impact of the two approaches is “daylight and dark,” said Sam Tackett, who has logged with both machines and horses. Tackett, who said he’s worked with draf horses all his life, can be considered Berea’s master draf horse logger. He’s helped build the small herd of endangered Sufolks (only about 700 in the U.S. and about 200 in England) and taught students how to train and work with the teams. Tackett sees a wider application on Appalachia’s small farms and forest holdings for the draf horses. Te mechanical equipment to log could cost over $1 million, plus about $500 a day in fuel costs, he said, burying a small operator in debt. A trained pair of

Its idyllic campus notwithstanding, Berea prepares students for the real world.

COURTESY OF BEREA COLLEGE

Various factors can effect a thoroughbred's ability to reach their full potential. At Hagyard, our team of veterinarians utilize diagnostic modalities such as the MILE-PET scan and Hallmarq Standing MRI to assist in ruling out any potential concerns. Call our team today to access this state-of-the-art technology and unlock your thoroughbred's peak performance.

A

Sufolks, which are very hardy, sells for about $25,000.

It was clear a few years back that the Berea Sufolk herd, now up to seven, had outgrown the dilapidated tobacco barn they’d occupied, so the college decided to build a new home for them. Hite, just a couple years out of college, got the job of

Brothers, the sophomore in Entrepreneurship for the Public Good, put it another way. “You can have all these words that say ‘we care about this,’ ‘we care about that,’ but action is what really matters, and action is what Berea is all about.”

HONORING TRADITIONAL ART FORMS

L

Cheryl Nixon wants to keep it that way. Berea College, founded on lofy — if so unpopular at the time that a war was fought over them — principles has managed to live out those principles and thrive for over 150 years. Berea’s mission of expanding educational opportunity to all “should really be the mission of all higher education,” she said. Tat’s why she was “over the moon” when she got the call that the board of trustees wanted her to be Berea’s next president, to carry on that unique, important mission. “Tere is no other school like Berea.” KM

Clockwise Berea Student program teaches basket and broom

ocated in the Appalachian region with its rich tradition of handmade artistry, the Student Craft program has been an integral part of the college’s instruction since it was created in 1893. Master craftspeople work with students to preserve and expand traditional art forms.Weaving, ceramics, and woodworking are all taught at Berea, as well as broom craft. Brooms have long been used across cultures to sweep away negativity, and Berea claims the country’s longest continually operating broom craft studio, creating around 5,000 brooms annually. Smithsonian Magazine featured Berea’s broom studio in a 2020 article, saying the products are “coveted by afcionados, worthy of being hung on a wall.”Clockwise from left, Berea College’s Student Craft program teaches furniture making, basket making, and broom craft.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BEREA COLLEGE

planning the new barn, the layout of the pastures surrounding it, and overseeing the entire $1.7 million construction project. When the barn was complete and the horses moved in this March, it was a big moment for the young man who never thought he’d make it to college. “I’m 27,” he said he thought, “and I did this.”

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI

Berea College’s long list of distinguished alumni is a refection of both its values and the value of the education students receive there. Here’s a short list of alumni who have made a splash in the wider world (and whose progeny have as well in some cases).

Among the very earliest graduates was JULIA BRITTON, class of 1874, a talented musician and the frst African American to teach at the school. She later moved to Memphis, where she became known as “the Angel of Beale Street” for her social service work there and her fght against Jim Crow laws. She was an early member of the NAACP, for which her grandson, Civil Rights leader Benjamin Hooks, later served as executive director.

Born enslaved in 1863, JAMES BOND walked to Berea College, and though only 16 and illiterate at the time, he studied there for years and graduated in 1892. He went on to Oberlin College, where he received a doctor of divinity degree in 1895. He later served as a trustee and board secretary at Berea. Bond remained in Kentucky, where he spoke out against segregation and was the frst director of the Kentucky Commission on Interracial Cooperation. His grandson, Julian Bond, a civil rights leader and former Georgia senator and representative, received an honorary degree from Berea in 2004.

CARTER G. WOODSON, the son of illiterate former slaves inWestVirginia, earned his degree at Berea in 1903, then went on to earn a master’s degree at the University of Chicago and become the second Black American (afterW.E.B. DuBois) to earn a doctorate at Harvard. A historian,Woodson worked to get the stories of African Americans into history books. He founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History in 1915, and the next year he started the scholarly publication that continues to this day as the “Journal of African American History.”

SARAH HAMILTON SELL earned a Bachelor of Arts from Berea in 1934, then went on to get a degree in microbiology and ultimately a medical degree fromVanderbilt. She played a critical role in the research and development of the vaccine that prevents bacterial meningitis in children, a debilitating and deadly disease that now rarely occurs in the U.S.

JUANITA MORRIS KREPS grew up in Lynch, Kentucky, and graduated from Berea in 1942, then went on to earn a doctorate in economics from Duke, where she eventually became the university’s frst female vice president. She became the frst female director of the NewYork Stock Exchange in 1972 and the frst woman to serve as secretary of commerce in 1977, when President Jimmy Carter appointed her to that position.

THARON MUSSER said she grew up so poor inWestVirginia that her family couldn’t afford electricity and relied on candles and gaslights for illumination. After she graduated from Berea in 1946, she earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from Yale and soon began designing lighting for Broadway shows. She designed lighting for dozens of shows until she retired in 1999. Musser earned her frstTony Award for Best Lighting Design in 1972 for “Follies,” followed byTonys for “A Chorus Line” in 1976 and “Dreamgirls” in 1982.

BILLY EDD WHEELER, a native of WestVirginia, graduated from Berea in 1955 (honorary 2004) and later studied playwriting atYale. Although he has written several plays that continue to be performed, he is best known as a songwriter. He has received more than a dozen awards from American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) for his works, which include “Jackson” and “Coward of the County.” His songs have been performed by over 160 artists ranging from Judy Collins to Elvis Presley.

CHELLA DAVID came from Madras, India, to study at Berea, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in 1961 and going on to earn a doctorate in immunogenetics from Iowa State University. David performed research at the Mayo Clinic for years. A 2011 issue of the Journal of Autoimmunity dedicated to him said his contributions to immunology “have been legend.” Describing him as “an athlete in immunology,” the introduction praised him as “a caring and devoted mentor to generations of students.”

ROBERT G. LAWSON came to Berea fromWhitman Creek, a coal camp inWest Virginia. He graduated in 1960, going on to earn his law degree at the University of Kentucky, where he taught for 50 years, serving twice as dean. Lawson was deeply involved in criminal law reform in Kentucky and was the principal drafter of the Kentucky Penal Code and the Kentucky Rules of Evidence. He has also advocated for reform in Kentucky’s jails and prisons. Among many other accolades, he’s received the Nelson Mandela Lifetime Achievement Award from the Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy and the Judge Charles Mengle Allen Advocate for Fair Criminal Justice Award from the Prodigal Ministries, a prisoner advocacy organization.

JACK ROUSH, born in Kentucky, grew up in Manchester, Ohio, and earned a degree in mathematics with a minor in physics from Berea in 1964 and a master’s in scientifc mathematics from Eastern Michigan University. He worked for a couple of automakers before opening his own engineering business and forming a drag racing partnership. Ultimately, Roush founded a NASCAR team, as well as Roush Performance, which sells vehicles, parts, and high-performance engines. He is president of Roush Industries, which provides design, engineering, prototyping, testing, and manufacturing for mobility, aerospace defense, and theme park industries.

CENTRAL KENTUCKYS FINEST FARMS

Hill & Regan Parker (859)608-8039

www.LexHorseFarms.com

“Real Horse People Helping Real Horse People”

2127 Barnes Mill Road, Richmond, KY

This is a spectacular rural retreat of 996 acres located only 5 minutes from town. Easy access to restaurants, shopping, interstate, etc.

The fabulous, custom built home rests on a hill with 1,000' elevation overlooking a 22 acre lake and the Crowe Valley of Silver Creek. No expense was spared in the building of this exceptional home! Douglas Fir beams, handmade doors, imported stone from East India, commercial grade kitchen, custom made mantel and chandeliers, geo thermal heating and cooling, 4 car garage and extraordinary veranda with grill, frepit and unbelievable views. The farm sports 4 additional homes including a 5,000 square foot circa 1850 home, ofce, 10 barns, miles of 4-rail steel pipe fencing, miles of 6'' water line, miles of paved roads and many more miles of gravel roads, multiple alfalfa felds, automatic waterers, and miles of beautiful frontage on Silver Creek, including a waterfall.

Up to 1,750 acres of land in total available.

Co-listed Jade Gonzalez with Lifstyle Estate

$14,240,000

4465 Augusta Chatham Road, Augusta, KY

The Baker-Bird Winery and Distillery was built in the 1850s by Abraham Baker, Jr. The Grandson of John Baker, the distiller. It is one of the oldest commercial wineries in America that still has its original vineyard land. The spectacular stone enclave is partially underground and perfect for private parties. The main foor has been completely restored in places with original beamed ceilings and other parts of the stone structure that kept it as close to original condition as possible. Sitting on 65 acres, the distillery building is completely new and perfect for bourbon tastings. Wines from Baker-Bird have won awards from across the USA and the world!

$3,999,999

Precision engineering Meets Unbridled Power

FAST TRACK

The Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity is renowned for producing champions, leading sires, and Breeders’ Cup winners

By Liane Crossley

Liane

Round Table’s 1956 Breeders’ Futurity victory presaged his outstanding racing and stallion careers.

to FAME

The Breeders’ Futurity is older than Keeneland itself. For more than a century, the event has survived changes in distance, location, and track surfaces. Te $600,000 race is a focal point of Keeneland’s stakes-laden Fall Stars Weekend that kicks of the October meet and serves as a preview of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships a month later.

Sponsored by Claiborne Farm since 2014, the Breeders’ Futurity was held at the Kentucky Association track in downtown Lexington from 1910 until 1930. Te race shifed to Latonia (now Turfway Park) in 1931 and 1932 and was revived at Keeneland in 1938. In 1943–45, the race was held at Churchill Downs due to World War II restrictions before fnding a permanent home at Keeneland. Originally a half-mile sprint, the distance lengthened until it reached its current 11⁄16 miles in 1981. Te distance is revered for foreshadowing the future success of the 2-year-old participants. Another attraction is the winner earns an automatic starting position and free entry into the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in November.

“Te history is a huge part of why a lot of races are valued by horsemen and breeders, and the Breeders’ Futurity is one of the oldest and most productive races run each year in America,” Keeneland Vice President of Racing Gatewood Bell said. “Tere is serious historical signifcance in longevity and performance both on the racetrack and in the stud book. It’s our signature event for 2-year-olds — the future stars of the sport.”

MODERN CHAMPIONS

A victory in the Breeders’ Futurity is an exclamation point on a young horse’s resume and hints of even greater success. Past winners have gone on to collect championships, win on racing’s grandest stages, and evolve into breed-shaping stallions. Tis has held especially true recently with three of the past seven winners — Classic Empire, Essential Quality, and Forte — taking home the 2-year-

old male Eclipse Award afer capturing the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Knicks Go, victorious in 2018, earned Horse of the Year honors afer winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic at age 5. With those impeccable credentials, all four seem destined for success as stallions.

Classic Empire started the recent trend of showcasing the Breeders’ Futurity as a star maker when he won in 2016. He used the race as a portal to victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita. He retired to Ashford Stud in Versailles, Kentucky, afer fnishing fourth in the Kentucky Derby and second in the Preakness Stakes and is now on the leading sire lists. His earliest graded stakes-winning ofspring include Angel of Empire, who fnished third in the 2023 Kentucky Derby, and Interstatedaydream, who

DAVID COYLE

Left, Keeneland Vice President of Racing Gatewood Bell describes the Futurity as “our signature event for 2-year-olds.”

The race consistently attracts full felds of competitive juveniles.

FAST TRACK to FAME

placed in Keeneland’s Central Bank Ashland Stakes in April.

Classic Empire’s trainer, Mark Casse, said the Breeders’ Futurity presents a key opportunity to test runners around two turns and gives them an advantage over peers that might be trying the confguration for the frst time in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

“Te win in the Futurity stamped Classic Empire as a Breeders’ Cup horse and a Derby horse,” Casse said. “And a win in the Futurity means you are one step closer to being a champion. I consider the Breeders’ Futurity one of the highest quality 2-yearold races year afer year.”

Essential Quality also captured the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Keeneland afer taking the 2020 Breeders’ Futurity and then was crowned champion. Te following season, he added the 3-year-old male championship with a season highlighted by his Belmont Stakes score, Travers Stakes victory, and third in the Kentucky Derby. His triumph in the Breeders’ Futurity was the second straight for owner Godolphin, which took the 2019 renewal with Maxfeld. Both horses stand at Darley, Godolphin’s breeding division in Lexington, Kentucky, and fgure to evolve into exceptional sires when their frst foals go to the races in 2025.

“A win in the Breeders’ Futurity puts a colt on the fast track to the stallion barn,” said Darren Fox, sales manager for Darley Stallions.“Forastallionprospect,aGrade1 win at 11⁄16 miles as a 2-year-old completes an all-important aspect of his resume.”

Te latest colt to emulate Classic Empire and Essential Quality is Forte. His game tallies in the 2022 Breeders’ Futurity and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Keeneland transformed him into an Eclipse Award winner and an early favorite for the Triple Crown races. Afer bypassing the frst two jewels of the Triple Crown, he was a fast-closing runner-up in the Belmont Stakes.

Knicks Go is another new-age prospect likely to prove himself as a stallion

CHAMPION WINNERS

Futurity winners honored as Eclipse Award champion 2-year-old

2022 Forte

2020 Essential Quality

2016 Classic Empire

1997 Favorite Trick *

1996 Boston Harbor

1987 Forty Niner

1985 Tasso

* Horse of the Year as a 2-year-old

DYNAMIC DOUBLES

Futurity/Breeders’ Cup winners

2022 Forte

2020 Essential Quality

2016 Classic Empire

1997 Favorite Trick

1996 Boston Harbor

1985 Tasso

TREMENDOUS TRIPLES

Champions who won Futurity and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile

2022 Forte

2020 Essential Quality

2016 Classic Empire

1997 Favorite Trick *

1996 Boston Harbor

1985 Tasso

* Horse of the Year as a 2-year-old

Forte triumphed in the 2022 Breeders’ Futurity.

COADY PHOTOGRAPHY

In 2020 the Breeders’ Futurity belonged to Essential Quality.

KEENELAND PHOTO

Classic Empire showed his outstanding juvenile form in the 2016 edition.

KEENELAND PHOTO

in 2025 as a member of Taylor Made Stallions in Nicholasville, Kentucky. His 2018 Breeders’ Futurity victory was a prelude to his runner-up efort in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs and illustrious accomplishments in subsequent seasons. He bypassed the Triple Crown races during a winless season but excelled as an older p

At age 4, he won the 2020 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland, and at tured the 2021 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar and the Horse of the Year title.

Another up-and-coming stallion is 2017 Breeders’ Futurity winner Free Drop Billy. With solid performers in his initial two crops, he is a sought-afer stallion at Spendthrif Farm in Lexington.

“Te eyes of the racing world are

Clockwise from top, Round Table and Swale helped make Claiborne Farm the winningest Breeders’ Futurity owner. Tasso was the frst Breeders’ Futurity starter to race in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, winning both in 1985.

KEENELAND LIBRARY MEADORS COLLECTION

PHOTOS COURTESY OF KEENELAND BY BILL STRAUS

The Breeders’ Futurity can be the springboard to Breeders’ Cup glory and year-end championships. From top, the connections of Classic Empire celebrate the colt’s victory in the 2016 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Essential Quality used the Breeders’ Futurity to secure a win in the 2020 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, as did Forte in 2022.

OWNERS WITH MOST BREEDERS’ FUTURITYWINS

Forty Niner campaigned for sponsor Claiborne Farm, which has more Breeders’ Futurity winners than any other owner. Te farm is represented by 1956 winner Round Table, one of racing’s alltime greats with 43 victories in 66 starts, and 1984 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes hero Swale. Others who carried the storied Claiborne colors to victory are Duel (1963) and Dike (1968).

Te Breeders’ Cup Juvenile had moderate Keeneland representation for several years until 1996 and 1997 when respective winners Boston Harbor and Favorite Trick reconfrmed the Breeders’ Futurity as a gateway to championship honors. Boston Harbor was the fourth Breeders’ Futurity winner trained by D. Wayne Lukas, who later added two

part of his Hall of Fame career.

In 1987, Forty Niner won the Breeders’ Futurity, bypassed the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile but still was named champion of his division. He continued as best of his era the following year and lef his mark as a breed-shaping sire. A quar ter of a century afer leaving the track, he remains prominent in pedigrees primar ily through his son Distorted longtime leading sire.

Maxfeld won the 2019 Breeders’ Futurity and captured key races in the next two seasons before embarking on a stallion career at Godolphin.

ANNE M. EBERHARDT

FAST TRACK to FAME

added to their ledgers in 2023. Forte remains among the top of his class, while 2021 winner Rattle N Roll has proven himself as a 4-year-old with graded stakes victories, including Keeneland’s Ben Ali Stakes in April.

the record books, the Futurity stands as a maker of champions and a measuring stick of better days ahead. Te two most recent winners — Forte and Rattle N Roll — have

“Hopefully the future holds more of the same,” Bell said. “We’ve got a great sponsor and partner in Claiborne Farm, which happens to be the winningest owner in the race’s history. Our horsemen have supported us by sending their best juveniles, and that’s really what will continue to make the race so important and special to win going forward.” KM

The 2018 Breeders’ Futurity winner, Knicks Go, reached his full potential as an older horse, winning the 2021 Breeders’ Cup Classic, among other top races, before retiring to stud at Taylor Made.

SKIP DICKSTEIN

Today’s Gainesway Farm is a substantial slice of the original Elmendorf Farm. Previous occupants included Greentree Stud and Whitney Farm.

LAND of PLENTY

The fnal installment in a series examines ho JAMES BEN ALI HAGGIN inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2022, created a farm whose acreage produced generations of important horses through a succession of owners to this day.

how

By Edward L. Bowen

Bowen

SHANDON CUNDIFF

L.

hen James Ben Ali Haggin passed away in 1914, he had been collecting acreage for his Elmendorf Farm near Lexington for some 17 years. He purchased the initial 544.8 acres at auction from C.J. Enright on Nov. 1, 1897, when the already established farm’s purchase price was $100 an acre.

Cathy Schenck, Keeneland Library’s former head librarian, meticulously compiled Elmendorf’s acreage during her tenure. Te entries show Haggin purchased 46 additional properties, ranging from George H. Whitney’s 1,240-acre Melrose Farm in 1900 down to a partial acre with a residence in 1907. Te fnal addition was 103.5 acres on March 2, 1914, some six months before Haggin’s death in Newport, Rhode Island. Tat last acquisition fell just a

bit short of his usual 125 acres, a size at which he made at least 22 purchases. Te highest cost per acre was $324, and the lowest, $65.

Te acreage totaled 8,918, of which 8,539.42 acres were in Fayette County and 379.20 were in neighboring Scott and Bourbon counties.

Not all the acreage is contiguous, but the overwhelming image lef by the properties is of a neighboring series of farms. To this day, these major farms line both sides of a portion of Paris Pike, leading from Lexington north to the town of Paris. Tese are in addition to the ongoing prominence maintained by a sequence of breeders who have continued to use the name Elmendorf. Tese included several members of the Widener family as well as Maxwell Gluck and Jack Kent Cooke (see Keeneland magazine summer 2023).

A colleague once described the modern spread of farms as the “Champs Elysees” of the Bluegrass. Equating it to what is sometimes called Earth’s most famous avenue is not hyperbole. Indeed, farms with names such as Greentree, C.V. Whitney Farm, Gainesway, and pockets of other noted properties came to be associated with shaping the Toroughbred breed. Among these infuential sires are Mahmoud, Tom Fool, Equipoise, Broomstick, Vaguely Noble, Blushing Groom, and on to today’s prolifc Tapit.

A succession of owners developed outstanding broodmare bands on the land that today is Gainesway Farm.

AN INTRODUCTION OF WHITNEYS

Some 125 years ago William Collins Whitney was making a name for himself in horse racing but only afer distinguished achievement in business and government. One of his various posts was secretary of the Navy for President Grover Cleveland. Late in his life Whitney became interested in horse racing, and his family name has been a mainstay of the American Turf ever since.

Te saga of the early Whitneys in racing includes vast fortunes made and inherited, as well as socially elite weddings such as a Whitney gent marrying a Vanderbilt bride. (One of William Collins Whitney’s sons, Harry Payne Whitney, married Gertrude Vanderbilt, a daughter of Cornelius Vanderbilt.) Such status could not, of course,

Clockwise from top left, William Collins Whitney affxed the family name to racing at the highest levels. Son Henry Payne Whitney purchased a portion of the old Elmendorf Farm to establish a breeding presence in Kentucky. He bred and raced Regret, above, the frst flly to win the Kentucky Derby, and bred a one-time record 191 stakes winners.

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF RACING

BLOODHORSE LIBRARY

KEENELAND/COOK

LAND of PLENTY

protect even them from life’s tragedies or from family tensions. In 1915 Harry Payne Whitney’s brother-in-law, Alfred Vanderbilt, died when the Lusitania went down. Earlier, the second marriage of William Collins Whitney had torn asunder family loyalties.

William Collins Whitney’s frst wife, the former Edna Payne — a Cleveland heiress — passed away in 1893.

Sometime later, William Collins Whitney remarried. One son, Harry Payne Whitney, remained close to the father, but the other son, Payne Whitney, was against the second marriage and ceased most connection. Te estrangement was heightened by the resentment felt by the deceased Mrs. Whitney’s brother, Oliver Payne, a high up in Standard Oil and one of the richest men in the world.

William Collins Whitney was involved with ownership of racehorses for only a short time and yet put together a breeding operation that lent lasting lure to the phrase “Whitney mares” over many generations. Whitney’s frst good horse was the $30,000 purchase Jean Bereaud, winner of the Belmont Stakes the following year, 1899. Whitney was the leading owner in America in both 1900 and 1901, and he leased Volodyovski, who won for him England’s great Epsom Derby in 1901.

Afer Whitney died in 1904, son Harry Payne Whitney, a dasher on the polo feld who also had begun racing, stepped in to be the leading buyer from his father’s estate dispersals. Purchases included Tanya, who defeated colts in the Belmont Stakes the next year.

When William Collins Whitney had launched his breeding operation, he centered it in Kentucky, at La Belle Stud, which he leased from Hal Petit Headley. Te established success of Kentucky’s Woodburn Stud had lured various Eastern horsemen into a sense of the Bluegrass State’s pride of place for raising Toroughbreds. August Belmont I had moved his breeding stock to Kentucky in 1885, for example.

Harry Payne Whitney frst chose to have his horses closer to home and leased Brookdale Stud in Red Bank, New Jersey. He later reconsidered and followed the trend to Kentucky, purchasing acreage from what had become that rambling phenomenon Elmendorf. In due course, a neighboring farm to Whitney’s Kentucky farm was Greentree Stud, also formerly part of Elmendorf. Greentree was owned by Payne Whitney — the “other brother” in the family squabble. Greentree was operated primarily by Payne Whitney’s wife, Helen Hay Whitney.

Harry Payne Whitney ascended to the top of the owners’ list, ranked by stable earnings, for the frst time in 1913. Tat year, his Whisk Broom II won a series revered for years as the New York Handicap Triple Crown, comprising the Metropolitan, Suburban, and Brooklyn handicaps.

His stable was to be leading owner in earnings a total of nine times, and he was leading breeder 10 times.

In sheer number of stakes winners, Harry Payne Whitney’s total of 191 stood as a record from the 1930s until E.P. Taylor of Canada’s Windfelds Farm surpassed it some 50 years later.

Over the past nine decades, racing has altered the way it designates champions. Te various criteria credit Harry Payne Whitney with having bred 20 horses regarded as champion of at least one division in at least one year. Some of them rank among the most distinguished of the breed. In addition to Whisk Broom II, the best included Regret (the frst flly to win the Kentucky Derby),

Whisk Broom II, left, and Equipoise were among the standout runners for Henry Payne Whitney.

WIDENER COLLECTION

HUGH MILLER

Locally Inspi ed Globally Connected

LAND of PLENTY

plus Equipoise and Top Flight. Harry Payne Whitney died in 1930. Horses that then began racing for his son, C.V. Whitney, included Equipoise, who became a champion in four separate years. Equipoise is regarded as Horse of the Year in both 1932 and 1933.

MEANWHILE, GREENTREE…

William Collins Whitney’s other son, Payne Whitney, married Helen Hay, whose father, John Hay, had served as Abraham Lincoln’s secretary as well as secretary of state. Hay also was the U.S. ambassador to Great Britain. Helen Hay Whitney’s bachelor brother, Oliver Payne, was much richer than her husband’s father, and during her own father’s ambassador days she was presented at court in both London and Rome. President Roosevelt and his entire cabinet attended the

1902 wedding of Payne Whitney and Helen.

WhenHelenHayWhitney,anaccomplishedpoet,developedaracing operation, she called it Greentree, the name of her husband’s estate on Long Island. Te name Greentree Stud was affixed to the Kentucky property neighboring Harry Payne Whitney’s farm.

Te Greentree operation was quick to turn out Mrs. Whitney’s frst champion, Untidy, the winner of the 1923 Kentucky Oaks and Alabama Stakes. In 1931 Twenty Grand won Mrs. Whitney’s frst Kentucky Derby and then added the historic Belmont Stakes and Travers Stakes. Tose three victories were duplicated 11 years later by Greentree’s Shut Out. (No other horse won all those three races until Tunder Gulch, a half-century later in 1995.) An additional champion in Mrs. Whitney’s era as mistress of Greentree was Devil Diver (1943 and 1944).

Mrs. Whitney, who bred a total of 79 stakes winners, was a widow for the last 17 years of her life. Afer she passed away in 1944, her children, John Hay “Jock” Whitney and Joan Whitney Payson, continued the distinction of Greentree Stud and Stable some four more decades.Teyfoldedtheirownseparatebreeding/racingoperationsinto Greentree and took the helm of their mother’s stable, with Jock Whitney the majority owner.

Clockwise from top left, Helen Hay Whitney leads in Twenty Grand, her frst Kentucky Derby winner. She managed Greentree Stud and enjoyed tremendous success as an owner and breeder. Greentree was renowned for its circle barns. Whitney’s son, John Hay “Jock” Whitney, shown with frst wife Mary Elizabeth (Liz), inherited his mother’s love of the sport.

KEENELAND LIBRARY/COOK

BLOODHORSE LIBRARY

HUGH MILLER, MORNING TELEGRAPH

LAND of PLENTY

THE NEXT GENERATION

Greentree continued to thrive under Mrs. Payne Whitney’s son and daughter, just as Harry Payne Whitney’s son, C.V. Whitney, carried on with the other branch of the family’s Kentucky farm and high-class racing stable. Jock Whitney had a youthful stutter but was a dashing fgure of the polo and competitive crewing worlds. Soon afer graduating from Yale he had made a mark in England, where he attended Oxford and purchased and campaigned the grand steeplechaser Easter Hero. His $100 million inheritance from his father also helped support many decisions, including the purchase of 1929 Eclipse Stakes winner Royal Minstrel, destined for success at stud for Greentree.

Jock Whitney had a distinguished career in newspaper publishing and in service to his country. When he was nearing 40, he received a captain’s commission in the air corps during World War II and was sent to southern France. Captured by a German tank outft, he escaped by mustering the resolve to leap from a moving boxcar transporting prisoners northward. He eventually gained the rank of colonel. Whitney later was a golfng buddy of President Dwight Eisenhower, who appointed him U.S. ambassador to Great Britain. He served with distinction in that post, which had once been held by a grandfather, John Hay. For her part, Joan Payson followed family tradition as a patron of the arts, and she also was majority owner of a Major League Baseball team, the New York Mets.

By the end of the 1940s, Jock Whitney and Joan Payson had joined the family tradition of breeding a champion. Capot, a Greentree homebred foal of 1946, won the 1949 Preakness and Belmont among other races. Capot was trained by John Gaver, who became a Greentree fxture, and was among many Greentree stars ridden by Ted Atkinson.

Te decades of the 1950s into the 1980s saw Greentree turn out a succession of major homebreds, including three more champions: Stage Door Johnny, Late Bloomer, and Bowl Game. One of the streams of European blood that was productive for Greentree stemmed from La Troienne. Greentree joined with Ogden Phipps and Robert Kleberg to acquire (and divide) the breeding stock of Col. E.R. Bradley. Before his death in 1946, Bradley had acquired a wonderful broodmare band, the ultimate star of which was French-bred La Troienne. Descendants of La Troienne buttressed the three breeders for many equine generations.

Ironically, though, Greentree’s greatest champion was

Top, Jock Whitney and his sister, Joan Payson, accompany their Stage Door Johnny to the winner’s circle after the 1968 Belmont Stakes.

Above left, Greentree’s best horse, Tom Fool, was not a homebred but rather a yearling purchase. Above right, Virginia Kraft married Joan’s widower, Charles Shipman Payson, and enjoyed success on a portion of the former Greentree.

Left, C.V. Whitney campaigned fve champions among a total of 176 stakes winners.

purchased not bred. Tom Fool, who had been bred by Duval Headley, was purchased privately by Greentree as a yearling in 1950.

Tom Fool was by Menow—Gaga, by Bull Dog. Te next year, Tom Fool was champion 2-year-old, and Greentree was America’s leading owner in earnings.

By age 4, in 1953, Tom Fool was ready for greatness. He earned Horse of the Year honors with a stunning 10-for-10 record. Centerpiece of that campaign was his sweeping the New York

MIKE SIRICO/NYRA

BERT MORGAN BLOODHORSE LIBRARY

ANNE M. EBERHARDT

LAND of PLENTY

Handicap Triple Crown, carrying 136 pounds in the Brooklyn Handicap fnale of that series. Tom Fool became an important stallion, whose ofspring included Horse of the Year Buckpasser and Kentucky Derby-Preakness winner Tim Tam.

A grand bit of history highlighted the career of the aforementioned champion Stage Door Johnny when he won the 100th running of New York’s great Belmont Stakes. Te race was run at the new Belmont Park, which had been closed several years for renovations (moving the race temporarily to Aqueduct).

Joan Payson died in 1975, and Jock Whitney died in 1982. Combining stakes winners bred by the brother and sister individually and jointly and adding that total to the number bred by their mother brought the fgure to 214.

Tere was a coda in the offing. Jock Whitney’s widow, Betsy Cushing Whitney, continued the operation. However, she sold the Kentucky property to Graham Beck’s neighboring Gainesway Farm and moved her mares to be boarded at the Hancock family’s Claiborne Farm. She bred 11 stakes winners through 1994. Greentree stock was then dispersed, 35 horses grossing $3.55 million in Keeneland’s November sale. Mrs. Whitney died in 1998.

Tere was also another part of a Greentree epilogue. Charles Shipman Payson had retained 125 acres when his wife passed away, the remainder of his share being purchased by brother-in-law Jock Whitney. Later, Payson married Virginia Kraf, who had a devotion to racing and astutely managed the newly named Payson Stud.

Highlights of Virginia Kraf Payson’s years of breeding included the European classic winner St. Jovite and two Eclipse Award winners of 2002, Vindication and Farda Amiga. Virginia Kraf Payson passed away in January 2023.

Harry Payne Whitney’s son C.V. Whitney, like his cousin Jock Whitney, was a leader in various aspects including his attaining the military rank of colonel. At 18 during World War I, he was one of the Army’s youngest fight instructors, and in World War II he earned the Distinguished Service Medal for writing a plan for the raid on Ploesti. Te Yale graduate did not leave the world of fight afer his military experience. He was assistant secretary of the Air Force under President Harry Truman and also founded Pan Am Airways, which he managed for a time.

In other aspects of American life, Jock and Sonny Whitney (as C.V. was ofen known) fnancially backed the development of Technicolor as well as backing various movies, including “Gone With the Wind.” Not many Toroughbred owners name horses for movies they have produced, but Sonny Whitney won stakes races with Te Searcher,

C.V. Whitney astutely purchased 1936 Epsom Derby winner Mahmoud and imported him to Kentucky, where he became an influential stallion.

Left, Birdstone won the 2004 Belmont Stakes for owner/breeder Marylou Whitney (pictured right with C.V. Whitney). She took over Whitney Farm’s operation after her husband’s death.

RICK SAMUELS BLOODHORSE LIBRARY

LAND of PLENTY

a la the John Wayne classic Western flm “Te Searchers.”

On the Turf one of C.V. Whitney’s most infuential moves was purchasing and importing the 1936 Epsom Derby winner Mahmoud. Te captain of the ship that was originally booked to carry Mahmoud from England to America denied the horse boarding status because of a question about boarding papers. Sadly, that ship was torpedoed. Mahmoud later had safe passage aboard another vessel.

Te gray Mahmoud sired 70 stakes winners, and 27 of them were in the career total of 176 stakes winners bred by C.V. Whitney. Whitney bred a total of fve champions, including Counterpoint. One of many major horses trained for him by Hall of Famer Syl Veitch, Counterpoint won the 1951 Belmont Stakes and was Horse of the Year. Whitney also won a Belmont Stakes in 1947 with champion Phalanx, who was bred by Abe Hewitt.

In 1960 Whitney was both the leading breeder and leading owner, harkening to the 1930s, when the confation of his and his father’s horses had made him leading owner three times and leading breeder twice.

C.V. Whitney retired from racing in 1984, and his dispersal of 26 horses grossed $6,693,700 (average $257,450). Whitney’s many

honors had included being named Exemplar of Racing by the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, of which he had been the frst president.

Whitney died at 93 in 1992. His widow, Marylou, continued life with high energy. She remarried, and her husband, John Hendrickson, joined in various ways to honor the Whitney legacy and is now the National Museum of Racing president. Marylou bought back into some of the C.V. Whitney bloodlines and, in 2004, achieved a highly sentimental triumph when her Birdstone won the Belmont Stakes — that revered classic of so much family lore.

GAINESWAY TO THE FORE

Sale of a large portion of C.V. Whitney Farm in the late 1970s ushered in a new era for that part of the former Haggin property. Te purchaser was John R. Gaines, whose family had generations of success in the Standardbred industry. Gaines branched out into the Toroughbred world, poised to bring intellect, horse savvy, a bold business sense, and personal confdence to his Gainesway Farm.

Gaines’ trenchant decision-making led to major successes in the auction market and on the racetrack, but the signature image of Gainesway came from the stallion sector. He spotted, and took full advantage of, the opportunity to acquire and stand horses whose appeal would reach both ways across the Atlantic. With various partners, including Nelson Bunker Hunt, Gaines developed an expansive stallion roster that would include international stars such as Vaguely Noble, Blushing Groom, Lyphard, Riverman, Bold Bidder, Broad Brush, and Cozzene. International breeders sent mares en masse to Gainesway, and international

Clockwise from above, John R. Gaines developed Gainesway into a powerhouse, importing such European champions as Vaguely Noble and Blushing Groom to stand at stud in Kentucky. He sold Gainesway in 1989 to Graham Beck, who carried on the farm’s lofty traditions.

WILLIAM STRODE

BLOODHORSE

buyers focked to auctions to purchase their ofspring.

Gaines’ contributions were manyfold, for he masterminded the process that established the Breeders’ Cup, which created something of a series of Super Bowls for various age/gender/distance categories of Toroughbred racing. He also played a key role in creation of the Kentucky Horse Park.

Te mercurial Gaines sold the farm and moved on to form a large broodmare/sales strategy. Te buyer, in 1989, was Graham Beck, a South African businessman and horseman with a similarly dynamic business/sporting resume. Beck also added most of Greentree Farm through another purchase. Tus, since Beck’s passing in 2010, his son Antony Beck has held stewardship of a large, combined Toroughbred institution emanating from all those years and distinguished owners.

“I’m very aware of the traditions,” Beck remarked to Michele MacDonald for a 2005 Keeneland magazine article. “Tere is a wonderful history here.” In addition to building upon success, the Becks have built upon the beauty of their property. Beck’s mother, Rhona, planted 45 types of oak, and Beck’s wife, Angela, has carried on in nurturing Gainesway’s arboretum, which has been honored by the accrediting service ArbNet.

Key “poster boys” typifying Antony Beck’s success with the horses include the stallion Tapit and his 2023 classic contender Tapit Trice. Tapit has been the leading sire in earnings in North America, in 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017. He has added a unique stamp on the Belmont Stakes and its lengthy connection of the farms of Paris Pike, for Tapit has sired four winners of the great classic.

Tere are various other markers of success. Midway through 2023,

WHAT A NEIGHBORHOOD

Space precludes featuring all the farms involving property that once was included in James Ben Ali Haggin’s Elmendorf. Among others are portions of the rambling Spendthrift Farm, whose owners over the years have included Leslie Combs II and the family of B.Wayne Hughes; Walmac International, whose ownership over a century includes the years of JohnT. L. Jones Jr. and III, and in recent times was the home of international stallion Nureyev; Normandy Farm, where the remarkable E. Barry Ryan for years had headquarters for a career as breeder, owner, trainer, and leader of theTurf, and where the late Nancy Polk raised recent stakes winners; and Hagyard Farm, in recent decades owned by the French family of Alec Head and home of the important stallion Hail to Reason.

Gainesway Toroughbreds had entered the top 10 breeders of the year with $3.2 million in earnings. Tapit Trice is one star of the show. Illustrating the quality of Gainesway yearling consignments, Mandy Pope had paid $1.3 million for the Tapit colt at a Keeneland sale. Gainesway bought back a percentage, and this year Pope and Beck had the pleasure of leading him to the winner’s circle together afer he won the vaunted Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland. Tapit Trice later was third in the Belmont and entered the second half of the year as a contender for championship honors. KM

Clockwise from top left, Antony Beck has taken Gainesway to new heights while he and his wife, Angela, have added to the farm’s beauty with celebrated gardens and an arboretum. The stallion Tapit has been a runaway success for the farm.

ANNE M. EBERHARDT

JONATHAN PALMER/ KYSU

CHRISTOPHER HIRSHEIMER

A LITERARY Fan Fair

The

Kentucky Book Festival brings writers and readers together to celebrate literature

By William Bowden

Photos Barnes

Photos by Arden Barnes

It’s standing room only for many of the author discussions at the Kentucky Book Festival.

Ask Katerina Stoykova, newly appointed director of the Kentucky Book Festival, to convey the essence of the annual book lovers event in one word and she doesn’t hesitate: “Community. It’s a gathering of hundreds of authors and thousands of readers, all sharing a love of the written word.”

ATat community will gather once again on Saturday, Oct. 21, at Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Lexington for the 43rd occurrence of the daylong afair designed to emphasize the key role that literacy plays in our lives. It’s an up-close-and-personal experience, as readers have the chance to meet favorite authors, purchase their latest books, score an autograph, and discover emerging writers.

Joseph-Beth, one of the nation’s largest independent booksellers, will be transformed to accommodate signing tables for the several hundred writers expected to attend. A main stage for formal presentations will be set up with expanded seating for more than 200, along with a kids’ tent for children’s authors. It’s all free and open to the public.

“Te Kentucky Book Festival is an opportunity for readers and authors to meet under one roof and celebrate their devotion to good books,” said Bill Goodman, executive director of Kentucky Humanities, an independent, nonproft afliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Te organization, supported by the NEH and private contributions, stages the festival as one of its many programs dedicated to “Telling Kentucky’s Story” and creating pride in the richness of the commonwealth’s culture.

Joseph-Beth Booksellers has hosted the Kentucky Book Festival since 2021, and its staff work hard to create a welcoming venue.

Serving a family tradition since 1955.

108 Court Street, Versailles, KY

TURN RIGHT when you leave Keenland

Katerina Stoykova, director of the Kentucky Book Festival, and Bill Goodman, executive director of Kentucky Humanities, are driving forces of the commonwealth’s literary scene.

For Stoykova, it will be her frst time in the role of KBF director, but she has attended many times, frst as a reader, later as an author. She is very active in the literary scene as she hosts “Accents,” a WUKY (University of Kentucky public radio station) program on literature, arts, and culture, among her other pursuits. “Serving as director of the Kentucky Book Festival is a job I wouldn’t have dared to dream would be mine,” she said. “It’s such a privilege.”

BESTSELLERS IN ATTENDANCE

Silas House is among the many bestselling and awardwinning Kentucky authors who will attend the KBF this year. He will promote and autograph his latest novel, “Lark Ascending,” winner of the 2023 Southern Book Prize in Fiction. He is Kentucky’s current poet laureate and a New York Times bestselling author of seven novels, beginning with “Clay’s Quilt” in 2001. Like other authors, he also will sign up to four previous titles if they are available.

While House appreciates how readers enjoy the singular opportunity the KBF ofers them to meet an author in person, he also points out the other side of that coin.

“I love the chance to get to know my readers,” House said. “When someone reads a book, it’s a bonding experience for both the writer and reader. Tat’s the power of literature and the connection it creates. It’s wonderful when you can have that face-to-face encounter with someone who values your work.”

Crystal Wilkinson, who moves easily between the worlds of fction writing and poetry, will showcase her novel “Te Birds of Opulence,” which chronicles several generations of women living in a bucolic Southern Black community. She will also showcase “Perfect Black,” an innovative memoir in verse in which she explores her rural girlhood in Kentucky and later life of activism and artistry.

A former Kentucky poet laureate, Wilkinson won a 2021 O. Henry Prize for Best Short Stories, given for “Endangered Species: Case 47401.” From earlier in her career is the short story collection “Blackberries, Blackberries.”

Wilkinson attended the KBF as a writer for the frst time in 2000 but had been at the festival many years before as a reader. She remembers her thrill at encountering well-known writers there. “I can still recall standing back and being in awe of seeing [Kentucky poet] James Still for the frst time.”

A FAMILY REUNION

Te opportunity to be among fellow writers is a major draw of the KBF for Frank X Walker, another former Kentucky poet laureate and co-founder of Te Afrilachian Poets. He coined the word “Afrilachia” to signify the importance of the African American presence in Appalachia.

“Te Kentucky Book Festival is one of the rare times you

Kentucky poet laureate and bestselling author Silas House enjoys connecting with his readers.

Poet and fction writer Crystal Wilkinson has a long association with the festival, frst as a reader and now as a published author.

MICHAEL BREEDING PHOTO

Fan Fair

can see this many authors in the same place,” Walker said. “It’s like a family reunion, especially for those of us who have grown together as writers. Te only hard part for me is staying in my seat at an authors’ table. I have to steal away between signings to get autographs from other writers with new books out.”

Another important attribute of the KBF, Walker said, is how it becomes a visible display of the state’s culture of talented writers and avid readers. “For me, it’s the easiest way to verify that Kentucky has this super rich literary community. You can see it as you walk into the festival.”

Walker has published fve volumes of poetry, including “Bufalo Dance: Te Journey of York,” winner of the 2004 Lillian Smith Book Award. Te collection of poems imagines the Lewis and Clark Expedition from the viewpoint of York, Clark’s personal enslaved person, in his journey from slavery to freedom.

Walker will sign his latest work, “A Is for Afrilachia,” a children’s alphabet primer that focuses on the diversity of Appalachia. Each page features notable African Americans from the region along with its lesser-known history.

Appalachia is familiar territory for Gwenda Bond, a native of Jackson County in southeastern Kentucky.

Tat environment played a crucial role in inspiring her love of stories, but it hasn’t strictly defned her in terms of literary style.

“Tere has been a tendency to pigeonhole Kentucky authors as very traditional regional writers,” said Bond, who is also a former Kentucky poet laureate. “I’m more of a genre writer, doing whatever occurs to me.”

Book lovers will fnd a wide range of genres and subject matter.

The lower level of Joseph-Beth will feature authors at tables ready to sign their books and talk with customers.

Afer winning accolades for her children’s and young adult books early in her career, Bond has recently been writing fantasy tales and romantic comedies. Tese include the adult books “Mr. and Mrs. Witch,” “Te Date from Hell,” and “Not Your Average Hot Guy,” all of which she will sign at the KBF. She has also written franchise tiein novels, including three about the young Lois Lane, fctional reporter in the Superman tales, for the DC Comics Metaverse series.

LITERARY CONVERSATIONS

Tese authors, and many others, will be found on the lower level of Joseph-Beth, seated at tables to greet readers and sign autographs. Tey represent a wide range of genres and subject matter, from romance novels to crime and mystery stories, nonfction areas such as history, and much more. In the past, the KBF has even attracted a sampling of nationally known literary stars. (Attendees are given a map showing the location of every author.)

On the main store level is the primary stage, where hourlong panel discussions and keynote conversations are held throughout the day. Te conversations usually feature two writers who share insights about their craf with one another and the audience.

Tat’s a feature of the KBF of particular interest to Tom Eblen,

former managing editor of the Lexington Herald Leader and a longtime attendee and supporter of the KBF. He now works parttime as literary arts liaison for the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning in Lexington and interviews Kentucky authors for WEKU (public radio station of Eastern Kentucky University) on the Eastern Standard Program.

ONE FIRM. OUR PROMISE. YOUR SUCCESS.

skofrm.com

In a world that demands change and adaptation, innovation and creativity are not optional— THEYAREESSENTIALTOSUCCESS.

Stoll Keenon Ogden is here to provide you with trusted advisors and effective advocates, no matter the legal challenge.

Poet Frank X Walker and novelist Geraldine Brooks are shown in conversation at last year’s festival.

KENTUCKY BOOK FESTIVAL WAS STARTED BY A JOURNALIST

The Kentucky Book Festival — originally known as the Kentucky Book Fair — was frst held in Frankfort in 1981 and is now the commonwealth’s longest-running literary event. It was founded by journalist CarlWest (1942-2016), editor ofThe State Journal, Frankfort’s daily newspaper.

West was impressed when he helped with the National Press Club’s Book Fair inWashington, D.C., early in his career while working as a correspondent for the Scripps Howard News Service. He thought Kentucky should have a similar fair of its own.

The frst KBF attracted 40 authors and about 1,000 attendees. It’s since grown to several hundred authors and thousands of patrons. Its location has migrated from the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives building in Frankfort to the Frankfort Civic Center, the campus of Kentucky State University, the Kentucky Horse Park, and fnally to Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Lexington.

Sponsorship and management of the event underwent a change in 2015 when Kentucky Humanities, led by its executive director, Bill Goodman, assumed control. They facilitated the move to Joseph-Beth in 2021.

Joseph-Beth employees and a group of hard-working volunteers pitch in to transform the bookstore to suit the festival’s needs, moving bookshelves and other furniture, installing a stage, and erecting a tent in the lakeside area for the kids’ activities. “It’s an impressive venue to begin with, and it turns into an entirely different space on festival day,” Goodman said.

Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton has attended the KBF since its Frankfort days, experiencing all of the venues along the way. She feels Joseph-Beth is an ideal host for the festival. “I love it at Joseph-Beth,” she said. “Instead of the long rows of authors’ tables in a huge room, it now seems more intimate, cozy, and friendly.”

Geraldine Brooks drew crowds last year for her novel “Horse.”

Author Jon Meacham was among last year’s headliners.

Kentucky author Barbara Kingsolver kept her audience engaged.

Many who attend the Kentucky Book Festival are rewarded with signed copies from favorite authors.

Fan Fair

“I’m always intrigued with how authors get the idea for a book, how they know what’s going to make a great book,” Eblen said. “Te keynote conversations are a good way for people to hear the story behind the story, how an author developed a book, how they were inspired to write about something.”

Also on the main level is a writer’s room, with seating for 75, where typically writers or publishers give talks on the business side of literature or the craf of writing. Tese sessions are open to anyone attending.

YOUTH MOVEMENT

Cultivating young readers is a long-standing mission of the KBF. Te children’s authors’ tent, pitched just outside in the adjacent lakeside area, is their own special place at the event where they can meet writers of their favorite books and learn about new ones.

Tat mission dovetails perfectly with an important civic initiative that Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton believes provides a key to successful early childhood development. Known as First Five Push, it’s a joint program of the city, the public school system, and public libraries designed to get books into the hands of young children.

“Te name refects research showing that 95% of a child’s brain development occurs within the frst fve years of life,” said Gorton, who got hooked on reading as a child by plowing through every book in the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories collection. “Without an early focus on reading, children can be behind in learning when they start kindergarten.”

Further bolstering that commitment to children’s learning, the city, a main sponsor of the KBF, is underwriting a book giveaway

(value up to $25) for all children 12 and under attending the event.

Gorton said she believes having the KBF in Lexington is a major feather in the city’s cap and refects a local emphasis on education exemplifed by the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning and having the Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame located here. “We have so many things in place that make Lexington a hub for reading, for books, for literature,” she said. “I’m very proud of that efort.”

A BROADER OUTREACH

Te one-day event at Joseph-Beth is the centerpiece of the KBF but not its only dimension. Te School Days Program sends authors to dozens of schools across Kentucky to meet with students in an interactive learning experience. Each student receives a free autographed book.

“Tis is a meaningful and rich outreach feature of our Kentucky Book Festival,” Goodman said. “It’s a further promotion of reading and literacy, and that’s the essence of what we’re trying to do.”

In a much broader context, Kentucky Humanities stages the KBF as one of its various programs designed to highlight contributions to the state’s culture and quality of life by citizens in such disparate roles as writer, musician, architect, inventor, judge, doctor, and others.

Still, a daylong festival dedicated specifcally to writing and reading has special meaning for Goodman.

“Te Kentucky Book Festival is the essence of what’s good about our state,” he said, “and one of the best things we have to ofer. It brings together all those authors and readers to celebrate the written word. If we can continue to cultivate that spirit, that yearning for education and literacy, we will have done our job.”

Visit kybookfestival.org for the latest authors lineup. KM

Kentucky author and National Humanities Medal winner Wendell Berry attended last year’s festival to discuss his latest book, “The Need to be Whole.”

Packing

Tem In

By Patti Nickell

By Patti

Photos by Dan Dry

JOSIE’S, a popular Lexington dining spot, has a devoted following and owners who quietly do good for the community

Josie’s has many regulars who enjoy the friendly, effcient service. Above right, owner Bobby Murray confers at the hostess station.

PHOTO CREDIT

Photos Dan

On any given morning the breakfast crowd at Josie’s Restaurant in Chevy Chase is abuzz. Te clanking of silverware and the shouting of orders from the kitchen provide the musical backdrop for servers scurrying around, cofee pots in hand.

Regular patrons grab their usual tables and place their orders for pancakes, omelets, biscuits and gravy, or any of the other items that have made Josie’s Lexington’s favorite breakfast spot for the past two years, according to a Herald Leader poll.

Te Breakfast Club, which tends to linger over a second, third, or even fourth cup of cofee, barely clears out before the restaurant staf gears up again, this time for the Lunch Bunch.

Just like their breakfast counterparts, those who regularly lunch here have their favorites: the made-from-scratch soups (particularly the tomato, which is never of the menu), quesadilla of the day, and the famous smokehouse burger (Applewood bacon, smoked cheddar, fried onion rings, and Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce).

And as of August 2022, dinner patrons have returned to the dining fold, following a hiatus brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tey pack the place Wednesday through Saturday nights for the fresh salmon, fsh and chips baskets, and Josie’s popular pastas, all ofered at (extremely) popular prices. Just try getting a prime rib dinner with two sides for $19.95 anywhere else.

Above, Bobby Murray keeps an eye on the furry of lunchtime orders.

Left, Heather Nicoulin gets ready to serve the quesadilla of the day.

Below, Jen, daughter Josie — for whom the restaurant is named — and Bobby Murray consider the staff part of their extended family and a key to their success.

In affiliation with Keeneland and Cross Gate Gallery

Featuring Fine Sporting Art, American Paintings and Sculpture

November 2023

For more information visit: www.thesportingartauction.com

KEENELAND RACE COURSE | LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY Te Sporting Art Auction

Randall Davey (American, 1887-1964), WOMAN AT THE RACES, 1957, Oil on board, 35¼” x 27”, Signed

Packing Tem In

Tat’s just what you will get at Josie’s where it’s a Friday night special for the foreseeable future. But you better stake out your place in line early.

“We open for dinner at 5 p.m., and when we open the door they’re already lining up to get in,” says Morgan King, a day manager at the restaurant.

By now, you have probably caught on that Josie’s is one of Lexington’s go-to establishments, popular with locals and visitors alike. Tat should come as no surprise when you consider that owners Bobby and Jen Murray are the closest thing Lexington has to restaurant royalty, having previously owned both Murray’s and the Merrick Inn.

Murray’s closed in 2010, a victim of the economic downturn, and the couple made

the difcult decision to sell the Merrick Inn in November 2022. While that decision was bittersweet, according to Bobby, it was the perfect time.

“I had worked at Merrick since I was 12 years old, and it is a wonderful, fne dining restaurant,” he says, “but it was time to make a change. Navigating the COVID pandemic had let me see what my priorities are.”

With the assurance the Merrick Inn was in good hands with the new owners, the

Northern Kentucky-based Gary Holland Group, Murray was free to focus more on his family and the restaurant named for his 18-year-old daughter. (College student Josie, along with brothers Dex, 29, and Trey, 28, own 10% of the family business.)

Some may wonder whether shrinking his restaurant holdings to just one establishment was a sound business decision. Tey need not worry. In Lexington, where restaurants open and close on a weekly

From top left, favorites include Eggs Benedict forentine, smokehouse burger, Miss Donna’s butterscotch pie, the quesadilla of the day, and homemade biscuits.

I’M NOT KIDDING … I HAVE SOME PEOPLE WHO COME EVERY DAY.”

—owner Bobby Murray

EIGHT YEARS AS KENTUCKY’S #1 HOSPITAL

That means eight years of leading-edge trials, breakthrough discoveries, nationally-ranked specialties, and dedication to helping Kentuckians live healthier lives—and we’re just getting started.

See how at ukhealthcare.com/best

Packing Tem In

working for a family that cares as much as the Murrays do.”

If you stop in on a Wednesday, you’ll fnd her behind the horseshoe-shaped counter, which has come to be known as “Sandy’s counter.” Presiding over her counter domain, she has chatted up celeb customers such as Toby Keith, Kevin Costner, William Shatner, LeBron James, and former Speaker of the House of Representatives Paul Ryan.

But for Richie, every customer is a star, and to hear her tell it, her boss is the real superstar. “I just can’t say enough about how great the entire Murray family is,” she says.

FRESH INGREDIENTS AND A FEEL-GOOD ATMOSPHERE

Following a refresh in the wake of the pandemic, Josie’s sports a new look — sort of. Te three circular chandeliers suspended from the ceiling are new, as is the room design, allowing for more space between tables.

Still, some things haven’t changed — the photograph of the pigs hanging on the wall as you enter, the tchotchkes lining the shelves, and most of all, the warm, welcoming atmosphere that makes Josie’s a neighborhood clubhouse with impeccably cooked meals (Note: You don’t have to live in Chevy Chase to be part of the neighborhood.)

basis, Josie’s not only survives but also thrives. Just what is its winning formula?

“First, I would have to say it’s our incredible staf,” says Bobby Murray. “Jen and I view them as part of our extended family, and our goal is to make them so happy they want to come to work.”

Teir strategy appears to have paid of as the longevity of staf members indicates they feel the same way about the Murrays. Some Merrick Inn stafers transferred to Josie’s following that restaurant’s sale. Tey

have blended in seamlessly with Josie’s original staf, many of whom have been there since the restaurant opened in 2010.

“We do have a tendency to spoil them,” Murray acknowledges.

One of those employees who readily admits to being spoiled is Sandy Richie, a fxture at Josie’s since its inception. Now in her 70s, she says she has tried to retire and “Bobby keeps persuading me to come back.”

Richie works one day a week, which she says helps keep her young. “Besides, I love

If the décor has been refreshed to a post-pandemic sheen, the ingredients used for making the signature dishes have needed no freshening up. According to Murray, they have always used nothing but the freshest produce and ingredients available and never take any shortcuts in the preparation of menu items, about 90% of which are from Murray family recipes or Bobby himself.

“Te chicken salad and tuna salad are my mother’s recipes, and our pimento cheese is my dad’s recipe,” he says.

Tey brine their own corned beef, pat their own burgers, hand grind their own cheese, and use only farm-fresh eggs.

If you’re looking for a frequently changing menu, you won’t fnd it here. Murray says it changes only twice a year. “We make

Clockwise from top, Kayla Dittert awaits an order as Lupe Martinez puts on the fnishing touches. Alejandro Unun Reyes fips an omelet and seasons potatoes.

Packing Tem In

who is the most loyal of all.

“Sam loves our pancakes with a side of bacon,” she says, adding that when ESPN flmed a special on Bowie, he brought the whole crew in for breakfast, “and they all went crazy for the omelets and biscuits with gravy.”

It isn’t just UK coaches and athletes who feel at home at Josie’s. Former UK presidents Charles Wethington and Lee Todd were regulars, as was the late Fayette Commonwealth’s Attorney Ray Larson.

U.S. Representative Andy Barr, former Lexington council member Bill Farmer, and Father Jim Sichko, evangelist and noted philanthropist, also have a fondness for Josie’s.

One bold face name in particular resonates with Richie. She still remembers waiting on John Morgan, founder of Morgan & Morgan Law Firm. “He ordered a vegetable omelet, gave me his card, and said if I ever needed an attorney to just call him,” she says with a laugh.

“We do have a core market that makes up about 70% of our business,” Murray agrees.

changes in our regular menu in the summer to take advantage of the fresh vegetables and fruits that are available,” he says.

Tat’s just fne with satisfed customers, who seem never to have found a dish they didn’t like.

“Everything on the menu sells,” says Murray, “but I have to say our bestsellers are Josie’s Dad’s Omelet and the Chevy Chase Special at breakfast and the burgers at lunch.”

In case you’re one of the few Lexingtonians who hasn’t been to Josie’s, the omelet is a concoction of eggs, bacon, sausage, onions, baby spinach, roasted red peppers, banana peppers, tomato, and smoked cheese.

Te Chevy Chase Special is a gargantuan platter featuring two scrambled eggs, choice of meat, fried potatoes or cheese grit casserole, sausage gravy, and a biscuit.

“I can’t say enough about our sausage gravy,” says Murray, signaling a server to bring a bowl to the table for sampling.

LOYALTY GOES BOTH WAYS

Part of any winning formula is loyalty, and if Josie’s staf is loyal, its customer base is equally so.

Jef Lamb has been a customer from its earliest days. “I go every Sunday for brunch between 1:15 and 1:30 because that’s when I’m pretty much guaranteed a seat at the bar, which is where I like to eat,” says Lamb.

“I’ve also become pretty fond of the Friday night prime rib special,” he adds, “but there’s no guarantee here, unless you go early. It’s that popular.”

Tat loyal fan base includes many of Lexington’s A-list names.

Both University of Kentucky head football coach Mark Stoops and recruiting coordinator Vince Marrow are regulars, and more than a few of the athletes — football and basketball — make Josie’s a regular stop.

Anthony Davis, Randall Cobb, and Will Levis were all customers, but according to Richie, it is basketball legend Sam Bowie

“It’s very diverse,” he continues. “From UK students to senior citizens; neighborhood ladies who lunch to those who come from farther afeld. I’m not kidding … I have some people who come every day.”

Don’t think the Murrays don’t appreciate this loyalty and give back in kind. Tey are behind numerous community eforts — from delivering meals to shut-ins to helping fundraise for a new building at St. Peter Claver Church.

One group that Murray is extremely supportive of is FOCUS (Fellowship of Christians in Universities and Schools).

“We give one dollar from every single pancake we sell to the organization,” he says. “I like to refer to it as our guilt-free pancake.”

So, what’s in the future for Lexington’s favorite breakfast spot?

Murray doesn’t have to think before replying, “We’re satisfed with things the way they are. As the adage goes, if it isn’t broken, don’t try to fx it.” KM

Regulars enjoy the camaraderie at the counter as they await their favorite meals.

For more than 40 years, known for Racing memorabilia, Kentucky antiques, Equine art and books.

t and books. t

Lyn and Margaret Layton

624 Main Street Paris, KY 40361

Mon - Sat, 10 am to 4 pm and by appointment

859.987.7070

www.facebook.com/LochLeaAntiques

LANDSCAPES • THOROUGHBRED • EQUINE IMAGES from SECRETARIAT to AMERICAN PHAROAH & JUSTIFY including selected images from

QUALITY CUSTOM FRAMING

BOBBY SHIFLET, PROPRIETOR • 859-987-0172

630 MAIN STREET • PARIS, KENTUCKY 40361

HOURS: MONDAY-FRIDAY 10-6 • SATURDAY 10-4

FRAMESONMAINGALLERY.COM

Smithsonian Afliate

Ed Brown Society seeks to promote minority hiring in the sport

CHANGING THE COLOR OF RACING

By Maryjean Wall

Timothy Campbell, pictured with incoming Keeneland Library Director Roda Ferraro, gained valuable experience as a library associate.

Making a Difference

Ed

the creation of the organization that bears his name.

SSo who, exactly, was Ed Brown and why is he the namesake of the Ed Brown Society? Te answer stretches far beyond the man and the more than 150 years that have passed since he won his frst Triple Crown race.

Ed Brown was an enslaved jockey who honed his innate riding skills at Robert A. Alexander’s famed Woodburn Farm, and following freedom afer the Civil War, became one of the wealthiest African Americans in Kentucky. He won the 1870 Belmont Stakes riding Kingfsher and the 1877 Kentucky Derby as trainer of Baden-Baden. As a businessman he built a reputation for selling young stock at the best time to get the best price. Tis was how he was involved with two more Kentucky Derby winners he developed as colts: Ben Brush and Plaudit.

Eventodayifyouareaminorityandwillingtowork hard to make your way in Toroughbred racing, then you are an Edward Dudley Brown. Tat’s why Brown was chosen as the namesake for a fairly new nonprofit that seeks to place minorities into upwardly mobile positions in the sport. We’re not talking here about

KEENELAND LIBRARY GENERAL COLLECTIONS

Brown inspired

He was one of the country’s foremost horsemen after the Civil War.

traditional roles in backstretch barns but about roles in veterinary medicine and the front ofces of racing and its ancillary organizations. If you are young, motivated, and hold a cumulative grade point average of at least a B, or 3.0, the Ed Brown Society wants you.

Almost simultaneously with Keeneland joining the society last year as a partner, applications for paid internships and scholarships rose remarkably. Te number of interns selected went from two in the society’s frst year of operation to 27. Keeneland hosted Ed Brown Scholars Jordyn Elder and Jaida Alee as student interns during the spring. Ed Brown Fellow Timothy Campbell Jr. worked as a Keeneland Library associate. Said Campbell: “My experience at the Keeneland Library was one that I will remember for the rest of my life. As a historian, interactingwithlibrariesandexhibitsisstandard, but getting to switch hats and educate patrons of all ages and create new materials to add to the archive has been a pleasure that words can’t describe. None of that would be possible without the Ed Brown Society and the Keeneland Library team, and I’m extremely thankful that I got to spend my time learning with them.”

Tis fall Ed Brown Scholars will participate in Keeneland’s College Ambassador and Internship programs.

Ed Brown Society interns have also been placed with the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, various racetracks, and beyond. Tose more interested in farm management, bloodstock services

or perhaps horse training or barn care, also are welcome to apply as long as they have that B cumulative average.

Te frst two interns have transitioned into full-time employment. Charles Churchill is on a junior management track with 1/ST, the ownership entity for Stronach racetracks. He graduated from the University of Kentucky and previously interned at Keeneland. Deja Robinson works as a nursery staf technician at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital while completing academic prerequisites in her spare time in order to apply to veterinary schools.

We met up with Robinson at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, where shetalkedaboutherinternexperience.From Atlanta, Robinson graduated from UK with a bachelor’s degree in equine science management and a minor in animal science.

In her nursery staf technician post, Robinsonsaidshealternatesbetweenthesurgery and the medicine departments. She monitors patients, takes vitals, administers fuids

KEENELAND PHOTO

Ed Brown Society founders, from left, Ray Daniels, the Rev. Clark Williams, and Greg Harbut want to introduce more young people to Thoroughbred racing and breeding.

Ed Brown Society interns and supporters enjoyed a day of racing at Keeneland this spring.

MARK MAHAN

Making a Difference

or medications according to each veterinarian’s orders, keeps a close eye on any changes in the patients, and assists when emergency cases arrive.

She and Churchill, her colleague from the Ed Brown Society’s frst year in operation, begantheirfellowshipattheKentuckyHorse Racing Commission before they joined with 1/ST to complete their internships at a variety of racetracks. Churchill transitioned into full-time employment at Gulfstream Park, owned by 1/ST.

Te Ed Brown Society “defnitely provid-

ed me with a great deal of exposure in the right places,” Robinson said, “so I can network and meet people who know the industry and can be great resources. Tey helped me with professionalism, updating my resume, and providing the opportunity for me to learn. I really enjoyed that.”

One of the society founders, Ray Daniels of Lexington, speaks a lot about creating pipelines into the racing industry and exposing students to the many jobs available in the business. Tis exposure takes students beyond the traditional backstretch jobs. One

of the society’s goals is to get more minorities into front ofces and other career positions. Te founders emphasize the importance of creating awareness of horse racing among students who might not be familiar with the business or the sport.

In addition to Daniels, who has held corporate level positions with Wafe House, the principals and founders, all from Lexington, are the Rev. Clark Williams, who oversees ministries at Shiloh Baptist Church and is managing member of Progression Strategic Solutions, a media production,

KEENELAND PARTNERS WITHTHE ED BROWN SOCIETY

This spring, Keeneland hosted its inaugural Ed Brown Race Day and provided a “TracksideTrek,” during which a group of Ed Brown students received a behind-thescenes look at track operations on a live race day. Students took a tour of the racing offce and heard from an exercise rider and a trainer, among others.

“Keeneland and Ed Brown Society share a commitment to build a more diverse workforce, which is imperative for the future of our industry,” said Keeneland Senior Director of Operations and Community Relations Kara Heissenbuttel. “We are excited to provide opportunities for Ed Brown students to learn about racing and explore career paths in the sport.”

Keeneland joined an expanding group of partners that each pay $50,000 annually to support the society’s work. Other partners have included Churchill Downs, the Blue Grass Community Foundation, and 1/ST.

Additional levels of support exist.The win level is for donations of $25,000. Place level is for support ranging from $10,000 up to $24,999; show level is for $5,000 to $9,999. Individual memberships are available for $1,000, and the Ed Brown Society level is available for $250 donations.

The society has been spreading knowledge about its purpose through special race days at the tracks, including one held this past spring at Keeneland.

Greg Harbut said these race days help ensure the fnancial pipeline will remain open for obtaining scholarships and

internships. Exposing students to racing and raising awareness of the society to people and entities who hold potential for expanding the network of donors/partners is what the special race days are all about.

For more information or to apply for an internship, visit edbrownsociety.org.

KEENELAND PHOTO

Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin presented the Ed Brown Society with a ceremonial check during the spring races.

Making a Difference

public relations, and strategic planning consulting frm, and horseman Greg Harbut, whose family has been in the Toroughbred business for multiple generations. His great-grandfather, Will Harbut, groomed Man o’ War at Faraway Farm.

You could say the Ed Brown Society got started over a racehorse. Daniels and Harbut were minority owners in Necker Island (Wayne Scherr of South Dakota held the majority shares). Necker Island fnished mid-pack in the 2020 Kentucky Derby. Daniels and Harbut enjoyed their Derby experience and began talking about bringing more minorities into racing. Harbut already managed Living the Dream Stable, and since 2007 he has brokered horses through Harbut

Bloodstock Agency. But Daniels and Harbut wanted to spread the word among students that they, too, could fnd a place in racing. Interestingly, Harbut’s grandfather, Tom Harbut, also ran a horse he owned in the 1962 Kentucky Derby. At Belmont Park he exercised two of Man o’ War’s most famous sons: War Admiral and War Relic. He worked at Spendthrif Farm for 30 years and was promoted to stallion manager. Among the stallions in his charge were Derby winners Dark Star, Jet Pilot, and Majestic Prince.

Diversity as a model for success

American culture was so diferent then that two years prior to passage of the Civil Rights Act and the beginning of the end of

At Field & Main, we’re committed to knowing you. Meeting your banking needs with the urgency & care that you deserve. Here everything matters in the pursuit of your success.

That’s MODERN CRAFT BANKING. Start your journey today.

Stephen Mallory, Sr Commercial Lender, NMLS #2497832 | Chris Henry, Commercial Loan Offcer, NMLS #830833 Braeden Finch, Mortgage Loan Offcer, NMLS #1853305 | Lesley Fluke, Central KY Market President, NMLS #1553970

Intern Jaida Alee presented a trophy to trainer Wesley Ward, right, during the Keeneland spring meet.

BGCF PUTS YOU IN THE WINNER’S CIRCLE

Ray Daniels, President, Ed Brown Society Greg Harbut, Chair, Ed Brown Society

Making a Difference

ED BROWN SOCIETY

racial segregation Tom Harbut was not permitted to sit in the grandstand to watch his Derby horse, named Touch Bar, run the race.

Harbut’s Derby experience was not unlike that of two-time Kentucky Derby winning jockey Jimmy Winkfeld, invited by Sports Illustrated to attend the National Turf Writers Association annual dinner during Derby week. Tis occurred in 1961, a year prior to Harbut’s running his Derby horse. Winkfeld was African American, from a hamlet named Chilesburg near Lexington. He had lef the United States when the Jim Crow era was building momentum and the Black stars of racing were fast disappearing. Winkfeld enjoyed a stellar career as a jockey and later as a trainer in France, Czarist Russia, and Poland. He became fuent in Russian and French and owned a chateau near Paris. He was readily recognizable at the French racecourses, where the fans loved him. At the front door of the Brown Hotel in Louisville, where the turf writers’ dinner was in progress, he was informed he was not permitted inside because he was Black.

Te African American experience in Toroughbred racing in the United States became so radically changed by mid-century that it was rare to see a high-profle Black person at the center of the sport. Te scenario has changed somewhat in modern times, but racing has a long way to go before minorities are commonplace beyond the barns. If the Ed Brown Society can change the color of horse racing by reaching out to young people looking for careers, then the society will have done its job.

“I just think the sport is catching up with what we see in society,” said Daniels. “From a corporate perspective, this is how we see organizations growing now. Tere’s going to be more diversity because companies that are diverse have proven to be more productive, more

efcient, and make more money.”

Greg Harbut talks about the Ed Brown Society existing to open doors in racing to people of all colors and races. You don’t need to be African American to apply.

Daniels said applicants have included Spanish and Asian students.

As word has spread about the Ed Brown Society, the number of applicants and students chosen for internships has risen noticeably, with those aforementioned 27 interns drawn from 54 applicants. Daniels said the society is forging ahead with its mission because, as he says, in the end it’s a workforce issue.

“Folks don’t know about this behemoth industry that has all of the regular jobs that any large industry would have,” said Daniels. “We’ve got to create the pipeline for those students by exposing them to the industry, to work on training them to be prepared for the opportunity.

“Most of these organizations realize if they can create new pipelines of folks interested in employment, starting with internships, the better of they’ll be.” KM

Above, Deja Robinson is interning at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, where she is gaining hands-on horse experience.

Below, Timothy Campbell interviews Ron Hill as part of the library’s “The Heart of the Turf: Racing’s Black Pioneers” exhibit.

RICHIE WIREMAN PHOTO

MARYJEAN WALL PHOTO