Keeneland Magazine Summer 2021 Issue

STONEHAVEN STEADINGS

UNDERGROUND WONDER

BIKING IN THE BLUEGRASS

RICE ROAD AT 40

K EENELAND SUMMER 2021

celebrating bluegrass traditions

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

KEENELAND.COM

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Three consecutive years Saint Joseph Hospital is the only hospital in Kentucky named to Healthgrades’ list of America’s 250 Best Hospitals for three consecutive years. This achievement places us in the top 5% of all hospitals in the nation for our superior clinical performance and excellence. At CHI Saint Joseph Health, we’re called to serve.

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Scat Daddy – Stage Magic (Ghostzapper) 2021 Fee $125,000

Achieved legendary status when becoming the only Triple Crown winner to retire undefeated.

Don’t miss his first yearlings selling this year!

Aisling Duignan, Dermot Ryan, Charlie O’Connor, Adrian Wallace, Robyn Murray or Blaise Benjamin. Tel: 859-873-7088. Fax: 859-879 5756.

J U S T I C E R E A L E S TAT E

WOODLAND VILLA —Nestled down a tree-lined

STRODES CREEK STUD — Beautiful 582 acre Toroughbred facility situated on Strodes Creek and accessed via a long, tree-lined drive. Tis highly-developed horse farm is in one of the world’s most productive Toroughbred regions while ofering one of the most aesthetically-pleasing settings anywhere. Horse improvements include 115 stalls in 7 barns. Guest plus employee housing and 3 shop/maintenance buildings. Beautiful land!

2 5 6 A C R E S O N C A S T L E R O C K WAY — Tis turn-key horse farm produced a $10 million yearling on its excellent land (nearly 80% Maury and Lowell). 46 stalls in 3 concrete block barns, manager’s plus 3 employee houses. A wonderful opportunity to acquire a well-located farm in the immediate area of Gainesway Farm. Adjoining 268 acre horse farm on Muir Station with magnifcent main residence is also available.

drive of highly sought-afer Paris Pike and on one of the prettiest tracts of land in all of Central KY! Magnifcent old trees are throughout these 22 acres. Containing over 5,000 SF of gracious living, this home has tall ceilings, beautiful hardwood foors, large rooms, & a great foor plan with 4 bedrooms and 4 baths. A 10,500 SF metal building with steel trusses containing a 2,025 SF ofce plus 3 overhead doors.

2 7 4 5 F R A N K F O R T R O A D —Beautiful 5 bedroom, 4 full/2 half bath home located on 12.55 acres (with option to buy 5 more acres) in Scott County. Brazilian teak foors, 1st foor master suite with adjacent den or ofce. Wonderful eatin kitchen with top of the line appliances, custom cabinets, and granite counters and open large family room. Great outdoor kitchen and patio with pastoral setting. Room for horses. Backs up to the Elkhorn Creek.

148 ACRES —In the heart of the Toroughbred

ANNESTES FARM —This exceptional 384 acre Woodford County horse farm is beautiful and functional!

Two magnifcent stone entrances lead you through over 3.5 miles of roads to its centerpiece a 20+ acre lake and 2-28 stall barns with 2 foaling stalls & wash bay. Stallion barn has 5 stalls, breeding area, ofce, viewing area, & bath suitable for a yearling complex. Two very nice 3 bedroom/2 bath employee houses, shop/equipment building. An absolutely beautiful aesthetically pleasing horse farm.

YOU CAN’T GET A BETTER LOCATION THAN THIS! —At the corner of Midway and Aiken

RUSSELL CAVE —Beautiful 136 +/- acre working horse farm with 3 barns, 39 stalls, 8 run-in sheds, 2 round pens, gated walker, shop, hay barn, automatic waterers, and manager and employee housing. Tis well laid-out farm ofers good soils, gently-rolling pastures, mature trees, and pond with beautiful building sites for a main residence. Tis farm ofers it all!

Roads, Ashley House Farm is directly across from Lane’s End farm and across from Governor B. C. Jones’ farm. You’ll discover 2 horse barns with a total of 30 stalls on some of the best land Central Kentucky (or the world) has to ofer. Adjoining this 120 acres is an additional 86 acres with a 19 stall horse barn and an additional gated entrance.

industry and just a half mile of Paris Pike, Waggoner Farm has a long history of producing exceptional race horses. 2011 Champion Filly ZAZU and 2017 Grade I Winner CUPID are just 2 recent graduates. An exceptional horse farm & comprised of 63 stalls in 5 barns plus an ofce, equipment sheds, hay barn, auto walker, and let-down pens. 1,720 SF manager’s home plus a modular. 2 entrances.

BOURBON COUNTY 204.7 ACRE HORSE FARM —Maybe the best value on the market!!

Tons of improvements: classic 2-story 4,069 square foot home, manager’s house, pool house, 3 horse barns with 28 stalls (one with 64’ x 50’ indoor arena), 15 run-in sheds, tobacco and hay barns, 2 equipment sheds plus 3 brick-pillared tree-lined entrances. Across the road from historic Stone Farm and adjoining Machmer Hall.

518 East Main Street, Lexington, KY 40508 u ( 859 ) 255-3657 u www.kyhorsefarms.com

——

CENTRAL KENTUCKY’S HORSE FARM PROFESSIONALS

FORT BLACKBURN—Purchased by Will Farish as 264 acres of raw land in 1999, Mr. Farish has developed this land into a truly exceptional horse farm. Adjoining a division of Stonestreet Farm, also in the immediate vicinity of Airdrie and Gainesborough farms, Fort Blackburn boasts an unparalleled location on Old Frankfort Pike. Horse improvements include 12+ miles of plank fencing, 3 world-class 20-stall horse barns, a covered walker, equipment/shop building, metal hay barn. Renovated historic 2,650 SF home. Fort Blackburn ofers excellent soils as evidenced by the many, many stake horses raised there.

A PORTION OF DIAMOND A FARM—Highly developed 523 acre horse farm with immediate neighbors as Coolmore/Ashford and Gainesborough farms. Te centerpiece of the farm is its ofce/stallion barn complex that is very adaptable to a yearling complex. Tere are 5 additional horse barns with 86 stalls, 2 metal buildings, large shop plus a very nice 4,900 SF manager’s home (suitable for an owner) and an employee house. Frontage on 3 roads and exceptionally well-built and maintained. Absolutely the best turn-key horse farm on the market.

HISTORIC ROSEMONT FARM—Rosemont Farm has everything one needs to make their mark in the Bluegrass! Location-world-renown Paris Pike, frontage on 2 major roads, restored circa 1830’s main residence with exquisite wood work and containing 6,670 SF of gracious living area; 365 acres of great soils; 5 barns with 74 stalls including mare, yearling, and training barns; 3 auxiliary residences; office; mature tree-lined driveways; multiple equipment/storage buildings; and proven producer of Stakes winners including a Kentucky Oaks winner on excellent soils.

WA L N U T S P R I N G S FA R M - 2 6 8 A C R E S — Magnifcent 11,000 SF main residence in a stoneenclosed court yard with pool and pool house. 66 stalls in 7 barns, open equipment shed, shop/equip bldg, 3 employee houses. Tis farm was originally developed

by Robert Sterling Clark of Singer Sewing Machines. He chose this land because of its excellent soils, abundant water, and the limestone underneath. Te adjoining 256 acres is also available for sale by the same owner with 46 stalls in 3 concrete block barns.

Bill G. Bell (859-621-0607) u Mary Sue Walker (859-619-4770) u Marilyn Richardson (859-621-4850) Muffy Lyster (859-229-1804) u Allen Kershaw (859-333-2901) u Bill Justice (859-255-3657)

Contents

SUMMER 2021

F EAT U R ES

36 A WINNING PARTNERSHIP

by Lenny Shulman Aidan and Leah O’Meara combine their talents to produce results at Stonehaven Steadings.

52 ROAD TO RICHES

by Liane Crossley Keeneland’s Rice Road barn area celebrates 40 years of excellence.

62 STAYING THE COURSE

by Robin Roenker Debbie Long defi es challenges to keep Dudley’s on Short at the top of the Lexington dining scene.

74 ALWAYS IN SEASON

by Ron Mitchell Massive indoor farms that grow produce year-round using conventional and 21st techniques have put AppHarvest on the national food map.

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84 UNDERGROUND WONDER

by Patti Nickell The world’s longest-known cave system, Mammoth Cave National Park offers beauty, mystery, and more.

94 SPINNING THEIR WHEELS

ON OUR COVER

by Jacalyn Carfagno From club rides to families discovering the Legacy Trail for the fi rst time, the freedom and fun of being on a bike entice cyclists of all levels.

Three Horses Grazing in Yellow Fields Mixed media on canvas, 48 x 48, by Rachael Van Dyke Rachael Van Dyke is a mid-career artist represented by galleries throughout the Midwest and South. She is an avid traveler who has enjoyed a number of art residencies. She earned her master’s degree from the Kendall College of Art and Design and has worked 14 years as an art and design educator for all grade levels, including adjunct instructor at the College for Creative Studies. Van Dyke has participated in public presentations and adult workshops, including talks on art and creativity, art and the spiritual, and on how space and place influence a body of work.

CRESTWOOD FARM The McLean family has owned and operated their full service, 1,100 acre Crestwood Farm since 1970.

Since then, Crestwood has bred and/or raised multiple Hall-of-Fame inductees, multiple Champions and over 275 stakes horses.

STALLIONS 2021 NEW FOR 2021

CARACARO

Uncle Mo – Peace Time

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FIRING NG LINE LINE

vid – S ister Girl lues Line of David av Sister Girl B Blues

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Stormy Atlantic – Foolish Gal all

HEART TO HEART ART

English Channel – Ask the Question estion

JACK J ACK M MILTON ILTON War F War Front ront – P Preserver reserver

TEXAS RED

Afeet Alex – Ramatuelle (CHI)

FARM SERVICES OFFERED: BOARDING | BREAKING SALES REPRESENTATION & PREPARATION BLOODSTOCK SERVICES 1946 N. Yarnallton Pike | Lexington, KY 40511 | 859.252.3770 | email: stallions@crestwoodfarm.com | www.crestwoodfarm.com

Contents

SUMMER 2021

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26

114

DEPARTMENTS PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE 14 • CONTRIBUTORS 16 • NEWS 18 • CONNECTIONS 23

26 SPOTLIGHT ON Oakland Farm Trees gets big results from its small trees.

by Vickie Mitchell

104 MAKING

A DIFFERENCE The Isaac Murphy Memorial Art Garden pays tribute to Lexington’s celebrated jockey and the early horse industry.

by Maryjean Wall

114 TEAM INITIATIVES Keeneland’s equine safety team develops protocols to protect the welfare and safey of horse and rider.

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A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE AWAITS.

CASTLETON LYONS

offers a unique opportunity for serious breeders to board their thoroughbreds.

Here you’ll find a highly skilled staff in a state-of-the-art facility with old world charm.

Over one thousand acres of lightly grazed lush pasture supported by the best quality soil, so famous for producing great race horses, await your thoroughbred investments.

Individual, detail-oriented attention for horse and client in a top class environment can be found within minutes of Bluegrass Airport, Keeneland, Fasig-Tipton, and the world’s best equine hospitals.

Inquiries to Pat Hayes: 2469 Iron Works Pike, Lexington, KY 40511 (859) 455-9222 Fax (859) 455-8892 www.castletonlyons.com

K EENELAND celebrating bluegrass traditions

The off cial magazine of Keeneland Association, Inc. published by Blood-Horse LLC 821 Corporate Dr., Lexington, KY 40503 (859) 278-2361/FAX (859) 276-4450 KeenelandMagazine.com BloodHorse.com

Editor: Jacqueline Duke Artists: Catherine Nichols (Art Director), Claudia Summers Copy Editors: Tom Hall (chief), Rena Baer Visuals Director: Anne M. Eberhardt Creative Services: Jennifer Singleton (Director), Forrest Begley Account Executive: Amanda Ramey Sales Support: Catherine Johnston CORPORATE OPERATIONS Circulation Accounting Manager: Lauren Glover General Manager: Scott Carling PUBLISHED BY Blood-Horse LLC BOARD OF DIRECTORS James L. Gagliano, Carl Hamilton, Ian D. Highet, Stuart S. Janney III, Dan Metzger, Rosendo Parra, Dr. J. David Richardson

KEENELAND ASSOCIATION, INC. 4201 Versailles Road P.O. Box 1690 Lexington, Kentucky, U.S.A. 40588-1690 Tel: (859) 254-3412 (800) 456-3412 Keeneland.com © 2021 Keeneland Association, Inc.

735 East Main St, Lexington, KY 859.266.9000 www.coles735main.com

RESERVATIONS

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To order Keeneland magazine and additional copies, call 1-800-582-5604 TO SUBSCRIBE OR TO SEND A GIFT SUBSCRIPTION to Keeneland magazine, visit BloodHorse.com/KeenelandOffer

President’s Message SUMMER 2021

Change Is Afoot GEOFFREY RUSSELL ARRIVED in Kentucky

each day to improve this great sport,

from Ireland in 1982 for a summer internship at

this industry, and our community;

Fasig-Tipton. He didn’t expect to stay here, but he

and to act in the best interest of the

did, working at Elmendorf Farm before returning

horse. Geoffrey understands this in

to Fasig-Tipton. He began to prove himself as a

a profound way, and he has made

talented young man with a great mind for pedi-

us all better through his dedication,

grees, racing, and bloodstock in general. Thank-

sense of humor, wit, work ethic —

fully for Keeneland, Rogers Beasley convinced

and sharp tongue from time to time.

Geoffrey to join Keeneland in 1996 as assistant

As Keeneland transitions to the

director of sales to begin a decades-long commit-

future, we are thrilled to welcome

ment to this institution.

Gatewood Bell as vice president of

A number of “greats” have contributed signifcantly to the success of Keeneland since its inception in 1936. Geoffrey’s mentor, Rogers Beasley,

racing and Tony Lacy as vice presi-

SHANNON ARVIN President and CEO

dent of sales.

Gatewood brings a diverse background as a jockey’s

is one of them, and Geoffrey is another. Geoffrey

agent, assistant trainer, owner, and one of the most respect-

followed in Rogers’ footsteps, while doing things

ed bloodstock eyes in the world. He is on the track and in

in his own unique way.

the barns every morning, talking with horsemen and our

We consider Geoffrey a walking customer relations management system, and his pedigree

racing team.

Tony also brings a well-rounded knowledge of the horse

knowledge is second to none. (If you want to feel

industry to his position at Keeneland, having been a jockey,

defcient in a knowledge of racing and sales fact

trainer, bloodstock agent, U.S. representative for the French

and lore, I dare you to go to dinner with Geoffrey

sales company Arqana, and an owner of Four Star Sales, one

and Kurt Becker, Keeneland’s track announcer.

of our leading consignors. Tony understands frsthand what

They are true savants.)

our sales customers experience, and his contributions will

As the longest-serving director of sales/ director of sales operations in Keeneland history, Geoffrey has decided it is time to move to the

be invaluable as we move forward.

Gatewood, Tony, and our entire team appreciate the important role Keeneland plays in the horse industry and our

retirement phase of his life. I will miss Geoffrey’s

community. For that reason we are committed to ensuring

boisterous laugh from down the hall, and I am

Keeneland remains a model racetrack and an internation-

grateful to him for his years of guidance, mentor-

ally leading sales company by working to improve safety,

ship, and friendship. I believe Geoffrey’s devotion

promote integrity, and strengthen racing.

to Keeneland and what it stands for will keep him close.

At Keeneland, we understand we are stewards of this institution. We are all very content to be part of something bigger than ourselves, working

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Keeneland was created by horsemen, for horsemen. As horsemen, we will continue to bring innovation, passion,

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experience, and a work ethic to match Geoffrey’s to this great sport. And we will have fun together along the way.

Cheers to more blue skies ahead. KM

COMMITTED TO YOUR

SUCCESS

For more than 40 years, Lane’s End has pursued one mission: helping our partners achieve their goals in sales, breeding, and racing. That dedication to your success has guided us as we’ve stood with our fellow horsemen through the ups and downs of the industry—and will continue to guide us as we look toward our shared future.

This is what we stand for.

ACCELERATE | CANDY RIDE (ARG) | CATALINA CRUISER | CITY OF LIGHT | CONNECT | DAREDEVIL | GAME WINNER GIFT BOX | HONOR A. P. | HONOR CODE | LIAM’S MAP | MINESHAFT | MR SPEAKER | QUALITY ROAD | THE FACTOR TONALIST | TWIRLING CANDY | UNIFIED | UNION RAGS | WEST COAST

Contributors

SUMMER 2021

JACALYN CARFAGNO

PATTI NICKELL

(Spinning Their Wheels) 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 work for a wide range of clients.

(Underground Wonder) 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.

LIANE CROSSLEY (Road to Riches) has spent her career in Thoroughbred racing-related jobs in barns, press boxes, and offces.

A seasonal member of Keeneland’s media team, her work has appeared in BloodHorse, Daily Racing Form, Thoroughbred Daily News, Breeders’ Cup website, Horse Illustrated, and European Bloodstock News.

RON MITCHELL (Always in Season) is a Lexington native who recently retired after a 29year stint at BloodHorse Publications, where his positions included online managing editor and sales editor. Prior to that he held editorial positions at Horsemen’s Journal, Thoroughbred Times, and Thoroughbred Record.

VICKIE MITCHELL (Mighty Seedlings) writes for regional and national publications as well as for small businesses and nonproft organizations. She lives and works in Lexington.

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AMY OWENS (Keeneland News/ Connections) is Keeneland Communications Associate.

ROBIN ROENKER (Staying the Course) is a freelance writer and frequent Keeneland magazine contributor who writes for many Kentucky-based and national publications.

LENNY SHULMAN (A Winning Partnership) is a senior correspondent for BloodHorse magazine and the author of Head to Head: Conversations with a Generation of Horse Racing Legends (University Press of Kentucky, July 2021); Justify: 111 Days to Triple Crown Glory (Triumph Books), and Ride of Their Lives: The Trials and Turmoil of Today’s Top Jockeys.

MARYJEAN WALL (No Longer Forgotten) won multiple Eclipse Awards during 35 years as Turf writer for the Lexington Herald-Leader. In addition to Madam Belle: Sex, Money, and Infuence in a Southern Brothel, she is the author of How Kentucky Became Southern: A Tale of Outlaws, Horse Thieves, Gamblers, and Breeders. She holds a doctorate from the University of Kentucky.

Keeneland News

SUMMER 2021

COMPILED BY AMY OWENS

KEENELAND SPRING MEET SETS WAGERING RECORD

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Keeneland on April 26 announced that internationally respected bloodstock adviser and consignor Tony Lacy will become vice president of sales and that longtime Director of Sales Operations Geoffrey Russell is retiring from his full-time position after 25 years with Keeneland but will remain in a consulting role through 2021.

“Tony possesses a well-rounded knowledge of the Thoroughbred industry, bolstered by valuable insight and a unique skill set gained from having worked on the ground in the U.S., Europe, and the Middle East,” Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin Russell said. “He is an established presence globally and connects to a vast network of owners, trainers, consignors, and buyers. We are excited to welcome Tony to Lacy Keeneland and look forward to his leadership as we prepare for the future.”

A fourth-generation horseman from Ireland, Lacy has a wealth of international racing and sales experience that includes helping establish Four Star Sales as a leading North American consignor and serving as the North American representative for the French Thoroughbred sales company Arqana. He is the incoming president of the Thoroughbred Club of America and serves on the Board of New Vocations.

Russell retires after 25 years with Keeneland sales, including 20 continued on page 20

COURTESY OF TONY LACY

COADY PHOTOGRAPHY

W

ith Keeneland canceling the 2020 spring meet because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Central Kentucky missed a rite of spring. Racing — and a sense of normalcy — returned to Keeneland this April to an enthusiastic reception when the 15-day season from April 2-23 produced a record all-sources wagering total of $164,680,229, for a record daily average of $10,978,682.

In accordance with COVID-19 restrictions, the Essential Quality won the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes. number of fans permitted to attend the races was limited, on Toyota Blue Grass Day during the 2020 and attendance averaged 6,416 people each Summer Meet. day. Meanwhile, the season featured quality Average daily purses of $739,902 this spring racing led by champion Essential Quality’s win ranked among the richest in North America in the Toyota Blue Grass (G2) and an emphaand attracted the sport’s top trainers and jocksis on community initiatives in furtherance of eys. By season’s end, the leaders were jockey Keeneland’s philanthropic mission.

Luis Saez (29 wins), trainer Wesley Ward (20 “We thank our fans — both near and far wins), and owner Juddmonte (six wins).

— the Central Kentucky community, our Keeneland continued to honor its mishorseplayers, our corporate partners, and sion by teaming with sponsors and industry our loyal horsemen for a fantastic racing partners to support the community and the season,” Keeneland President and CEO Toroughbred industry. Te Isaac Murphy Shannon Arvin said. “Keeneland’s continMemorial Art Garden was the spring meet’s ued success is built on the contributions of featured charity (page 104). many, and we extend our appreciation to all On closing day, Keeneland honored Kurt those who make racing at Keeneland such a Becker, who this spring reached a unique memorable experience.” milestone as the only track announcer in Boosting record wagering was robust Keeneland’s history. For 60 years prior to handle on Toyota Blue Grass Day, April 3, Becker’s appointment, Keeneland did not which featured six stakes worth $2.1 million have an on-track race caller. Ten-President on the 11-race card. All-sources wagering that Bill Greely hired Becker from more than 40 day totaled $22,723,197 — the third-highapplicants, and he began calling the races on est single-day handle in Keeneland history.

April 4, 1997. Tis season marked Becker’s Te Pick 5 handle was a record $1,485,090, 25th spring meet. eclipsing the previous mark of $1,395,051 set

KEENELAND/PHOTOS BY Z

Lacy Joins Keeneland, Russell to Retire

2021 Stud Fee: $175,000 LFSN

Curlin - The ClassiC sire

Juddmonte homebred Obligatory, by Curlin, won the Eight Belles (G2) on Oaks Day as well.

Congratulations to: Owner Shadwell Stable, Breeder Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC, and Trainer Todd Pletcher.

Malathaat sold as a yearling for $1,050,000.

LGB, LLC 2021

www.hillndalefarms.com

Keeneland News SUMMER 2021

COMPILED BY AMY OWENS

BILL FARISH SUCCEEDS SETH HANCOCK AS KEENELAND TRUSTEE

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KEENELAND PHOTO

ifelong horseman William “Bill” Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Farish, who serves on the boards of Arvin said. “We welcome his expertise and numerous Toroughbred industry guidance.” and Central Kentucky organiza“Tis is a tremendous honor for me,” tions, on March 17 was Farish said. “Keeneland appointed a Keeneland holds such a prominent trustee. Farish succeeds position in the ToroughClaiborne Farm co-owner bred industry and is such a Seth Hancock, who retired vital part of life in Central from the position he had Kentucky that I view this as held since 2015. not only a privilege but an A Keeneland director important responsibility.” since 2010, Farish is generHancock will remain al manager of his family’s on Keeneland’s board of world-famous Lane’s End directors.

Farm near Versailles, “I am thankful for the William “Bill” Farish Kentucky, and he founded opportunity to have served Woodford Racing in 2005 as a Keeneland trustee for as a Toroughbred racing partnership the past several years,” said Hancock, “and designed to attract new owners to the I know that Keeneland is in very capable sport. He joins Everett Dobson, prominent hands.”

Toroughbred owner and breeder and “On behalf of Keeneland, I want to executive chairman of Dobson Fiber, and extend our thanks to Seth for his longtime William M. Lear Jr., chair emeritus of Stoll service, his leadership, and his wise counKeenon Ogden, as Keeneland trustees. sel,” Arvin said. “As he has done with many “Bill’s demonstrated passion for racing, others, Seth has taught me so much about his commitment to excellence, and his dethe horse industry. He is an iconic fgure sire to continually better the horse induswho has served both Keeneland and the try is consistent with Keeneland’s values,” sport with great integrity and humility.”

continued from page 18 seasons as director of sales/director of sales operations — the longest of anyone in Keeneland history. During his tenure, Keeneland sales experienced great achievements, such as selling future Hall of Famer Ashado for $9 million as a broodmare prospect at the 2005 November breeding stock sale. Russell helped navigate Keeneland through a number of external challenges caused by signifcant industry and world events such as 9/11, mare reproductive loss syndrome, an economic recession, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I have never met anyone more devoted to Keeneland or Thoroughbred racing than Geoffrey Russell,” Arvin said.

“Keeneland sales achieved new heights globally under his watch, and he indelibly shaped the future of sales operations domestically and abroad through his years of leadership and service. I am grateful to Geoffrey for his integrity, his tireless work ethic, and his dedication to Keeneland.”

“With Shannon at the helm — and I frmly believe she is the right person to lead Keeneland — I feel that this is a good time for a transition as Keeneland looks to the next 20 years,” Russell said. “Keeneland is putting the right people in place for the future, and the appointment of Tony as Vice President of Sales is an example of that foresight.

I am confdent in Tony’s leadership and look forward to the exciting future of Keeneland sales.”

Stable Area Improvements Planned for The Thoroughbred Center Keeneland has plans to build six new barns and make other enhancements at Te Toroughbred Center (TTC), its 245acre, year-round training facility on Paris Pike on the northeast side of Lexington.

Home to 900 to 1,000 horses, TTC is within a six-hour drive of 10 racetracks.

Plans call for two existing concrete barns to be demolished and replaced with six state-of-the-art barns. Improvements around the barns will be made

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to walking rings, muck disposal, and drainage as well as to landscaping and access to and from the training track in those areas.

“TTC is vital to the health of the Kentucky racing circuit, providing a home base for a number of trainers, and we are thrilled to make these enhancements for them,” TTC General Manager and Keeneland Director of Racing Surfaces Jim Pendergest said. “Horsemen are drawn to

Kentucky by the strong purse structure now in place and expected to continue to improve, particularly with the support of historical horse racing.”

Te project was anticipated to begin in May, pending approval from local planning and zoning authorities, with completion by the Oct. 8 start of Keeneland’s fall meet. Keeneland will work with trainers stabled at TTC to fnd alternate locations for their horses during construction.

2021

FUNTASTIC

SKY MESA

PALACE MALICE

WILL TAKE CHARGE

SHARP AZTECA

VOLATILE

$5,000 S&N

$12,500 S&N

$20,000 S&N

$5,000 S&N

$6,500 S&N

$17,500 S&N

GUN RUNNER $50,000 S&N

www.threechimneys.com

LGB, LLC 2021 / Photo: Equisport Photos

Horse of the Year and 6-time Grade 1 Winner Gun Runner ($15,988,500) The Leading First Crop Weanling, Yearling and Two-Year-Old Sire of his crop

Keeneland News SUMMER 2021

COMPILED BY AMY OWENS

INDUSTRY LEADER ALICE HEADLEY CHANDLER DIES While operating Mill Turf, which recognizes people Ridge, Chandler held “who have made extraordinary numerous industry contributions to Toroughbred leadership positions racing in a leadership or pioneerand continued her ing capacity at the highest nationfather’s service to al level.” Her father was inducted Keeneland. She was a in the same category in 2018. member of the track’s “Mrs. Chandler was a pioneer board of directors for in our industry in many ways, 23 years. and her lifelong motto of ‘Take Chandler, who care of the horse, and it will take was honored many care of you’ represents an importAlice Chandler played a times, was the 2005 ant part of her legacy both at Mill pivotal role in Keeneland’s history.

Honor Guest for the Ridge Farm and at Keeneland,” Toroughbred Club of Keeneland President and CEO America’s annual Testimonial Dinner and Shannon Arvin said. “Keeneland extends its received the 2009 Eclipse Award of Merit. deepest condolences to Alice’s husband, Dr. She was among the 2020 inductees in the John Chandler; sons Headley Bell, Mike Bell, National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame and Reynolds Bell, and daughter, Patricia as a selection in the category of Pillars of the ‘Tish’ Bell, and her entire family.”

ANNE M. EBERHARDT

A

lice Headley Chandler, an internationally respected horsewoman who helped shape Keeneland’s success, died April 6 in Lexington. She was 95.

Chandler’s father, Hal Price Headley, was Keeneland’s co-founder and frst president, and she grew up at the track. Following his death in 1962, she established Mill Ridge Farm and developed it into a leading breeding and sales operation grounded by her father’s philosophy of making the horse the priority.

Troughout her life, Chandler played a pivotal role in Keeneland’s history. She bred 1968 Epsom Derby winner Sir Ivor, whom Mill Ridge sold at the 1966 Keeneland July selected yearling sale for $42,000 to Raymond Guest. Te colt’s achievements boosted Keeneland’s reputation as an international auction house.

September Sale Graduate Malathaat Is Season Standout

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Maktoum, a great patron of Keeneland sales and racing, died March 24.

“Sheikh Hamdan was a beloved fgure around the world, cherished for his grace, humanity, loyalty, knowledge, and sportsmanship,” Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said.

“While he achieved great success as a Thoroughbred breeder and owner through his Malathaat won global Shadwell Farm operthe Central ation, he made innumerable Bank Ashland contributions to the sport – Stakes in the many of which were behind the colors of the scenes. Keeneland is grateful late Sheikh for his strong support of our Hamdan. sales and racing programs, including Shadwell’s involvement in our philanthropic activities.”

Sheikh Hamdan’s yearling purchases at Keeneland include such standouts as group 1 winner Dayjur and Belmont (G1) winner Jazil, and he also participated signifcantly in Keeneland’s November breeding stock sale.

KEENELAND PHOTO/PHOTOS BY Z

ANNE M. EBERHARDT

Malathaat, purchased by Shadwell Farm at Keeneland’s 2019 September yearling sale for $1.05 million, reached a pinnacle of the sport by winning the April 3 Central Bank Ashland Stakes (G1) at Keeneland and the April 30 Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs. Undefeated in fve races, the daughter of Curlin is the 14th flly to win the two prestigious races, and she is the ffth consecutive Keeneland sales graduate to win the Oaks following Abel Tasman, Monomoy Girl, Serengeti Empress, and Shedaresthedevil.

When Malathaat won the Central Bank Ashland by a head, she secured Shadwell’s eighth graded stakes win at Keeneland. For the achievement, Shadwell received a Keeneland Tray as part of the track’s signature Milestone Trophy Program.

Malathaat’s achievements have been bittersweet.

Shadwell owner Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al

Crew Dragon Tops April Sale D.M.I. paid $310,000 for Crew Dragon, a 3-year-old stakesplaced, winning colt by Exaggerator, to record the highest price of Keeneland’s April Horses of Racing Age Sale April 26.

For the one-day sale, which Keeneland canceled in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, 37 horses grossed $2.44 million, for an average of $65,946 and a median of $45,000. Thirteen of those horses sold on the Internet for a total of $415,000.

“We are happy with how well the sale was received,” Keeneland Director of Sales Operations Geoffrey Russell said. “We wanted to give people who raced here an opportunity to sell some of their horses before they go to other parts of the country.”

Lane’s End, agent, consigned Crew Dragon, who is out of the Malibu Moon mare Go Go Dana.

Connections SUMMER 2021 1 | SILVER MILE On April 9, the Maker’s Mark Mile (G1T) was run for the 25th time under the sponsorship of the world-famous bourbon distillery on Star Hill Farm in Loretto, Kentucky. The winner was Peter M. Brant’s Raging Bull (FR), who was ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. for trainer Chad Brown.

KEENELAND PHOTO/PHOTOS BY Z KEENELAND PHOTO

2 | 500 WINS Julien Leparoux won his 500th career victory at Keeneland when he rode Calumet Farm’s Gear Jockey to win the ffth race. He is the fourth rider to reach that milestone, joining Hall of Famers Pat Day (918 wins) and Don Brumfeld (716) along with Robby Albarado (526).

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Garrett O’Rourke of Juddmonte Farms accepted the Keeneland Pitcher from Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin after Juddmonte’s Juliet Foxtrot (GB) won the April 10 Coolmore Jenny Wiley (G1) for the operation’s 16th graded stakes win at the track. Only three other owners have earned the Keeneland Pitcher in recognition of the milestone: Claiborne Farm (1968), Bwamazon Farm (1983), and William S. Farish (2003).

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3 | MILESTONE PITCHER

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4 | SEPTEMBER SPOTLIGHT 4

Keeneland has launched TheWorldsYearlingSale.com, a digital experience that celebrates the September yearling sale and the ways it has infuenced the sport.

The site features video, photography, testimonials, and storytelling.

5 | 2022 BREEDERS’ CUP

KEENELAND PHOTO/PHOTOS BY Z

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Breeders’ Cup Ltd. has unveiled the logo for the 2022 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, which Keeneland will host next year on Nov. 4-5.

6 |RAILBIRD RETURNS 3

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Keeneland will host the second Railbird Festival on Aug. 28-29. The event celebrates music, bourbon, and horses.

KEENELAND.COM

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ank him first in total sales among 3500+ membe s.

We' e app oaching the apex of the season and finding that many buye s a e missing p ope ties simply because they don't have expe t ep esentation. In fact, we've been selling p ope ties that a e not - no eve will be - publicly listed. We'd love to put ou command of the ma ket to wo k fo you.

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Spotlight On OAKLAND FARM TREES

MIGHTY SEEDLINGS BOURBON COUNTY FAMILY’S OAKLAND FARM TREES GETS BIG RESULTS FROM ITS SMALL PLANTINGS

By Vickie Mitchell Photos by Arden Barnes

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Oakland Farm Trees grows native Kentucky trees in small containers, making them easy to plant and likely to thrive.

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Spotlight On OAKLAND FARM TREES

PEOPLE WHO BUY TREES USUALLY GO ONE OF TWO WAYS: Tose with healthy bank accounts and strong backs buy big, expensive trees and spend more money and signifcant time to plant them while those with little cash and a lot of patience spend a few bucks on bare root seedlings and pray the tiny sticks survive lawnmowers and deer.

Doug Witt, a Bourbon County farmer who studied agronomy at the University of Kentucky, decided to ofer a third option: reasonably priced small container trees that are easy to plant, likely to live, and native to Kentucky.

Seven years ago he, his sister Josephine “Jo” Greenfeld, and her daughter Laura launched a tree nursery on their Oakland Farm on which they raise cattle. Called Oakland Farm Trees, the nursery grows Kentucky native trees from seedlings, selling small container trees and shrubs by appointment at the farm near Paris and at a few farmers mar-

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From left, Oakland Farm Trees is a family effort for Doug Witt, Jo Greenfeld, and Laura Greenfeld. Laura is the sixth generation to farm the land.

kets. Most trees cost $15; a few are $20 to $25.

“Tat was part of Doug’s original vision,” Jo said, “to have something that would be an afordable price point.”

Oakland’s trees are a few feet tall and sit comfortably in the back seat of a car for the ride home. Tey are also easy to plant.

“Tese are quick to pop in the ground,” said Laura. “And the hole doesn’t even have to be

all that big,” her mother added.

Tough small, Oakland Farm’s trees catch up over a few years with bigger, pricier trees because they are grown in containers, said Jo. “Teir root system remains intact as opposed to a ball and burlap tree, where a lot of the root system has been removed when it has been pulled out of the ground and they have to reestablish their roots.”

Toroughbred owner Charles Parker, a friend of Witt’s, has bought more than 200 trees from Oakland in the past fve years for his 97-acre Barak Farm in Bourbon County. “I’ve got some sycamores that are 20 feet tall or better, and they were essentially switches when I set them out.” He’s also planted fve species of oak, a little slower growing than sycamores but still doing well. “I believe in four to fve years they are going to catch that two-inch tree that you gave $100 for.”

John Holloway, volunteer manager for Midway’s Walter Bradley Park, has had much the same experience with the more than 110 trees he bought from Oakland, especially the sycamores planted in the 30-acre park that skirts downtown Midway. And, unlike the high failure rate of the bare root seedlings he buys for $1 each

Jo Greenfeld, left, and Laura Greenfeld tend to the seedlings.

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Spotlight On OAKLAND FARM TREES

Laura and Jo fll root pouches with potting soil on a work table. They then plant seedling containers in a small tree nursery nearby. Laura has made a video to show customers how to remove the pouches without damaging the roots when they plant the seedlings.

— “about half of them live and half of them don’t,” he said — he hasn’t lost any of the trees bought from Oakland.

“Oakland is not our only supplier of container trees, but they are certainly the best,” said Holloway.

A new generation of trees Doug had watched Oakland Farm’s handsome old oak and ash trees gradually succumb to ice, wind, lightning, and

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disease. He realized that the farm, in his family for six generations, needed a new generation of trees to shade its cattle; shelter and feed birds, bees, squirrels, and other wildlife; drink up heavy rains; and anchor the soil.

He knew too that other farmers had similar needs. But he, Laura, and Jo weren’t expecting some of the other customers who have come their way — cities buying trees for parks, street improve-

ments, or riparian projects; homeowners, creating havens for butterfies, birds, and bees; hunters, planting trees that bear fruit and nuts to attract wildlife; and garden clubbers, interested in growing more Kentucky native species.

“I don’t think we foresaw the municipalities and the wildlife plantings,” said Laura.

“Farms have been a big part of business too, and that was really what we were shooting for because we knew there was a need.”

Spotlight On OAKLAND FARM TREES

In the early days, Oakland’s selection was limited. “A few oaks and some pines,” Laura remembers. Now, it ofers some 30 trees and a few shrubs. All, with the exception of some pines, are Kentucky natives.

Sycamore is always among Oakland’s most popular, but last year, witch hazel was its biggest seller. “Bur oak, white oak, sugar maple.

Tose are consistently in the top fve,” said Jo. Trees that produce fruit and nuts, such as the dwarf American chestnut, paw paw, persimmon, American hazelnut, or spicebush are becoming increasingly popular.

Te tree nursery has given the family’s next generation a business to grow. Laura has thrown herself wholeheartedly into the efort and serves as Oakland Farm Trees’ public face, advising customers and handling marketing eforts. Her mother is equally enthusiastic, teaming with her daughter to pot, plant, and care for seedlings. She reads books and research on trees, especially Kentucky natives. She’s attended some workshops.

All three look for new ideas. Jo sees potential in propagating seeds from a grove of the farm’s hackberries, a large hardy tree with berries that birds savor. Laura listens to customers talk about creating edible landscapes or pollinator gardens, and she fnds appropriate native trees and shrubs to add to the inventory.

Doug has made tree pens to show farmers and others how to protect their trees from nibbling cattle, horses, and deer.

Laura checks on a maturing tree that should yield leaves by May.

Spring brings seedlings Springtime is busy at the nursery as seedlings arrive from bare root nurseries. In a three-sided shed next to the farm’s former tobacco barn, seedlings are potted in two-gallon root pouches at a makeshif table piled with potting soil. Te pouches are made from recycled plastic bottles and are porous, which allows roots to be “air pruned,” Laura

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said. Like the plastic pots the farm once used, the bags have to be removed before a tree is planted, so Laura has posted a video on Instagram to show customers the best ways to do that without damaging the healthy ball of roots the pouches contain.

Once the container trees are potted, they are planted in the small tree nursery nearby, in tidy rows much like a vegetable garden. An irrigation system provides water, and before long what looked like sticks become baby trees as root systems develop, branches pop out,

The World’s Yearling Sale

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Spotlight On OAKLAND FARM TREES

Oakland grows a variety of container trees, including Amur maple, right.

and leaves unfurl.

“We start setting them out in March and April, and by May they are leafed out,” said Jo. “Tat is our value ad, putting them in pots, and irrigating and growing them up so they have a nice established root system.

Tey do better than if you were to just have a bare root seedling in the ground.

“Tey can just start to grow as opposed to a ball and burlap tree, where a lot of the root system has been removed when it has been pulled out of the ground and they have to reestablish their roots.”

Although the nursery is small, it requires a lot of labor, and luckily, there are plenty of family members to help, including Doug’s wife and Jo’s husband. “We come from a family of six siblings, and all but one is in the area and have helped,” said Doug. About half of the dozen of

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Laura’s generation have pitched in from time to time.

“Our sales increase about 30 percent a year, but we are small, so those percentages don’t mean as much,” said Doug.

“But we are trying to grow the business slowly because the bigger you get, the more labor it takes.”

Tom Kimmerer, a scientist, consultant, and author of Venerable Trees — Biology, History, and Conservation in the Bluegrass, is a fan of Oakland Farm Trees. He frst met Laura and Doug when they attended one of his feld courses; they invited him to see the nursery they were creating. He admired the farm and its ancient trees, as well as Oakland Farm Trees’ approach. Oakland’s trees ft Kimmerer’s mantra “Plant the smallest tree you can aford.”

“I think they are doing everything right,”

he said. “Tey ofer a great combination: high-quality seedlings from known seed sources, grown in root control bags.”

He especially likes the fact that all of their trees are grown from seedlings, which means the trees are genetically diverse. Most trees sold by nurseries lack that diversity because they are cloned, he said. “Tis is the right thing to do: ofer moderately larger trees, which people want, but also retain the genetic diversity of the original sources.”

On visits to area farms and properties, Kimmerer sees many large trees with root balls that are failing to grow or simply die because they haven’t been planted correctly. “Hundreds of trees are not surviving, which I see over and over. Millions of dollars wasted.”

So, the ease of planting a container tree

REPLICATING ITS GRANDE DAMES mong the old trees in Oakland Farm’s felds are several oaks so beloved they’ve earned names.

There’s Clara, a chinquapin oak, in a feld not far from the tree nursery. Farther back on the farm, standing on opposite sides of a wetland, are Annette and Babe, massive bur oaks. “They’re named for horses Mom had on the farm when she was growing up,” said Doug Witt.

Those grande dames and other venerable trees are the foundation of Oakland Farm Trees’ Heritage Collection, a limited line of seedlings propagated from its own trees. “Right now it is a small part

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of what we are doing, but we would like for it to be more,” said Doug.

“It is a challenge because it takes a lot more to grow them from that stage.”

Doug sees the Heritage line as a way to preserve and pass along the genetic qualities that have led to the long lives of Annette, Babe, Clara, and others. It’s a way, he said, “to pass at least some of their DNA to the next generation.”

For more information: (859) 361-8474 oaklandfarmtrees@gmail.com www.oaklandfarmtrees.com

Young white pines reach skyward.

becomes a big advantage. “I can teach a 6-year-old to plant one of Oakland’s trees,” he said.

Kimmerer believes Oakland’s approach has huge potential. Some of his farm clients are developing their own tree nurseries, but another option would be for them to contract with a reliable source of container trees such as Oakland, he said.

“Tis is a growth industry. Tey need to plan for growth because the demand for high-quality trees is going to skyrocket.”

Still, getting people to shif their habits and plant smaller trees can be a challenge. And sometimes, Doug said, it’s hard to get people to plant a tree at all.

“Tey will say, ‘I want to plant a tree, but I’ll never see it get big’ or ‘I’ll never see it have acorns,’ or ‘I’ll never sit under the shade of that tree.’ But you know, with these trees, if you just go ahead and put them out, we can show you in fve to six years you will have a pretty decent-size tree.” KM

A large bur oak is part of Oakland Farm Trees’ Heritage Collection.

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partnership AIDAN AND LEAH O’MEARA COMBINE THEIR TALENTS TO PRODUCE RESULTS AT STONEHAVEN STEADINGS

By Lenny Shulman Photos by David Coyle

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The O’Mearas have made wise purchases such as the stakes producer Earlybird Road, shown here with her 2021 Malibu Moon colt.

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O Outside Leah and Aidan

But in the felds between that home and Paynes Depot Road, a more detailed picture of the O’Mearas’ lives emerges. Toroughbred mares stand vigil over their napping foals while grabbing at the tufs of spring grass that have fnally appeared afer a three-week blanket of snow and ice. In back of their home, a couple of well-pedigreed pensioners await an early evening ride.

In addition to raising three young children (4-8), the O’Mearas keep busy raising Toroughbreds for sale under their Stonehaven Steadings banner. Tey have built a reputation for quality and integrity that has served them well at the Keeneland sales, where their consignments have featured the likes of 2021 Las Virgenes Stakes winner Moonlight d’Oro, a $620,000 yearling purchased by Spendthrif Farm.

In conversation, Leah, 36, and Aidan, 43, don’t so much fnish each other’s thoughts as expand them, and one can readily see why their division of labor works when it comes to juggling human and equine families.

Tere is dedication to task, mutual respect, and a desire to succeed. Tey work their 250 acres in order to maintain an idyllic lifestyle, and that is motivation enough to put in the labor and do it the right way.

Both came to their current occupations through

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PHOTO CREDIT

O’Meara’s brick home one fnds the touchstones of a typical young family. Kids bicycles are lined up waiting for post-school action. A fock of chickens struts about with a rooster in close pursuit. Sushi, the yellow Labrador, regards a visitor warily until being won over by a treat that quickly leads to friendship.

Leah O’Meara’s parents, Jeff and Chiquita Reddoch, bought the former Saxony Farm in 2007.

Stonehaven Steadings combines the name of a Scottish coastal town and a Scottish word for a farm and its buildings.

The land that constitutes Stonehaven Steadings as well as other farms on the Old Frankfort Pike corridor has yielded many champions and stakes winners over the decades. The O’Mearas are continuing the tradition of producing racehorses.

riding. Aidan’s uncle threw him up on a pony in Ireland, and he was soon riding sport horses and leading tourists around the countryside. As he worked toward a college degree in equine science, he rode and schooled steeplechasers and took advantage of an intern program to come to Lexington and work at the old Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm, which is now Dell Ridge.

Having fallen in love with the area, he returned afer college.

“I wanted to step up my game on the stallion side, which is the epitome of the test for horsemen,” Aidan noted. “I was fortunate to land at Hill ‘n’ Dale under John Sikura when it was in its infancy with stallions. Numerous and Defrere were the big stallions at frst, and then we moved forward bit by bit. Teatrical came. Seattle Slew for a short time. Medaglia d’Oro, Candy Ride, Vindication. It was a great time, and it grew into what it is today.”

Leah’s mom, Chiquita, grew up riding on her family’s dairy farm in Eunice, Louisiana. Leah’s father, Jef Reddoch, is also an animal lover, and afer her parents bought a ranch in Arkansas, Leah

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would ride trail horses there during summer vacations. By the time she was ready for college, Leah knew she wanted to pursue a life with equines, so she enrolled at Midway College in Woodford County. Bruce Hundley, who also had family from Eunice, welcomed Leah to his Saxony Farm of Old Frankfort Pike. Colby Marks, the farm manager, and his wife, Nancy, “took me in, would feed me on Sundays, and send me back to the dorm with food,” Leah said.

She and Aidan met about this time as well.

“When my parents came up for graduation, they realized I was going to be staying in Kentucky. Tey bought a handful of mares with Colby’s advice. At the time, Bruce was looking to sell a portion of Saxony, and he ended up selling the entire farm to my parents in 2007.”

Saxony was thus rechristened Stonehaven Steadings, with Stonehaven coming from a coastal town in Scotland near where the Reddochs had an oil feld, and the Steadings derived from a Scottish name for a farm and its buildings.

“We thought the name was a great idea, but the amount of people who don’t get it…,” said Leah.

“But it stands out because people are curious about what it means, which works well,” acknowledged Aidan.

INITIAL SUCCESS Leah and Aidan eventually would run Stonehaven Steadings for the Reddochs. But in the early years Marks managed the farm as Leah learned her way around the Toroughbred breeding business and Aidan continued as stallion manager at Hill ‘n’ Dale.

Te operation notched the success that put it on the map afer Jef Reddoch, taking advantage of the recession-era market, purchased the stakes-winning Orientate mare Steelin’ in foal to Harlan’s Holiday for $155,000 at the 2009 Keeneland November sale. Te resultant colt was bought by Jack Wolf ’s Starlight at the 2011 Keeneland September yearling sale for $105,000. Named Shanghai Bobby, he won the 2012 Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, Champagne Stakes, and Tree Chimneys Hopeful Stakes en route to being named champion 2-year-old male.

Building on the history of Saxony — once home to champions Fly So Free, Arazi, Zilzal, and Ajdal — Stonehaven Steadings had its frst champion.

“What really piqued my father’s interest were the champions that came of of this land,” Leah said. “And then Shanghai Bobby came along.

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partnership Steelin’ had won the Bangles and Beads Stakes, which was a big attraction for us.

She was one of the frst accomplished racehorses we bought, and she was a nice physical.”

With measured strides, Leah’s family continued to build Stonehaven Steadings.

Te broodmare band ticked upward in size; walkers were used to aid the development of young horses; and stalls built.

Jef Reddoch burned the midnight oil, studying stallion registers and pedigrees to learn which lines work together and to inform his mare purchases.

“Primarily, it is about getting as much quality as you can for your money,” Aidan noted. “We’re always trying to fnd deep families, because buying a grade 1-placed flly from a family light on pedigree doesn’t always work out for you. Sometimes you can get a mare with obvious quality, but a mare can also have sneaky good quality.”

Marks and Reddoch identifed a sneaky good family at the 2013 Keeneland January

auction when they brought home the Bernardini mare Venetian Sonata for $170,000.

Although the mare had just one win in nine starts, she had run in seven stakes races, and her frst three dams were all stakes winners. In addition, her full brother Wilburn is a grade 2 winner and her full sister La Appassionata is a stakes winner.

So it was no surprise when Venetian Sonata’s frst foal, Olive Branch, placed in the grade 2 Adirondack Stakes and when her Medaglia d’Oro flly, Moonlight d’Oro, fetched $620,000 for Stonehaven Steadings as a Keeneland September yearling.

With the farm growing, Aidan faced a tough decision. He had achieved a prominent station at Hill ‘n’ Dale, one of the premier stallion farms in the world, but wanted to try his hand at moving his own checkers around the board. In 2018, with the experience under his belt of having seen Sikura move a farm ever upward, he joined forces with Leah to take over the day-to-day operation of Stonehaven Steadings.

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The owners have remodeled barns and planted new trees to put their touch on the farm.

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The O’Mearas are parents to, from left, Charlotte (4), Aidan (8), and Julia (6). The family includes yellow Labrador Sushi.

FINDING BALANCE Te challenge of overseeing 27 broodmares and their own young family presents itself daily, but Leah and Aidan have carved out a program that works utilizing each’s positives. She is the front person when dealing with clients while he concentrates most on animal husbandry.

“We’ve found a balance of our strengths and weaknesses,” noted Aidan. “She is certainly more personable and gets to lead on that.”

Tough the COVID-19 era has stressed even the best domestic situations, the O’Mearas seem to have weathered that

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storm with aplomb.

“Our priority is the kids, and I want to make sure I put them frst,” said Leah. “It’s been difcult for me not being on the farm as much as Aidan is, but being there for the kids is paramount. With a lot of home schooling over the past year, our wine bill has gone up quite a bit. But it’s also been special, allowing us to do things together and seeing even more value of being here on the farm. We have the garden going; we’re doing pony lessons with the neighbor’s pony. It’s a real ‘Little House on the Prairie’ situation.”

Any breeding operation fnds out how well they’re doing when they send their

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partnership “We take a lot of pride when we stand under that banner at the sale,” stated Aidan. “We pattern ourselves afer [Arthur Hancock and family’s] Stone Farm: Everything they sell is raised on the farm, and they stand behind it. [Tey are] people of great character and class who built a reputation based on that.

“It’s a long process from planning matings to taking those horses out to market.

Tere’s a lot of gratifcation when one sells well, for everybody who has worked hard and for those with enough faith in our operation to spend the money they do. And the horses have gone on and run for them, giving people confdence.”

HONING THEIR BUSINESS MODEL

The farm counts among its top broodmares Venetian Sonata, foreground, with her Medaglia d’Oro flly, and Steelin’ with her Into Mischief flly.

product to market, and in that regard Stonehaven Steadings has enjoyed remarkable consistency over the past fve years. Teir yearling consignments at the Keeneland September sales have brought between $3 million and $4 million per season while burnishing the operation’s reputation for raising racehorses. One senses quickly that the process of selling what they’ve bred and raised is among their favorite activities.

“I love having our own consignment,” Leah said. “No one else is going to represent you, or the horses you raise, better than you.

We have so much time, money, and blood, sweat, and tears poured into them, and it’s an honor representing what we create. And I think people appreciate that. Tey want to know about the horses and how they were to raise.”

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‘‘

IT’S A LONG PROCESS FROM PLANNING MATINGS TO TAKING THOSE HORSES OUT TO MARKET.” —Aidan O’Meara

Stonehaven Steadings has benefted from a cautious buildup of its broodmare band, both in numbers and prices paid for them. Eschewing any headline-making million-dollar purchases, the farm maxes out at about $300,000 when buying mares.

Te band has grown slowly to its current 27, although Leah stated she’d like to get down to 20 through retirements.

“You don’t have to spend millions,” said Aidan. “Tere’s a lot of opportunity in the range in which we play. If you get a graded stakes-placed flly with the right sire on board, and the yearling looks the part, you can sell every bit of what a $2 million mare will produce.”

In addition to the success of Venetian Sonata, the Stonehaven Steadings process worked again with High Heeled Girl, a Malibu Moon mare who lacked black type but won two of three races and hails from another deep family. Stonehaven Steadings purchased her for $75,000 at the 2016 Keeneland November auction and sold her frst foal, a Hard Spun flly now named

SPECIAL

PLACE SPECIAL MEET

SPECIAL HORSES

THE PE RFECT PL ACE FO R SPECI ALI STS L IKE US .

Maybe it’s the way the sacred traditions of the sport are still honored. Maybe it’s the anticipation of a breakthrough performance just as the racing season hits stride.

Tere’s just something about Keeneland that makes it synonymous with all we love about our sport.

Te horses that run here deserve something equally special when it comes to their care. Like a team of equine veterinarians who’ve become synonymous with the expertise and quality you demand as your horse prepares to do something on the track that is truly... special.

H A G Y A R D . C O M

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8 5 9 . 2 5 5 . 8 7 4 1

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to breed to, and we send a few mares to those kinds each year.

And then we try to identify those that maybe haven’t broken through yet with a lot of grade 1 winners but who are getting black-type and graded-stakes horses.”

Diversifcation is considered a universally sound business model, and Stonehaven Steadings has branched out into seeking investors and partners in certain areas. If the opportunity presents itself to buy a higher-caliber mare that falls outside their comfort level, the O’Mearas will look to form a broodmare partnership.

Te O’Mearas, in partnership with Bart Evans, struck a homerun in April at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales spring 2-yearolds in training sale when a Quality Road colt out of their mare Wasted Tears topped the auction at $1.5 million.

Although the avowed goal is to sell yearlings, they will stay in for a percentage of one if the buyer is interested in that arrangement. In the case of the Quality Road colt, he failed to meet his reserve price at the 2020 Keeneland yearling sale.

Also, if there is a year in which some mares don’t get in foal or are being given a season of, they will fll in the numbers with pinhooking partnerships, buying weanlings identifed

by Aidan to sell as yearlings.

“We’ve been fortunate with pinhooking, because those horses get the same beneft as the homebreds do out of the land here,” he said. “We’re not smarter than anyone else, but there’s something about this property that gives a horse an extra bit of kick.”

TEAM EFFORT Stonehaven Steadings abuts Old Frankfort Pike on each side of Paynes Depot Road and is in the immediate vicinity of

High Heeled Girl enjoys a run with her American Pharoah colt.

Right, a millstone adorns the drive near the O’Mearas’ home.

Heels Together, for $410,000. Earlybird Road, bought for $100,000 in 2008 at Keeneland November, is the dam of 2020 Let It Ride Stakes winner Strongconstitution.

Planning matings is a group efort. Each November, Marks, Reddoch, Aidan, and Leah each put forth a list of the stallions they like. Tose wish lists are pored over by the group, which then starts matching up their girls to the boys. Proven, frstyear, and up-and-coming stallions get consideration, depending upon where each broodmare is in her career.

“Our primary goal is to make a racehorse,” said Leah. “And we have to sell because that is our business and that’s how we stay here. So we combine those two factors and talk to a lot of people who race to try to understand what they want come sales time. Tere are obvious sires that everyone wants

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partnership classic Bluegrass farms such as Darby Dan, Tree Chimneys, Stonestreet, and Middlebrook. Te land is a signifcant factor.

“If you have a wet winter and a dry summer behind it, it can really stress the land. In other parts of the world, it can take fve years before the grass comes back right,” said Aidan. “But here, one year with fertilizing, and it looks as good as ever.

“Old Frankfort Pike is like those kimberlite pipes in diamond mines that carry the diamonds up to the surface. Tat’s what this land is like with graded stakes horses. Every year there are classic contenders from this corridor, and that’s not coincidence.”

Yet it takes more than the raw tools to succeed, and that is the human touch. While observing Sikura’s passion and determination, Aidan O’Meara learned about the time and efort required for success at Hill ‘n’ Dale.

“A 9-to-5 work ethic doesn’t cut it,” Aidan said, “especially when dealing with living animals. You have to be on top of it every day. Someone takes a bad step, and it’s on you. I went three years before taking a day of.

“And we have the same care here: a fantastic group of guys from Colby to the entire team, a great level of horsemanship.

Our success is not just our own. If we’re winning, everyone on the team is winning. You foster a positive environment, and the horses feel it as well.”

Another aspect that the O’Mearas deem important is Toroughbred afercare. Leah serves on the board of Toroughbred Charities of America, which raises and distributes funds to approved organizations involved in the rehabilitation, retraining, and rehoming of retired runners, as well as helping backstretch and farm employee programs and equine-assisted therapy operations. Two paddocks of retired broodmares further prove Stonehaven Steadings’ commitment to afercare, as does the presence of 5-year-old gelding Ragman Jazz, a half brother to Shanghai Bobby. Te one-time winner lives just paces from the O’Meara home and is ridden as frequently as farm and family chores allow.

“Te riding thing is what got each of us hooked on horses to begin with, and there’s nothing I like more than going up the gallop on a crisp winter morning with the fog and the breath of the horse with nostrils faring,” Aidan said. “It goes back to the fun I had riding with my uncle. Tat stuf keeps you passionate about the game. A lot of things go wrong with foaling, or a horse getting hurt at the track, but this is a great way to live your life, to be able to work around a place like this every day.” KM

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From top, Mt. Vernon Church abuts a pasture that houses yearlings.

The O’Mearas have high hopes that this year’s foals will be tomorrow’s winners. A mare and foal enjoy an early spring day.

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ROAD to RICHES

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Keeneland’s Rice Road barn area celebrates 40 years of excellence

By Liane Crossley Photos by Rick Samuels

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eeneland is known for exceptional amenities, from the clubhouse and sales pavilion to the barns and everywhere in between. One of those gems is tucked in a valley on the outskirts of Keeneland’s 1,000 acres and barely visible from the grandstand. Ofcially named the Keeneland Training Center, the area is affectionately known as “Rice Road” for its proximity to the scenic byway bordering the west side of the main property.

Tis year marks the 40th anniversary of Rice Road, which Keeneland built as a year-round training facility to accommodate the demand for stalls for its expanded auction operations.

Popular for its horse-friendly amenities, Rice Road has been home to a great number of successful horses, including Hall of Fame member Wise Dan and champion Blame. Rice Road also has provided stabling for horses participating in the Breeders’ Cup World Championships and supporting races in 2015 and 2020.

Despite being close to the four-lane U.S. Highway 60 and Blue Grass Airport, the section has a surprisingly rural atmosphere that blends racetrack, training center, and farm.

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Horses stabled on Rice Road head up the path to train on one of three Keeneland tracks. Below, Rusty Arnold has been based at Rice Road since the stables opened.

“Keeneland has always been a special place for a horse and a special place to stable,” said George “Rusty” Arnold II, a near-constant Rice Road presence whose late father also had a string there. “Rice Road is just an addition of that on the other side of the road.”

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FULFILLING a NEED Rice Road has nine 40-stall barns that feature extra-wide aisles, roomy haylofs, and open-air outer walls that can be closed in cold weather. Horses walk across Rice Road to train on Keeneland’s 11⁄16mile main track, fve-furlong all-weather track, and occasionally the 7 1⁄2-furlong turf course.

As supplements to their daily routines, the equine residents of Rice Road also can be ridden through the hilly, open felds; graze alongside their handlers; or be turned loose in small pens to roll, buck, rear, or relax untethered. With these perks and Rice Road’s proximity to the rest of Kentucky and out-of-state tracks, stalls are in high demand, especially with the enticement of increased purses at Turfway Park in Northern Kentucky during winter.

Te mention of Rice Road ofen brings perplexed looks from those unfamiliar with what Arnold called Keeneland’s “other side.”

Tat changed in 2015 and again in 2020 when Keeneland hosted the Breeders’ Cup. With the main barn area reserved for entrants in the November breeding stock sale, which began shortly afer the big events, Rice Road was the perfect place for Breeders’ Cup guests.

Te locals relocated temporarily to surrounding farms and training facilities to make room for the Breeders’ Cup participants.

“No other racetrack provides the same setup as Keeneland,” said Dora Delgado, executive vice president, chief racing ofcer of Breeders’ Cup Ltd. “It provides a very special feel when the

only horses on the grounds are those that will be running over Breeders’ Cup weekend and presents a feeling of camaraderie with the participants.”

Before the Rice Road project became a reality, Keeneland-based trainers were in the main stable area, but those stalls were needed at certain times as Keeneland sales expanded. In 1981 Keeneland purchased nearby property and built three barns.

Rogers Beasley, Keeneland’s former vice president of racing, credits then-track president Bill Greely as the impetus behind the Rice Road stables. Te area proved to be a fortuitous development, Beasley said, because it gives trainers the ability to race year-round in Kentucky as well as to ship or fy anywhere in the United States.

“Te Rice Road environment is second to none with its proximity to Keeneland’s three training surfaces, world-class veterinary clinics, and transportation options. Plus, the farm-like setting helps horses thrive,” he said.

In recent years Rice Road has given horses pointing to Royal Ascot in England a place to train and run. “Teir success has been a great way to promote American-bred horses in Europe,” Beasley said.

Clockwise from top, as with horses stabled on the main grounds, Rice Road horses can train on Keeneland’s all-weather track.

Access to open felds, turnout pens, and land for grazing are among the amenities.

WELL-KNOWN RESIDENTS Arnold was among the original Rice Road occupants, his stable at the time including 1982 Haskell Invitational Handicap winner Wavering Monarch among the original occupants.

Wavering Monarch was an early member of the growing list of stakes winners for both Arnold and Rice Road, whose most famous former resident is American Pharoah. Arriving in 2015 for a brief stay amid much fanfare, he became the frst Triple Crown winner to capture the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Two days afer his Classic performance, he lef to enter stud nearby at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud.

One extremely popular tenant was Hall of Famer Wise Dan, who spent his fve-year career with Charlie LoPresti’s Rice Road division. LoPresti, now retired, developed other stakes winners from the location, including Wise Dan’s half brother Successful Dan, who won Keeneland’s Fayette Stakes in 2010.

Another resident was Blame, champion older male of 2010. Part of Al Stall Jr.’s division throughout his career, Blame became the center of attention shortly afer he defeated previously unbeaten Zenyatta to win the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs.

Several days afer that win, Keeneland and Stall hosted a showing for fans and prospective breeders before Blame headed to Claiborne Farm for stud duty.

Also notable is Don’t Tell Sophia, a steady Rice Road occupant in

Phil Sims’ stable who captured the track’s 2014 Juddmonte Spinster and closed her career with a $1.38 million bankroll.

Marquee runners that honed their skills while living seasonally on Rice Road include 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify and 2020 Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve and Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Authentic. Both champions were then under the direction of trainer Rodolphe Brisset before joining Bob Baffert’s barn.

A well-known Rice Road tenant is a division of Godolphin, the Maktoum family’s global racing and breeding operation.

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The daily rituals of Thoroughbred racing and training take place amid the close-knit community on Rice Road. Horses exercise or walk the shed rows, get cooled out and bathed, then tended to after morning work.

RICE ROAD TRAINERS George “Rusty” Arnold II ■ Rodolphe Brisset ■ John Burke (Godolphin) ■ Wayne Catalano ■ Ben Colebrook ■ Ignacio Correas IV Brad Cox ■ Cherie DeVaux ■ Mark Hubley ■ Eddie Kenneally ■ Reeve McGaughey ■ Andrew McKeever ■ Kenny McPeek Victoria Oliver ■ Phil Sims ■ Wesley Ward

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ROAD to RICHES Under the direction of John Burke, young horses and older horses returning from vacations tune up at Burke’s barn before competing for other trainers.

A current example of the Godolphin system is 2021 Dubai World Cup winner Mystic Guide. Afer receiving his initial schooling in Florida, Mystic Guide furthered his education at Keeneland with Burke before joining Mike Stidham’s racetrack string. Burke also trained Music Note, dam of Mystic Guide, early in her career on Rice Road before she became a grade 1-winning millionaire.

Godolphin’s John Burke leads Lidstrom, a half brother to Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist, to the training track.

REASONS to STAY Arnold, who recognized the value of Rice Road all those years ago, typically heads south in the colder months and maintains a division at Saratoga Race Course in summer, but he said that schedule could change. He is considering maintaining a division here through the winter instead of relocating to Florida.

“It may be that there is no need to leave because the purse money is so satisfactory in Kentucky,” he said.

Arnold said the variety of regional tracks within reasonable commutes and the large local selection of top-shelf feed suppliers, tack and equipment stores, and veterinary services are among the many advantages of stabling at Rice Road.

Another reason, Arnold said, is that horses relish the surroundings.

“Morticia thrived on training on the [all-weather] track because she was a grass horse,” he said about the graded stakes-winning millionaire. “A lot of grass horses don’t like training on dirt.

Te all-weather (training) track helps all horses because when we have rain, the main track might be sloppy, but the training track is always good.”

Once a haven for Kentucky-centric trainers and mom-and-pop stables, Rice Road now houses horses for

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Assistant trainer Duke Shults ponies Wesley Ward-trained, Queen Mary Stakes winner Campanelle (Ire) to the training track.

OTHER ANIMALS

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he sense of kinship on Rice Road is bolstered by various animal companions. Barn cats are the most popular pets with Fanbelt arguably the most famous feline during his younger days. As a stray kitten, he lost an ear and part of his tail when trapped in a truck engine. Nursed back to health, he settled with various humans until he found his favorite tack room. Eventually he retired to be a suburban housecat. The portly tabby Daisy changed hands in a different way. When her trainer left the track, Daisy was content to stay behind in her barn but with different people.

Cats and goats can be soothing companions to high-strung racehorses.

Another was high-profle mascot Fergie, the miniature donkey who reached a level of fame in trade publications and on social media as the roommate of a nervous flly. Goats are more likely to be recruited for that job, and some have sojourned on Rice Road through the years.These days a cocky rooster gets plenty of notice as he seemingly stands guard in his territory while other fowl wander. A few well-mannered dogs go unnoticed until they make brief appearances with their owners.

While pets’ reputation for calmingThoroughbreds cannot be proven, it is certain they keep their humans happy.

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ROAD to TIMELINE RICE ROAD RICHES 1981 Keeneland

Mid 1980s

1991 Mark John-

2006 The Rice Road facility is vacated for sev-

purchases property on Rice Road and begins construction on the Keeneland Training Center and horse path leading to the track.

The area is needed to accommodate trainers who stabled year-round in barns 35-40 known by horsemen as “the hill.”

The expansion of the Keeneland sales means every stall in the main barn area is needed at certain times of the year.

Keeneland adds a seventh barn to Rice Road complex.

ston, who frst learned horse care and riding on Rice Road as a teenager, receives an Eclipse Award as 1990 outstanding apprentice jockey.

eral months while the main track is converted to an all-weather surface. During this time the barns are upgraded with improved features.

1982 Trainer Rusty Arnold moves horses, including recent Haskell Invitational Handicap winner Wavering Monarch, to Rice Road and has been a steady resident ever since.

leading conditioners such as internationally known Wesley Ward, who is based at Keeneland year-round.

Ward’s star pupils from Rice Road and his nearby private barns include champion Judy the Beauty and European champion Lady Aurelia.

“Tere is a huge demand for Rice Road stalls because of the lucrative purse structure within Kentucky and the option to race at regional tracks within a reasonable commute,” said Keeneland Vice President of Racing Gatewood Bell. “Te facility also provides a steady horse population to fll races for Kentucky’s year-round circuit.

“Keeneland is proud of the reputation Rice Road has as a world-class place to train. We are always looking at ways to improve the facilities for our loyal horsemen—they give us the good name. Tis was especially true when we hosted the Breeders’ Cup World Championships in a condensed, comfortable, and scenic environment.” KM

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2004Two more barns are constructed to bring the total to nine. The f ve-furlong training track is converted to an all-weather surface so horses can train throughout the winter.

November 9-10,

2010 Eventual champion Blame, a seasonal resident of Rice Road throughout his career, is presented to fans and breeders at his Rice Road barn a few days after winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs over previously unbeaten Zenyatta.

Blame

In addition to year-round stabling, Rice Road has a quarantine barn for horses from overseas. Below, the tranquil environment benefts horses and humans.

SEPTEMBER 1,

NOVEMBER 2,

2014

2015

The main track reopens after being converted back to a dirt surface.

Unlike the 2006 renovation, horses remained stabled on Rice Road.

Longtime Rice Road resident Don’t Tell Sophia sells for $1.2 million at the Keeneland November breeding stock sale after winning Keeneland’s Juddmonte Spinster and fnishing second in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Santa Anita the previous year.

2015

OCTOBER Rice Road houses horses competing in the Breeders’ Cup World Championships and undercard. On Oct. 29, one of them, American Pharoah, draws a crowd when he gallops on the training track.

2018

Justify winsTriple Crown after training as part of Rodolphe Brisset’s 2-year-old division.

2019 Authentic is a member of Brisset’s juvenile group before winning the Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup Classic the following year.

2020 Rice Road again is used exclusively for participants in Breeders’ Cup Word Championships and undercard.

• Wise Dan, who lived on Rice Road virtually yearround, is inducted into the Hall of Fame.

• Retired Hall of Fame jockey Alex Solis exercises horses for Wesley Ward.

The Keeneland Training Center has nine barns and various outbuildings.

2021

Mystic Guide, who MARCH 27, received his early education on Rice Road, wins $12 million Dubai World Cup.

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DEBBIE LONG DEFIES CHALLENGES TO KEEP DUDLEY’S ON SHORT AT THE TOP OF THE LEXINGTON DINING SCENE

By Robin Roenker | Photos by Shandon Cundiff

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Debbie Long and chef Mark Richardson complement each other’s strengths.

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The bar at Dudley’s remains a popular gathering spot and affords a broad view of Short Street.

ew restaurants have played as vital a role in Lexington’s fne dining scene for as long as Dudley’s, set to celebrate its 40th anniversary this year.

Over the course of four decades, Dudley’s owner Debbie Long has seen perhaps more than her fair share of challenges — from an unexpected move from the original location at Dudley Square to her current location on West Short Street to the recent COVID pandemic, which hit the restaurant industry particularly hard.

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But through it all, Long has remained resilient, energetic, and upbeat. And as one of Lexington’s earliest and most successful female restaurateurs, she’s enjoyed helping pave the way for others to follow in her footsteps.

“Tere are women in leadership roles in the restaurant industry today more and more,” said Long, who

participates in a monthly Zoom call with Kentucky-based women restaurant owners, including Ouita Michel and others. “But 40 years ago, there weren’t too many.”

FINDING HER CALLING A native of Louisville, Long earned a degree in special education from the University of Kentucky in 1973. But rather than go immediately into the classroom, she intended to spend a summer working at a ski community in Colorado.

Tat planned summer excursion lasted eight years.

“I totally fell in love with Colorado and the mountains and that whole lifestyle,” Long said. “I ended up working in restaurants there because I wanted to ski and I wanted to travel. It was one of the most wonderful times in my life, in many ways.”

Eventually, Long came to realize the restaurant industry was her calling — because in all those years of sometimes 12hour days waitressing or tending bar, she said she “had never not wanted to go to work.”

Empowered by this realization, Long pursued an opportunity to return to Kentucky to open her own restaurant.

She found available rental property at Dudley Square and opened Dudley’s restaurant with 50/50 partner John Shea in August 1981.

“We truly had no money,” said Long, who bought out Shea

and assumed 100 percent ownership of the restaurant in 1990.

“We borrowed a little bit from our parents and opened on a shoestring budget. It was difcult, but at the time, there weren’t a lot of restaurants in town. We were the frst restaurant as you came out of Keeneland and took a lef to come into town — so people from the horse industry were some of our earliest and best supporters.”

FINDING HER STRENGTHS In the decades since its founding, Dudley’s has developed a reputation for delivering consistently excellent, farm-to-table Southern staples such as hot browns and Brussels sprouts salad, plus cooked-to-perfection steaks, pasta, and seafood.

Chef Mark Richardson, a native of Pikeville, Kentucky — who joined Dudley’s in 2015 following stints at Te Carlyle in New York; the Four Seasons in Scottsdale, Arizona; and other well-respected restaurants in San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, and Pittsburgh — recognized the specialness of Dudley’s on Short as soon as he interviewed there.

“I wasn’t planning on returning to Kentucky,” admitted Richardson, who learned about the chef opening from his sister, who was a Dudley’s regular. “But I fell in love with the place when I got here. Having dinner at the end of my interview on the roofop — where it is just so beautiful, overlooking

Starched table linens, foral arrangements, and dramatic decor contribute to Dudley’s appeal. Photos of well-known racehorses and winner’s circle scenes reference the restaurant’s address in the heart of Thoroughbred country.

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SHOP KEENELAND. Shop safely in store or online at KeenelandShop.com

Sterling Stemless Wine Glasses Sip through summer with this set of 4 Sterling stemless wine glasses with etched jockey silks.

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Henry Dry Goods Cocktail Napkins Watercolor cloths with unique equine designs in a set of 4.

Barrel Heads

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Manager Dave Meharg displays examples from Long’s extensive, high-quality wine selection. Servers such as Adam Mullins are well trained in the Dudley’s tradition.

downtown Lexington — sealed the deal.”

Since joining the staf, Richardson has made it his mission to honor Dudley’s longtime customers through caring preparation of tried-and-true favorites while also bringing to the menu a mix of his own new creations.

“I try to keep my cooking simple and not overdo things,” Richardson said. “We have such great fresh produce and ingredients here in Kentucky. My job is to make them shine — you never want to lose the true favor of the food.”

Dudley’s perfect blend of go-to comfort foods and daring new dishes served with a side of Southern hospitality has kept customers coming back for decades, whether to celebrate special occasions or simply to enjoy a fne meal following a day at the track.

“It’s just a special place,” said frequent customer Langdon Shoop, former operator of the Frank Shoop, Inc., car dealership in Georgetown, who celebrated his marriage with an afer-the-fact surprise wedding reception in Dudley’s upstairs dining room in 2017.

“Restaurants have come and gone over time, but Debbie just does such a great job and has such a great staf, and that has enabled Dudley’s to survive and thrive for 40 years,” said Shoop, whose goto items at the restaurant include the of-menu steak marchand de vin and the café Ricky, a cofee-liquor drink named in honor of longtime bartender Ricky Arnett.

Many members of the Dudley’s staf have been with the restaurant for a decade or more, becoming like family to Long, who said her driving mission at Dudley’s is to keep things “simple and elegant — and consistently excellent.”

If COVID protocols allow, Long hopes to have a 40th anniversary party later this year to celebrate her restaurant’s milestone birthday.

She credits her long business success, in part, to knowing her

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strengths — and limitations.

“I’m not a foodie. I’m a restaurateur. Tere is a diference,” she said. “I run things from a business point of view, understanding what the food should look like and should taste like and how the service should be. I’m not a foodie per se. I let that piece be for my chef.”

Long’s commitment to excellence, both in terms of food and service, comes across to her customers.

“Debbie Long always takes care of you,” said Dell Hancock of Claiborne Farm, a longtime Dudley’s patron. “Te food is wonderful. You always know someone in there, it seems. And Debbie just always makes the extra efort to make sure everyone

Dudley’s rooftop offers diners a different ambience.

enjoys their time out together. And that, to me, is such a huge part of dining out at a restaurant.”

FINDING THE SILVER LINING Long readily admits that some aspects of the restaurant business have been challenging over the years.

“About every 10 years I’ve gone through these major upheavals to the business,” she said, alluding to the buyout of her partner in 1990; the addition of a second restaurant, Buddy’s Bar & Grill, in Chevy Chase in 2003, which lasted for seven years; the move to West Short Street in 2010 afer unexpectedly losing her lease at Dudley Square at the end of 2009; and the COVID pandemic in 2020. “Every one of them has been a challenge and a learning experience.”

Long had not intended to pick up and move Dudley’s to a new location, 29 years into her restaurant career. “I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would have to leave [Dudley Square],” she said. “Tat was a traumatic experience. I had no clue what I was going to do.”

But when faced with a roadblock that might have been a death knell to other restaurants, she rose to the challenge and turned the experience into a boon for the Short Street corridor.

“Her restaurant has really made downtown Lexington,” said Luther Deaton, chairman, president, and CEO of Central Bank, who assisted Long in securing the loan for her second location. “We once had a big client

The contemporary and old-fashioned blend seamlessly to create Dudley’s signature, welcoming atmosphere.

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Clockwise from top, Richardson combines traditional with innovative in dishes such as octopus and cannellini beans, strip steak with au gratin potatoes and blue cheese sauce, beef tartare, and a beet salad with edible fowers.

from New York who we had brought in to try to do some business here in Lexington. We took them to Dudley’s for lunch, and they said, “Tis feels like New York. Tis is where we want to be.’”

Perhaps few experiences have illustrated Long’s restaurant resilience as much as the recent COVID pandemic, which forced her to navigate staf furloughs, apply for paycheck protection loans, pivot her business model to allow for increased takeout business, and eventually move to outdoor, tent-based dining before indoor restrictions were lifed.

“In this industry you have to be able to reinvent yourself to go with the fow,” said Long, who used the period in which in-person dining was prohibited to address repairs and

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upgrades to the restaurant, including the installation of UV flters in the HVAC system to help with virus reduction.

Trough it all, Long said, Dudley’s customers have been loyally supportive.

“My customers were amazing,” she said. Tey were calling me about buying gif cards and asking how they could help. It was heartwarming.”

Long also found inspiration in the ways the local restaurant community rallied together to support one another through the pandemic.

“Tis experience has caused us all to really bond, because we’ve all been in the same boat,” she said.

“It’s taken those walls of competition down, and we’ve all come together. Te support from fellow restaurateurs has been fabulous — and it’s something that I’ve never really had before. Tere’s not a single one now that I couldn’t call and say, ‘I need help.’ Tat’s been a silver lining, for sure.”

Dudley’s was expecting a banner night of business for New Year’s Eve, until diners were ushered out midmeal by police when an RV parked downtown was thought to be a potential bomb threat.

“If I were going to write a book about 2020 and I put that night in as the fnal chapter, someone would say, ‘No, that’s too stupid,’ ” she said. And yet that’s the reality local downtown restaurants lived through last year.

Now, as warmer temperatures approach, crowd restrictions are easing, and vaccines are becoming more readily available, Long anticipates a strong summer and fall for in-person dining — with operations slowly approaching pre-pandemic normalcy.

“My employees and managers have been so resilient through this whole thing. Tey’ve stayed so positive,” Long said. “I’m feeling very good about the months ahead. Keeneland is going to happen. Derby is going to happen. UK graduations are going to happen. We’re starting to see many of our customers coming back in. And it’s so wonderful to see their faces again.”

Long expects another silver lining of the pandemic to be that, in the months ahead, people will take the time to savor dining out again.

“I think people are so appreciative now to get to dine out — and to have food not just to-go but presented to you on a plate in a beautiful setting,” she said. “Food just tastes so much better that way.” KM

Farms & Estates

Commercial

Residential

Auctions

5361 Paris Pike, Lexington • $1,750,000

27 acre horse property w/ 10,500 sqft main residence. 8-stall Morton Barn, 5 fenced paddocks, 2 large run-in sheds, a 100’x140' outdoor riding arena. Home includes hardwood flooring, a large open living area & kitchen, separate Guest Quarters apartment w/ a full kitchen, large 2nd floor master suite w/ outdoor balcony & a full finished basement, recreation exercise room, & loads of storage. Other features include a back covered patio, koi pond & sitting area, cooking station, large stone fireplace w/ pergola, & an in-ground swimming pool. Great property, only 15 minutes to the KY Horse Park!

215 Bradley Lane, Lexington • $995,000

Perfect small horse farm! 33 acres, 3 barns, 15 stalls, 9 plank fenced paddocks, 6 horse Equigym. Main barn is a concrete block show barn w/ 9 stalls, wash stall, heated/cooled paneled office & separate feed room, center aisle loft, 14' x 13' rubber matted stalls, 14ft brick paved aisleway, Lucas style interior & exterior doors. Barn 2 consists of 3 stalls w/ antique wood interiors, a 12' x 35' storage area & bonus room above that could be converted to small apt. Barn 3 is a 3-stall shed row barn w/ tack & feed rooms. 60' round pen, frontage along Town Branch Creek, several riding & event style jumping areas.

167 Coleman Lane, Georgetown • $1,750,000 Location, location, location! 38 acres in Scott County just minutes from the Kentucky Horse Park, the property features 2 barns, indoor and outdoor riding arenas, an apartment and cross-country jumping feld. Barn 1 includes a 220×80 indoor arena with synthetic footing and 10’x10’ windows; 14 12’x14’ stalls with Classic Equine equipment, metal and wood stall fronts and large windows; climate controlled feed and tack rooms and ofce; half bath; wash stall & grooming stall,;12’ paved aisleway; 60’ round pen & 66’x140’ sand exercise ring; 14 felds/ paddocks, 2 dry lots and eventing feld with cross-country jumps. Barn 2 includes 19 stalls, 7 12’x12’ shed row style, 12 14’x14’; 14’ paved aisleway; 100’x210’ outdoor sand riding arena.

Rare opportunity in ideal location.

(859) 312-0606

We are proud to offer this extremely well located 287 acre Central Kentucky farm property just outside Midway. This property offers excellent soils, good fencing & usable barns. The property is adjacent to or nearby Middlebrook Farm Yearling Division, Nuckols Farm, Woodburn Farm, Dubai Millenium, Blackburn Farm & World Thoroughbreds. Improvements include a 19 stall barn w/ tack & feed rooms, a 40'x160' tobacco barn, a 40'x100' tobacco barn, an equipment/cattle shed & a two story former brick residence dating to the mid 1800's.

w Ne ting Lis

w Ne ting Lis

Tom Biederman Broker/Auctioneer

287AcresSpringStationRoad,Midway•$3,646,500

685 Handy Pike, Harrodsburg, • $3,750,000

This estate contains 94 manicured acres, a 7,000 square foot immaculate main residence that has been completely renovated by the current owner, filled w/ top quality finishes & amenities, including 1st & 2nd floor primary bedroom suites. Spectacular dining room & kitchen, gorgeous hardwood flooring, formal living room & so much more. Beautiful pool w/ limestone accents, 3 car garage w/ workout facilities etc. The main training barn, designed & built by the legendary Saddlebred trainer Tom Moore, consists of 31 stalls w/ tack/feed rooms, heated 330' by 42' indoor arena, barn lounge & more. Other property improvements include a historic guest cottage, a log modular residence, & an additional employee residence. Stocked lake, 4 plank fenced paddocks. Additional barns include a 28 stall broodmare barn & a huge hay/ equipment storage barn w/ concrete floor.

Mark Dixon (859) 552-5742 Lesley Ward (859) 361-3246 Westin Osborn (704) 975-4195 Maziar Torabi (859) 327-5496 Jason Sloan (859) 229-5070

280 Sarah Blake Lane,Versailles • $1,295,000

A beautiful custom residence on a landscaped 10 acre parcel complete with gorgeous salt water pool. Get away from it all with this wonderful property which is located in southern Woodford County in an extremely nice development. The residence features large open space living area with a huge great room and stunning fireplace, first floor primary bedroom with attached study/gallery, and a 2 story guest suite that is lovely. The flooring throughout is distinctive speciality Jerusalem Stone which adds a warm and enduring style. This is an exceptional property with an exceptional residence and we look forward to your visit!

Dawn Bozee (859) 227-4855 Beth Ann Heiner (502) 324-7474 Stephanie Jones-Nouvellet (859) 512-8812 Joan Rich (859) 621-9746 Lucy Worrell (859) 983-2112

Melanie Peterson (561) 870-6587 Kyle Fannin (859) 699-1196 Missy Maclin (859) 948-0201 Chris Allen (859) 951-2051

Central Kentucky's Premier Farm & Quality Real Estate Brokerage

3082 Chance Farm Lane, Sierra Farm, Lexington • $7,200,000

215 ± acres in the heart of the Bluegrass w/ outstanding improvements & functionality. The property has been completely updated & renovated in excellent condition. Improvements include: yearling complex w/ 40 stalls in 3 barns, covered roundpen, covered EquiGym, landscaped yearling show area, yearling exercise/walking track • Broodmare/Foaling barn (two foaling stalls), large tack/warm room • Additional Broodmare barn w/ 10 stalls, Lucas stall doors, large feed/warm room w/ laundry & ½ bath, two 60’ x 40’ lighted run-in-sheds • An office & maintenance/equipment area w/ separate hay/ bedding storage building, 90’ x 52’ 4-bay shop, 60’ x 90’ equipment storage. Charming office & guest quarters • Manager Residence w/ nearly 3,000 sqft, 3 Bd/3 Ba • 17 plank fenced paddocks, 6 large fields, excellent soils.

The farm features an elegant 5,475 sqft Main Residence w/ a lovely, well appointed kitchen, wood paneled family room, 1st floor primary bedroom suite w/ attached study. This is a rarely found, proven productive, turn-key horse farm property in the heart of Central Kentucky.

w Ne ting Lis

1150 Connor Station Road, Simpsonville • $5,450,000

We are pleased to present Covered Bridge Farm and Estate. A truly Magnificent 92 acre Estate, located in the heart of Shelby County Kentucky Horse Country and just minutes from Louisville, Shelbyville, and less than 60 minutes to Lexington. This extraordinary property features a spectacular Georgian style residence with formal living rooms, dining room, paneled study and a 200+ year old re-built Log Cabin Room that is undeniably unique, along with an extravagant Pool and Pool house complex. The long winding treelined roadway, covered bridge, event barn, spring fed lakes, and plank fencing offer the discerning Buyer privacy, opulence, and functionality that are rarely found and available for purchase.

BiedermanRealEstate.com 1076 Wellington Way | Lexington, KY 40513

(859) 277-2030

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MASSIVE INDOOR FARMS THAT GROW PRODUCE YEAR-ROUND USING CONVENTIONAL AND 21st CENTURY TECHNIQUES HAVE PUT APPHARVEST ON THE NATIONAL FOOD MAP

A Lexington Kroger carried tomatoes from the frst crop produced at AppHarvest.

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The AppHarvest “indoor farm” in Morehead is the equivalent of 45 football felds.

was a thing of beauty, a rare midwinter sight: a bin in the produce section at a Lexington Kroger brimming with luscious red beefsteak tomatoes that were neither imported nor shipped for days or weeks from the West Coast. Instead, they had been grown in a sprawling greenhouse in Eastern Kentucky.

Te tomatoes displayed at Kroger were among the 120,000 pounds of fruit shipped to major grocery chains in January from the frst crop produced by nascent AppHarvest at its 63-acre eco-friendly greenhouse near Morehead, Kentucky.

Te brainchild of Kentucky native Jonathan Webb, AppHarvest has hit the ground running from the time its founder started working on the concept in 2017 until that frst crop appeared in stores. Te tomato shipment to 25 of the largest grocery retailers, co-branded with distributor Sunset Grown, marked a major step toward AppHarvest’s goal to deliver fresh produce in the U.S. in a timely manner.

“It’s all upside from here,” said Webb of AppHarvest’s frst crop in the major grocery chains, including Walmart and Meijer.

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pounds of tomatoes at its Morehead facility in 2021, and its expansion eforts include a 60-plus acre farm outside Richmond and a 15-acre farm to grow leafy greens in Berea.

AppHarvest comes as close to a utopian venture as one could get, with a variety of missions that espouse doing what is best for the environment and for people.

First, it is a “Certifed B Corporation,” which are described as “businesses that meet the highest standards of verifed social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance proft and purpose.”

Te AppHarvest greenhouse — or “indoor farm” in corporate parlance — seems to stretch forever, the equivalent of 45 football felds. Inside the 2.7-millionsquare-foot, glass-enclosed building, tomatoes are grown from foor to ceiling, extending to 45 feet high.

No chemicals are used on the 720,000 plants in the greenhouse, and the hydration system comprises Kentucky native and founder Jonathan Webb has big plans for AppHarvest.

100 percent recycled rainwater, resulting in 90 perWebb’s ambitious mission is to produce vast quantities of food in a cent less water usage than traditional agriculture, the company says. controlled environment as climate volatility makes traditional farming AppHarvest also uses a hybrid lighting system consisting of traditional ever more challenging. As well, the company’s location in the shadows high-pressure sodium grow lights with LEDs that the company says of Appalachia has given a boost to a region that has struggled to emresults in 40 percent reduced energy use. ploy its citizens, with more opportunities on the horizon.

As of the end of March, AppHarvest had 300 employees, who earn AppHarvest has attracted the attention of major investors, includa starting pay that is “41 percent higher than comparable jobs in Kening the Revolution capital investment frm headed by AOL founder tucky,” with 100 percent company-paid medical, dental, and life insurSteve Case and businesswoman and television personality Martha ance plans, according to the company.

Stewart, who serves on the AppHarvest board.

Te 36-year-old Webb, who sports a well-trimmed beard and mus“I’ve been testing the early sample tomatoes, which tache and whose business attire runs to denim shirts, are delicious, and I’m already looking forward to injeans, and a ball cap, conceived the idea for AppHartegrating them into my kitchen and recipes this year,” vest while working at the U.S. Department of Defense Stewart said in an AppHarvest release. on a solar project with a goal of having renewable enWebb and the company have been featured on ergy sources provide 20 percent of electricity at hun“CBS Tis Morning” as well as on CNBC’s “Squawk dreds of military installations.

Box.” Webb realized that weather and other events were Earlier this year David Lee, who joined the comimpacting yields through traditional growing methpany in 2020 afer serving as chief fnancial ofcer of ods and that alternative ways of growing crops were Impossible Foods, was named AppHarvest president. needed.

Te company also had a public stock ofering that “Why this concept? Te big looming problems provided more than $435 million in cash to fund opfacing food and agriculture,” said Webb. “Te amount erations, including a planned expansion to as many as of food that will be produced over the next 30 years 12 facilities by 2025. is more food than humanity has produced from the David Lee is the company AppHarvest projects production of 45 million president. beginning of mankind. And we’re on a planet that has

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Food in Any Style Whether your event is on-site, at home, or both, we can turn any menu into an experience.

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Tomatoes grow from foor to ceiling, extending 45 feet high.

a fnite amount of land and a fnite amount of water. So we need to produce a whole lot more food, and we need to do it while the climate is reacting in an unpredictable way that is sometimes volatile.”

Webb collaborated with others on possible solutions, and he drew upon the expertise of those with more knowledge of agriculture and problems associated with food supply. It led him to conclude the Netherlands had already solved the problem.

“I came into this pretty agnostically,” Webb continued. “My background was in energy. So I didn’t grow up with an agriculture background. Sometimes that is good when you’re trying to disrupt an industry. I had no preconceived notions. It was a lot of research and talking to the right people who knew this industry very well. I started with ‘how do you get the answers?’ You look at a country like the Netherlands, which is the second-largest exporter of food globally behind

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only the U.S., and it is a third the size of Kentucky. Te only solution is to control the environment and grow indoors.”

Te next question was where to build the indoor farm, and that led Webb, who was raised near Lexington, to pursue his home state as a potential site.

“Why Kentucky? It was an ‘aha’ moment,” recalled Webb, whose roots trace to Eastern Kentucky, an area that has historically relied upon coal production for employment opportunities and consistently has high unemployment and low per capita incomes. “It was all the things we have here. You can get to 70 percent of the U.S. within a oneday drive. We have the roads and the power because of coal. We have an abundant amount of rainfall in Kentucky. Tere is a work ethic that is totally diferent here: the willingness to work, the tenacity that the region has been built on.”

AppHarvest initially was to be located in Pikeville, where the company hoped to construct its greenhouse on a reclaimed coal mining site. But that property was deemed unusable, and it eventually settled upon its current location in Rowan County.

Te massive greenhouse construction was funded by a $100 million investment from ag-tech investor Equilibrium. Trough a collaborative efort, other government, including the Dutch government, and private companies were involved with the planning and construction of the greenhouse. AppHarvest also

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received support from the the area but also through state of Kentucky in the programs such as a highform of road and other intech container grow profrastructure improvements. gram in area high schools.

Te greenhouse was com“Before we even startpleted, and the frst crop of ed building, we were on the tomatoes were grown in the ground, formulating partnermidst of the COVID-19 panships with organizations that demic, which Webb says is a were already doing the work,” credit to the work ethic and said Bradley, who is best tenacity of the Eastern Kenknown to many Kentuckians tucky labor force. as the starting point guard on “Had we been building the University of Kentucky Former Wildcat Ramel Bradley serves as director of outreach. and trying to operate anybasketball team in the midwhere else in the U.S., I’m 2000s. “Ultimately the goal not sure we’d have done it,” he said. “I is to inspire and cultivate the next generation of don’t know that many people outside farmers by allowing them to have access to this the state understand that the people of technology.” this region powered the country. It was Te high school program consists of providnot coal alone but the people of the reing 40-foot-long shipping container farms with gion who powered the country. Whethspace to grow up to 3,600 seedlings and 4,500 er you like coal or don’t like it is irrelmature plants all at once, using 256 vertical evant. Te one thing we all agree on is crop columns, LED lighting, and closed-loop that the people who worked to power irrigation systems. Te subsequent produce is our country should get some credit. So used by the schools, the students’ families, and Tomatoes from AppHarvest’s frst harvest that was always in the back of my mind area restaurants. are ready for shipment. when starting the company. It’s that te“We started it in Pikeville and had students nacity and grit of the region that’s really helped make this possible. showing up at 6 a.m. just to grow food,” said Bradley, who was nickI’m not sure this company would have succeeded had we been any- named “Smooth” during his basketball career, which included prowhere else to start.” fessional stints in Europe and the Middle East. “It was pretty cool.

AppHarvest’s director of outreach Ramel Bradley said the We also developed a curriculum to go along with it so they undercompany has gained acceptance within Eastern Kentucky not stand the food system, the history of these innovative new ways of only by providing jobs and an infusion of economic growth into producing food now, and, ultimately, how to utilize that knowledge

GOOD NEIGHBOR ppHarvest spearheaded a fundraising drive earlier this year through its Appalachia Rises initiative to raise money for local families and businesses impacted by a series of events, including COVID-19, a brutally cold winter, and massive fooding.

The telethon, which included efforts from a variety of Kentucky companies, raised more than $1.2 million.

“We have a million different missions, which is one thing I love about this company,” AppHarvest’s director of outreach Ramel Bradley said. “Everybody who has been a part of this is on a mission and just wants to do the right thing. I’ve been inspired by everybody I’ve been around.”

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AppHarvest makes a donation of tomatoes to God’s Pantry.

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Bradley meets with high school students to promote AppHarvest’s high-tech container grow program.

and become an entrepreneur and make some cash.” help to the hopeless and feeding the hungry.”

Bradley, a native of Brooklyn, New York, has known Webb since Kentucky native Amy Samples, the company’s director of comboth were students at the University of Kentucky, from which the bas- munity outreach and people programs, was also more than ready to ketball star graduated with a degree from the College of Agriculture, sign on when the AppHarvest opportunity presented itself.

Food and Environment.

“It was the vision toward creating something new and exciting “We met about 12-13 years ago when we were both students at in my home state of Kentucky that drew me to join this team,” UK,” Bradley said. “We just hit it of — we have just been like con- said Samples, who previously was involved with operations mannected at the hip ever since. Even afer we both graduated, he spent agement for a regional land trust in Kentucky and was with Te a lot of time with me in New York as I was coming in and out of Nature Conservancy. “Te opportunity to create opportunity and town, and he got to know my family very well. His passion, love, and educational programs as well as having an employer that takes dedication to the folks here in Kentucky is unmatched, and I love my care of people — the concept of a place of where people want to folks and community back home.” work for us and with us — I thought was a very intriguing posBradley and Webb found common sibility, and it has clearly taken fight. ground in the economic struggles and “I am extremely proud to be part food needs of their respective parts of this team,” said Samples “It is chalof the country, and the AppHarvest lenging every day. We have accomfounder’s concept appealed to Bradley. plished a lot already. Te sky is the “When he told me about his vision limit, and the opportunity to take the to take this innovative technology that energy around what is going on here was already proven and bring it to Eastand channel it into a positive narraern Kentucky, I wanted nothing more tive for the region feels like the goldthan to be with the project,” Bradley en ticket. Together, I sincerely believe said. “Kentucky is my second home, we are creating new opportunities.” and the good folks here in the state Added Webb: “We believe that supported me since I touched down large-scale indoor agriculture is the here as a young man. It was an honor key to feeding the world’s rapidand privilege to be able to help them ly growing population. Tat’s why and support them and to allow them to we’re growing our business and our feed their children. But more than anycommitment to people, the planet, thing, it’s to be able to eat fresh, afordand future generations. Our veggies able produce, which is one of the val- Webb gives Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear a tour come with a vision, and we’re workues that my family stands on — giving of the facility. ing hard to see it thrive.” KM

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Underground

The world’s longest-known cave system, Mammoth Cave National Park offers beauty, mystery, and more

By Patti Nickell

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Underground

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The Historic Cave Tour offers visitors an introduction to the cave and follows social-distancing protocols.

S

training my eyes, I try to get accustomed to the darkness. Once I do, I am awestruck by what I see. Slender crystal columns suspended from the cave ceiling sparkle as if sprinkled with fairy dust. In the dim light the eerie formations sprouting from the walls and rising from the cave foor cast shadows that are remarkably lifelike.

One formation in particular intrigues me. It appears to be a not-so-human creature with bulging eyes and an elongated nose

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struggling to escape its stone prison. Te evil leer on its face might be sculpted from my fertile imagination rather than millions of years of erosion.

I am at Mammoth Cave National Park on the Historic Cave Tour, the only tour currently being ofered due to the COVID-19 pandemic (and, yes, you are required to wear a mask in the cave).

Te two-mile, two-hour self-guided walking tour serves as an introduction to the cave and allows socially distanced visitors to experience it from several perspectives.

You can stand in vast domed spaces and hear the sound of your voice bounce of the walls before testing your dexterity and fexibility in smaller, tighter passageways.

“Before the pandemic we ofered about 20 diferent tours,” said

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Underground

Molly Schroer, the park’s management analyst. “Tey weren’t all available at the same time as we like to switch them around according to the season and the particular interests of our visitors.”

So, you can assume that when post-pandemic life resumes the full roster of tours will also. Visitors interested in the karst geology of the park will be able to sign up for the two-hour Domes and Dripstones Tour. On this one you can see actively forming domes and pits before reaching the area known as Frozen Niagara, where many of the dripstone formations are on full display.

For those with a romantic bent, there’s the Violet City Lantern Tour. Conducted entirely by lantern light, this three-hour, three-mile tour takes visitors to some of the oldest mapped passageways in the cave. Warning: Tis trail has 160 stairs with no handrails, so you must be up for more than romance.

If you think the Violet City Lantern Tour is still a bit tame, you can opt for the Wild Cave Tour, a six-hour, fve-mile tour that involves a lot of crawling, climbing, shimmying, and snaking through small cave passageways. You can make good use of the time until Mammoth Cave fully reopens to hone your caving skills — and your courage.

Even with only one themed tour currently available, it’s well worth a drive to Western Kentucky to experience this natural wonder. It’s easy to imagine being in the company of ghosts when you are standing several hundred feet beneath the sandstone-capped ridges of Mammoth Cave — the most extensive cave system on earth, with 412 miles of passageways mapped and surveyed and an unknown number still to be explored. As a comparison, that is two times longer than the second-longest cave system, the Sac Actun underwater cave in Mexico.

Te commonwealth of Kentucky is known for its natural beauty, but nothing the state has to ofer can compare in majesty and mystery to Mammoth Cave. It might contain the most extensive known cave system in the world, but the National Park is pretty spectacular above ground as well, with 52,830 acres of reclaimed hardwood forest and winding riverways.

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Mammoth Cave’s dramatic rock formations inspire awe.

19th century (the frst formal cave tour took place in 1816), making Mammoth Cave the frst major tourist attraction in the United States, pre-dating all other national parks and monuments as sites worthy to be seen.

Among the notables who descended into the Rotunda and risked neck strain to gaze in awe at the Fairy Ceiling were writers Charles Dickens and Ralph Waldo Emerson, opera singer Jenny Lind, naturalist John Muir, Grand Duke Alexis of Russia, and actor Edwin Booth. During Booth’s visit, he recited Hamlet’s soliloquy in the part of the cave now known as Booth’s Amphitheater.

About his experience touring the cave’s Star Chamber, Emerson wrote, “I seemed to see the night heaven thick with stars glimmering more or less brightly over our heads and even what seemed a comet faming among them.”

History – both tragic and quirky Many ways to see the cave In a normal year (meaning a non-pandemic year) some 2 million visitors from around the world make their way to the national park, with 600,000 of those taking at least one cave tour.

Tey come to marvel at formations with fanciful names such as Roosevelt’s Dome, Giant’s Cofn, Grand Central Station, Snowball Room, Bridal Altar, and Star Chamber. Tese formations of stalactites, stalagmites, and columns are naturally carved from stone and eroded by water, their beauty frozen in time.

Travelers have made their way here since the early part of the

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While the 19th century marked the beginning of tourism at the cave, exploration began far earlier — about 3000 B.C. Tings really livened up during the Archaic Period (650 to 480 B.C.) as evidence reveals Native Americans of the period entered Mammoth Cave’s recesses in search of minerals.

Mammoth Cave’s natural wonders and biodiversity are only part of its appeal. Te cave area reeks of history. As a plaque near the cave states, “the feet of woodland Indians, long hunters, slaves, and old cave guides have passed this way.”

Trow in outlaws, Civil War soldiers, jilted lovers and jailbreak-

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Rafnesque Hall, a large canyon, is a toured passageway of dirt trails lined with rocks.

NPS PHOTO

ers on the lam, varlets and visionaries, and you can imagine that for every slab of granite there is a story to be told.

A story like that of Stephen Bishop, an African American slave.

Bishop became one of the cave’s most famous guides in the years prior to the Civil War and is credited with extensive mapping of its passageways.

With the aid of his natural curiosity and a cedar sapling, he unlocked the secrets of the cave beyond the Bottomless Pit. Laying

the sapling strap over the gaping mouth of the pit, he carefully maneuvered his way across. Among his discoveries on the other side were a river containing eyeless fsh and the formation known as Fat Man’s Misery.

If you are fexible, daring, and not claustrophobic, you might take the guided tour through this narrow passageway, described by a 19th century adventurer as “a tortuous rif, a snake in convolution and an avenue of torture in ruggedness, narrowness, and lowness that would perplex a groundhog.”

Don’t let that deter you. A 21st century reviewer claimed that “it’s only bad in two areas, and by the time you are thinking about freaking out, you are back out in a more open space.”

Ten there’s the story of Dr. John Croghan, a respected physician. In 1839, around the same time Bishop was exploring and mapping the cave, Croghan purchased Mammoth Cave Estate, including the cave, to advance his medical vision. He set about establishing a hospital for tuberculosis patients 160 feet below ground, believing vapors from the cave would provide a cure. His well-intentioned experiment proved a failure, and in a supreme twist of irony, both Croghan and Bishop succumbed to tuberculosis.

Te ghosts of Croghan and Bishop, along with others who perished here, haunt Mammoth Cave. In addition to the secrets of nature, other, darker secrets remain unThe Green River fows through 25 miles of Mammoth Cave National Park. told in the cave’s shadowy corridors. Eerie tales of unex-

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WONDER plained sounds, strange fickering lights, and disembodied footsteps abound.

As do legends such as the one about the young girl who, driven by her unrequited love for her handsome tutor, lured him to Echo River in the depths of the cave and abandoned him there, never to be seen again.

One cave tragedy was anything but legend. Floyd Collins was a caver whose story became a media cause célèbre in 1925 when, during an attempt to discover another entrance into the cave, he became trapped in Sand Cave. For

I SEEMED TO SEE THE NIGHT HEAVEN THICK WITH STARS…” KENTUCKY TOURISM

— RALPH WALDO EMERSON ON TOURING THE STAR CHAMBER

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Many visitors make return trips to the cave.

NPS PHOTO

nearly two weeks he remained trapped, and despite numerous rescue attempts and relentless press coverage of his plight, he perished — on Friday the 13th — just a few days before would-be rescuers fnally reached him.

Te cave’s history isn’t all tragic — there have been lighter moments. In 1834 a Methodist preacher held a religious service in the cave’s interior. In 1838 a man known simply as Wandering Willie walked all the way from Cincinnati to spend a night in the cave. In 1880, the Jesse James Gang robbed the Mammoth Cave stagecoach.

Te cave has been the site of a concert

Mammoth Cave National Park normally welcomes 2 million visitors a year.

MAMMOTH CAVE NATIONAL (by Norwegian violinist Ole Bull in 1845), an experiment in mushroom growing (1881), a Christmas tree celebration (1883), and the frst radio broadcast from inside the cave (at Echo River in 1938).

PARK ABOVEGROUND

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f you think Mammoth Cave National Park is just about the cave,

you might be surprised to discover

Memories of Mammoth

there’s plenty to do above ground

Te cave has been a National Park since 1941, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981, and an International Biosphere Reserve since 1990. Te last-named designation is the result of the diversity of the cave’s ecosystem. Among the many species so specialized they could not survive anywhere else are the cave cricket, cave beetle, cave salamander, and the eyeless crayfsh and shrimp.

Today’s explorers come not in search of minerals, medical facilities, or melodrama, but rather of memories, and they don’t leave disappointed.

Chuck DeCroix has had his share of memories during 26 years as a park ranger. He jokingly acknowledges that “the cave passageways seem to get a little smaller every year” and that he doesn’t do as many crawling tours as he used to. Still, he wouldn’t trade his memories for anything.

Memories of young spelunkers (8 to 12) hooked on the wonders of Mammoth Cave during the Trog Tour. Memories of seeing those same kids move on to Introduction to Caving, and in the case of the more adventurous, the Wild Cave Tour. Nothing thrills him more than seeing reluctant kids turn into cave lifers.

Of course, some visitors stand out more than others, leaving a lasting memory. DeCroix recalls leading one tour group to a formation of stalactites and stalagmites known as Bridal Altar and explaining how weddings used to be performed there prior to the cave’s becoming a national park. He held up a 50th anniversary photo of one couple who had been married there in the 1890s.

“It was 1991, the 50th anniversary of

as well. Included in its nearly 53,000 acres are rolling hills, river valleys, forests, historic churches and ceme-

CLAY COOK & CREW PHOTOS

teries, and sinkholes.

Even claustrophobics who wouldn’t dream of entering a cave Two steam engines now on display can fnd plenty to do. Free rangonce brought visitors to the cave. er-led hikes focus on everything from bird watching to stargazing.

A calendar of events can be found on the park’s website at nps.gov/ mammothcave Of course, you can strike out on your own to hike or bike 80 miles of trails or see the park on horseback with 60 miles of backcountry trails.

There are canoeing, kayaking, and boating on the 30 miles of the Green and Nolin rivers that run through the park, and anglers can try their luck at catching bass, perch, bluegill, and catf sh among other species.

Horseback riding is among the If you want to rough it, Houchin above-ground activities.

Ferry Campground, open yearround, offers an opportunity to camp on islands, in the foodplain, or by the river.

If that sounds like too much roughing it, the Lodge at Mammoth Cave, located next to the Visitor’s Center, features a mix of rustic, yet modern hotel rooms as well as historic cottages in a woodland setting, all within walking distance of cave tours and hiking trails.

Two dining options, Green River Grill and Spelunker’s Café and Ice Cream Parlor, are also available. For overnight reservations, call (844) 760-CAVE or visit mammothcavelodge.com.

Although Ranger DeCroix says that all above-ground activities remain open, visitors should ask about any COVID restrictions that might impact their visit.

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NPS PHOTO

The old Mammoth Cave Hotel once provided overnight accommodation to visitors.

Ed Bishop was a renowned cave guide.

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FROM THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE COLLECTION

FROM THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE COLLECTION

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Gothic Avenue was named for the unusual rock formations resembling Gothic architecture.

Mammoth Cave as a national park,” said DeCroix, “so I asked if anyone in the group was having their 50th anniversary, and sure enough, one couple raised their hands.”

Tat happy couple lef with a souvenir photo of their 19th century counterparts and assured themselves a place in DeCroix’s memory.

Ten there was the septuagenarian Japanese gentleman with a limited grasp of English who was the only person to sign up for one of the four-mile, 4½-hour Grand Avenue Tours. If DeCroix

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Park offcials hope to resume a wide variety of tours in the post-pandemic era.

had been apprehensive about the language barrier, he needn’t have worried. “It proved to be no problem as the cave communicated for both of us,” recalled DeCroix.

But perhaps the most memorable was the Kentucky man who became so enamored of the Wild Cave tour that he took it 100 times, said DeCroix. If you can put a price on love, that’s $6,600 worth.

Afer 5,000 years of intermittent exploration, much of Mammoth Cave remains shrouded in mystery and the full extent of this water-formed labyrinthine maze may never be known. KM

LANSDOWNE | HAMBURG | PALOMAR LOUISVILLE Opening June 2021 bluegrasshospitality.com

SPINNING TH

By Jacalyn Carfagno | Photos by Kirk Schlea

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Members of the Bluegrass Cycling Club set out from Keeneland to enjoy a spring afternoon on nearby country roads.

EIR WHEELS From club rides to families discovering the Legacy Trail for the frst time, the freedom and fun of being on a bike entice cyclists of all levels

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New Yorker exulted at what he found in early summer 1882 when he arrived with his bicycle to tour the Kentucky Bluegrass. “A blessed atmosphere of peace, prosperity and contentment seemed to pervade the landscape,” Karl Kron wrote in “Ten Tousand Miles on a Bicycle.” For eight days he toured Central Kentucky, logging 340 miles over roads “smooth and ridable [sic], though continuously hilly.”

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Cyclists on the Legacy Trail enjoy being on a bike in the Bluegrass and close to its signature equines.

Kron was not alone in his enthusiasm. By 1899 a Louisville man, Webster Gazlay, had published a “Bicycle Road Map of the Bluegrass Region of Kentucky,” showing distances, describing the quality of the roads, and ranking them as “fat,” “hilly,” and “very hilly.”

In the intervening century and more, the automobile came along and dominated life on roads in Kentucky as elsewhere, but cycling the Bluegrass hills has never lost its appeal. “If you live here and don’t know that you live in the best place in the world for road bicycling, you’re really missing out,” said Brad Flowers, a lifelong cyclist and founder of community cycling shop Broke Spoke.

Tese days fewer and fewer people are missing out. Last year, trips on the Legacy Trail — Lexington’s signature mixed-use trail stretching more than 12 miles from the Isaac Murphy Memorial Art Garden downtown into the Kentucky Horse Park — averaged more than 2,100 a week, while in 2019, members of the Bluegrass Cycling Club logged a total of 331,800 miles on 2,472 organized rides in the area.

“Te Bluegrass region is beautiful, unique,” explained Randy Tomas, an avid rider and a former BCC president, with “horse farms, stone fences, streams, rivers, and hills — there’s something for everyone, and all fairly close.” And the roads, for the most part, are still smooth and rideable.

Te coronavirus pandemic that devastated lives and businesses, upended social interactions, closed schools and churches, and disrupted professional sports, including horse racing, created an opportunity for cycling. Although there were far fewer club rides (hence the numbers from 2019 not 2020) and the club’s signature Horsey Hundred — a Memorial Day weekend event that attracts riders from across the nation and other countries — was canceled, less organized cycling experienced a tremendous upsurge as virus restrictions curtailed other activities. Average weekly bicycle trips in Lexington surged 20 percent in 2020, on par with the 21 percent increase seen nationally.

People raced to pull long-neglected bikes out of their garages or buy new ones as the grim reality of confnement became clear and the weather grew warm. Open air and naturally socially distanced, cycling became a go-to activity for individuals and families.

As an added beneft, less trafc on the roads in the early pandemic months made people feel safer on bicycles.

“It’s certainly been an adventure,” said John Baumstark, a partner in Pedal Power, the bicycle shop near the University of Kentucky that has been a mainstay for the cycling community for almost half a century. Cycling shops are seasonal businesses, relying on strong warm

COURTESY OF BLUEGRASS CYCLING CLUB

The Legacy Trail welcomes serious, long-distance cyclists as well as those out for a leisurely pedal. Right, participants in the Horsey Hundred emerge from one of Central Kentucky’s scenic covered bridges.

In addition to selling bicycles, Pedal Power carries accessories and instructional material and also makes repairs.

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SPINNING THEIR WHEEL S could bring bikes in for repairs and, for months, brought a selection of new cycles outside to customers to test ride. “It was slower but accepted,” Baumstark said.

Tis spring the shop was able to allow 10 people in at a time to look at cycles and gear.

Getting inventory has been a challenge, but the shop opted early on to stock up rather than retrench, and that turned out to be a good bet. “We saw a huge increase in demand for products and for services,” he said. Despite the challenges and the added costs, the surge in demand for cycling supplies and repairs made for a successful, if trying, year.

FROM NO TRAILS TO A NETWORK Cyclists found their way to the pastime in different ways. Baumstark “started of riding as a kid and never really stopped,” fnding exercise, transportation, and a career along the way. For Keith Lovan the story was a little diferent. He had ridPedal Power’s Jane VanWingerden helps a customer choose the right bike. den as a kid and remained active as an adult but really became devoted to cycling through his caweather sales to survive the winter months. Te pandemic and its rereer as an engineer for the city of Lexington. One of the frst jobs strictions hit just as that critical season began. assigned to him in 1998 was the Brighton Rail Trail stretching 3.8 “Tere was a sense of panic,” Baumstark said. miles from the Liberty Road and Hamburg area out to DeerhavBut cycling shops qualifed as essential businesses because they en Park east of I-75. “Wow, this is just great,” Lovan remembers provide transportation, and so they were allowed to continue operthinking when he saw the plans, and thus began his commitment ating. Being “very cautious, diligent, and fexible,” Pedal Power deto expanding cycling trails and lanes that continued until his reveloped ways to serve its customers. Tey set up a tent where people tirement late last year.

Pedal Power owner John Baumstark rings up a customer’s purchases. Right, Adam Carpenter works on repairs in the back of the store.

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Above, from left to right, Jerry Hager, Emmet Crowley, Evie Crowley, Vera Hager, and Ryan Crowley check out one of the Legacy Trail’s interpretive signs before heading out on the north trail, left.

At the beginning, Lovan said, “it was kind of a hard sell” building trails through neighborhoods. “Brighton went through 88 backyards, and it took 10 years to get the frst mile in.” Te second mile was much faster, and now residents and their council members clamor for trails. Lovan said the construction in 2010 of the Legacy Trail “was a game changer.” With miles of continuous, safe, of-road trail, “people could fnally realize what we were actually talking about.”

When he started in 1998 “there were four streets with bike lanes” in Lexington, Lovan said. “Tat was it; no trails.” Now Lexington claims more than 263 miles of bike trails, lanes, and wide paved shoulders to accommodate cycling.

When the Town Branch Commons through downtown is completed next year, it will link the Legacy Trail with the Town Branch Trail that runs through the Distillery District out to the Masterson Station area, creating 22 continuous miles of trails reaching to adjacent counties. Lovan said as trails have developed in Lexington, visitors from other communities have seen the possibilities and have begun eforts to build trails that could help create a regional system.

Tat idea of connecting communities caused Lovan to join the board of the new organization, Bike, Walk Kentucky, that works to raise awareness about and advocate for safe and accessible mixed-use trails across the state.

WELCOMING CLUB

Members of the Bluegrass Cycling Club enjoy a ride along Pisgah Pike.

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Te trail system in Central Kentucky has made cycling safer and more welcoming for families and young and novice riders. But many people interested in riding longer and exploring the rural landscape have joined the Bluegrass Cycling Club for the safety, companionship, and encouragement of riding in a group. Founded about 1970 as the Bluegrass Wheelmen (yes, women did raise objections), it now has more than 700 members. In 2019, club riders averaged almost 30 miles per ride.

Te club name was ofcially changed under the leadership of Peggy Littrell, who served as president from 2007 to 2013. It was in those years that the club grew and developed its current structure with an active board and more than a dozen committees that work on things ranging from education to social activities to

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SPINNING

COURTESY OF BULLHORN CREATIVE

THEIR WHEEL S

Broke Spoke sells affordable used and rebuilt bikes and also teaches people how to care for them. The organization is located in the West Sixth Brewing complex.

MAKING BIKES AFFORDABLE

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roke Spoke was founded in 2010 with “this vague idea that there was a group of people who were underserved,” explained founder Brad Flowers. The idea was to make bicycles affordable for people who need them for transportation and to create a place where people could learn to care for bikes.

People can “buy” bikes through sweat equity by working in the shop, a completely volunteer organization located on the Legacy Trail in a building that houses West Sixth Brewing.

Broke Spoke maintains a full complement of parts.

The shop accepts donations of bicycles and then volunteers break them down non-pandemic) summer when the shop is and rebuild the parts into workable cycles, open, all eight workstations are occupied as selling them for $200 and less. People who well as two overfow stations for simpler realready own bikes can bring them in to work pairs such as patching tubes. The idea is not on them at fully equipped stations with only to offer affordable repairs but “empowknowledgeable volunteers to guide them. erment,” he said. “We want to provide the Flowers said that during a typical (read: space, the tools, and the community to give

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someone that confdence boost they need to repair their own bike.”

Broke Spoke’s small budget is supported largely by what people pay for bikes, parts, and workstation rental, plus contributions and fundraising. Broke Spoke participates in the Community Foundation’s Good Giving Challenge, and its signature fundraising event for several years has been the Savory Cycle (“Think of it as a progressive day of eating in the Bluegrass,” the Facebook page says), based in Midway at Holly Hill Inn. Flowers says Broke Spoke is in the process of rethinking its organization to meet the demand that far exceeds what the organization can do with an all-volunteer staff. That likely means more focused fundraising this year, Flowers said, so stay tuned for ways to help make safe cycling affordable to more people.

COURTESY OF BLUEGRASS CYCLING CLUB

COURTESY OF BLUEGRASS CYCLING CLUB

philanthropy to, as Littrell said, “get people more invested and involved.”

In 2019, for example, the philanthropy included gifs of bikes and helmets to refugees and veterans to provide transportation to work; funds for cycling Christmas gifs, including “shop with a cop” programs in three counties; and a gif to Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Bluegrass to provide 160 helmets and locks, as well as a grant to produce public service announcements in English and Spanish about sharing the road safely. Last year when the executive director of the Chrysalis House told BCC that the women in recovery there wanted bikes to take out on the nearby Legacy Trail, the club helped the organization, purchasing the bikes from Broke Spoke and delivering them to Chrysalis House.

“Te BCC has been an amazing partner,” Flowers at Broke Spoke said.

In addition to the hundreds of rides for members — membership is $20 a year — the club annually hosts two events that draw riders from all over. Te Red River Rally, conducted since 1970, is the longest continually operating group ride in Kentucky and is scheduled for participants to be able to enjoy the fall colors in the Red River Gorge area.

Almost as old and much larger is the Horsey Hundred. Begun in 1978, the Memorial Day Weekend event has grown from 65 registrants the following year (no one kept count in ’78) to 2,740 by 2019, attracting riders that year from 38 states and four countries.

Like Karl Kron (the pseudonym under which Lyman Hotchkiss Bagg wrote “Ten Tousand Miles on a Bicycle”), they remark on the beauty and challenge of riding the rolling hills of the region and the abundance of horses. Unlike him, they fnd hundreds of volunteers from the Bluegrass Cycling Club to welcome them with well-marked routes and rest stops along the way with food, water, repair stations, and shade. And they contribute to the local economy: Scott County fgured that, all told, cyclists spent almost $600,000 there over that weekend.

Left, the Red River Rally, Kentucky’s longest continually operating group ride, takes participants through the fall foliage of the Red River Gorge. Above, on Memorial Day weekend riders cross the finish line in the Horsey Hundred.

Beyond the big numbers and the economic beneft, people ride bicycles in the Bluegrass because they love it. “I ride because I want to be physically healthy. I think it’s also mentally, emotionally, and spiritually healthy,” said Littrell, who recently retired as a graduate instructor of nursing at the University of Kentucky. She can tick of the aerobic benefts, the benefcial hormones released as you ride, and how it’s easier on your joints than many types of exercise. But it’s being outside with friends in the “unparalleled beauty” of this equine-infuenced landscape that makes her committed to the club and to riding. “It kind of frees your mind from the clutter and the chaos of what we can experience all day, every day.” KM

The Bluegrass Cycling Club has hundreds of organized rides throughout the cycling season.

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Making a Difference ISAAC MURPHY MEMORIAL ART GARDEN

NO LONGER

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THE ISAAC MURPHY MEMORIAL ART GARDEN PAYS TRIBUTE TO LEXINGTON’S CELEBRATED JOCKEY AND THE EARLY HORSE INDUSTRY

By Maryjean Wall Photos by Mark Mahan

FORGOTTEN Jim Embry (center) and Bruce Mundy (right), who spearheaded the Isaac Murphy Memorial Art Garden, talk with fellow community organizer David Cozart.

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Making a Difference ISAAC MURPHY MEMORIAL ART GARDEN

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Bruce Mundy

WO MEN DRIVING through the inner city slowed at every vacant lot, eyeing each one for its potential. Teir names were Bruce Mundy and Jim Embry. Tey were community organizers in 2006 who were hunting for property where they could build an art garden honoring jockey Isaac Murphy and his fellow 19th century horsemen.

Jim Embry

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Te men weren’t precisely sure where the national champion had lived although they knew it was somewhere along East Tird Street.

Tey only knew this neighborhood, near where the Kentucky Association track had once stood at Fifh and Race, had been heavily populated by horse people. Jockeys, trainers, a Derby-winning horse owner, saddle-makers, makers of racing silks, horse doctors, caretakers of horses, and blacksmiths lived there, African Americans frequently alongside whites. Teir jobs, not their ethnicity, defned them, with racing their common interest. If Mundy and Embry were going to share how Kentucky’s $3 billion horse industry got started, this surely was the proper neighborhood for unspooling their narrative.

Eventually they found their perfect spot: a weedy, half-acre lot where East Tird begins its dogleg turn into Winchester Road. Tey did not know who owned the land or whether the owner would be willing to sell, but they could envision this plot memorializing Murphy and all the others, forgotten now, who worked in the early industry.

Tey would call it the Isaac Murphy Memorial Art Garden.

What they did not realize was this land actually had been the front

Although Embry and Mundy didn’t know it at the time, the land that became the garden was once part of Isaac Murphy’s estate.

portion of Murphy’s estate. No one knew this until the art garden was well underway, when a newly published book revealed this information. Turns out the art garden lies at an entrance drive leading to the jockey’s house. Call it providence; call it serendipity. Most would say they hit the bull’s-eye.

Te art garden has become iconic to East Tird Street. It serves as the trailhead for a jogging, walking, and bicycling byway known as the Legacy Trail, which leads through the city to the Kentucky Horse Park on Ironworks Pike. Soon the garden will become the trailhead for a second pathway: the Town Branch Trail, scheduled for completion in 2022. Te Town Branch trail will lead through downtown and the Lexington Historic Distillery District, winding up at Masterson Station Park.

Te art garden has produced more spinofs: festivals and presentations ofered on-site, along with an Isaac Murphy bicycling club founded by Kentucky poet Frank X Walker. Children created the initial outdoor artwork, a series of tiles depicting the early racing industry. Holding pride of place on-site is a sculpture standing 16 feet tall honoring Murphy. Te art garden’s board of directors has installed a natural stone amphitheater. Soon, afer the board obtains additional funding and donations, more artwork will appear in the form of wooden panels designed to tell more about the horsemen of this neighborhood.

Keeneland is a longtime supporter of the art garden, and the Keeneland Library supplied most of the resources featured on the art garden placards. Tis year’s annual commemorative Maker’s Mark bottle, released in partnership with Keeneland, features for

the frst time three distinct bottles, each with its own label showcasing Toroughbred racing via the work of artists Sandra Oppegard, Andre Pater, or Tyler Robertson. Proceeds from the bottle sales will go to LexArts, with funds earmarked to realize a permanent art installation by Lexington folk artist LaVon Van Williams Jr. at the art garden as well as future arts programming within the park.

Corporate, private, and government entities joined with Mundy and Embry to develop this art garden into the gem it has become.

Te garden’s evolving into a destination for all of Lexington is ironic, for in the beginning Mundy and Embry were merely attempting to replace an earlier art garden known only to inner city residents.

Tat garden was named the Mary Britton Garden afer Kentucky’s frst female African American physician who practiced in Lexington. Few could have dreamed at the start that the garden would involve so much of the community, with bigger plans to come once fundraising begins again afer COVID-19 restrictions are lifed.

Part of a larger story Tese days the Isaac Murphy Memorial Art Garden is a charming urban oasis flled with trees and other plantings. Visitors can trace the foundation of what the garden’s founders believe was Isaac Murphy’s house and see “My Home is a Horse and Track,” the 16foot, stainless-steel sculpture dedicated to Murphy that has at its base two intersecting horses, with one horse grazing and the other racing. Rising high on the sculpture’s central mast is Murphy’s portrait, surrounded by a horseshoe and topped with a horse’s tail, fashioned in steel and presented as blowing in the wind. Tifany

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PHOTOS BY Z

ISAAC MURPHY MEMORIAL ART GARDEN

“My Home is a Horse and Track,” a 16-foot, stainless-steel sculpture, pays tribute to Murphy and stands as a beacon in Lexington’s East End.

‘‘

WE CLAIM TO BE THE HORSE CAPITAL OF THE WORLD, BUT WE DONÕT TEACH IT.Ó — JIM EMBRY

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and Neal Bociek of California designed the sculpture, which was fabricated in Lexington by sculptor Andrew Light of Material Alchemy Studios Although the garden began as an efort to help revitalize the city’s East End, it has evolved to serve all of Lexington. Its narrative about 19th century horse racing absolutely is a Lexington-wide story, as the horse business became a major economic driver for the entire city late in the 1800s and into the 20th century and up to modern times. For many years local residents sufered a memory lapse about the significant role the East End played in building the horse industry. But that is what the art garden is intended to correct. Te horse

farms played their part and racing played its role, with the one side unable to fourish without the other. Racing at the Kentucky Association track could not have survived without the athletes and crafsmen who populated the East End and participated in a variety of ways in the sport.

Mundy and Embry wanted the art garden to do more than tell a story. Tey wanted East End youth to learn from the stories and hopefully realize a sense of pride in the neighborhood’s origins. To know the stories is to feel pride in the past and envision a prideful way into a powerful future. Embry had seen amazing transformations in people when he worked establishing art gardens in Detroit from the 1990s up until 2005.

KEENELAND

Mundy shared Embry’s vision.

Tey were determined to get this done for Lexington. Tis was why the two were so excited to fnd a suitable plot in the old racetrack neighborhood where they could relate the rich narrative that unfolded here.

“But the story [the art garden] tells is bigger,” said Ben Allen, an attorney who is co-chairman of the board of the Isaac Murphy Memorial Art Garden. He told Children created a series of tiles depicting the how the art garden board is at- early racing industry. tempting to retell this neighborhood’s narrative — as it relates to all of Lexington — through art, tours, and historic presentations at the art garden. Allen was not involved with the garden’s early years but has embraced its purpose.

He has a special appreciation of archaeology and was delighted with the discovery of a foundation that the garden’s board of directors believes was Murphy’s residence.

Forward movement for the project slowed at times but never stopped. Embry and Mundy learned the state owned the property. It had been intended for a road widening that never took place. Upon inquiring, the men learned the state would be willing to transfer the land to the city of Lexington to be used as a park, or in this case, an art garden. Te city appeared willing to accept the property. Nonetheless, the garden really did not begin to come together until the Leadership Lexington class of 2007 took it on as the project for that year’s class.

Leadership Lexington, sponsored by Commerce Lexington, has been active in leadership development for some 40 years. Each new yearlong class of emerging leaders takes on a project while learning about public issues and urban dynamics. Te 2007 class was considering projects to enhance the East End as part of an internal push to racially diversify Leadership Lexington. Embry and Mundy invited the group to help get the art garden up and running.

Many more groups became involved, as creation of the art garden and its centerpiece sculpture turned into a community-wide efort. Te efort became something of a pioneer project nationally, as the art garden is believed to be the frst park in the United States to honor the earliest African American professional athletes: Toroughbred jockeys.

Mundy and Embry consistently adhered to the notion anchoring

Proceeds from the sale of 2021 commemorative Maker’s Mark bottles will help fund a permanent art installation.

their vision: that it takes a community of people to put a jockey on a horse. Te community consists of horse trainers and saddle-makers and feed suppliers and horse doctors and whatnot.

Tis remained the reason the men wanted the name of the garden to include the word “memorial,” as the garden honors the memory of Murphy and many others.

Restoring historical memory Murphy still remained the central fgure, just as he remains today the only jockey to realize 44 percent winners from his mounts. All the same, Murphy seems an ironic choice for a park where the purpose is to restore lapsed historical memory. Murphy himself was lost to history following his 1896 death. Despite all his

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Murphy in racing silks

KEENELAND LIBRARY

Murphy aboard Tenny

Murphy, third from right, at the Salvator clambake

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saac Murphy would not have seen it coming, this citywide effort to honor him and his neighbors.

By all accounts he was humble and reserved, so when he brought his wife, Lucy, to their new home in 1887 on this estate, he saw no further than a lovely residence revealing a vast improvement over their original neighborhood, on Megowan (now North Eastern) Street.

It was said you could see the racetrack across the felds if you stared hard from the widow’s walk at the top of the Murphys’ new house.

The location was ideal.The young, church-going couple had assumed an enviable position as civic and social leaders among Lexington’s African American residents, and so this large house, partly in the country, affrmed their upward mobility. Murphy had also joined a Masonic Lodge, a statement affrming civic responsibility among African Americans during the latter 1800s.

In a career that spanned the 1870s into the 1890s, Murphy rode for some of the best racing stables in the nation. He was the highest-paid athlete in the United States, earning at least $20,000 annually. He was proud of the reputation he held for extraordinary honesty, unusual for a jockey of his era. People looked up to him.

He stood out among the great numbers of African Americans across the nation who built successful careers in business, politics, the professions, and athletics. African Americans accomplished this with great energy and ambition after slaves attained freedom at the end of the Civil War and with the 13th Amendment outlawing slavery, both in 1865. Some 30 years of fuid times unrolled until a U.S. Supreme Court decision in 1896 — Plessy v. Ferguson — legalized segregation, pushing back African Americans almost to the point of slavery. Had he lived, Murphy undoubtedly would have been dismayed to see the cadre of black jockeys consequently disappear.

Murphy lived a good life alongside Lucy, whom he married in 1883. Early in their marriage they lived in a two-story Italianate villa they purchased on Megowan Street. In less than a decade, however, their neighborhood had slipped into deep decline. Megowan had become the center of the red-light district. Brothel-keepers, white and African American, were setting

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up shop along Megowan and neighboring streets.The Murphys wanted no part of this.They couldn’t move soon enough, for in 1890 the notorious Belle Brezing opened her mansion for men only a few houses removed from the Murphys’ villa.

And so, the Murphys moved to the semi-rural setting of EastThird Street, which seemed like it was somewhat “out in the country” as it had not been developed. For the next nine years the couple enjoyed their new address.They rode about town in their private carriage pulled by handsome horses. Murphy engaged a valet, a white man, to assist him at home and to travel with him by railroad to the nation’s premier racetracks.The couple gave many elegant parties at their residence, with at least two of these galas covered by a local newspaper.

Each year upon the close of the racing season, Murphy departed the nation’s major racecourses in New Jersey and New York to spend the winter relaxing at home with Lucy. It was here, on East Third Street, that Murphy died in 1896, f ve years following his third time winning the Kentucky Derby. His three winning Derby rides were unmatched at that time.

Local newspapers devoted a great amount of coverage to Murphy’s funeral. Among those who attended were Col. James E. Pepper, a distillery operator and horse farm owner in Lexington. Murphy’s family sent out engraved invitations to the services.

Jockeys, horse trainers, and horse owners sent foral arrangements.The Lincoln Lodge No. 10 of the Colored Masons, which included Murphy among its members, declared “the community has lost one of its best and most successful citizens.”

Lucy eventually was forced to leave their residence after spending all of their savings.The house was sold at a master commissioner’s sale. Eventually it was torn down.The city cut a new road, Nelson Street, through the estate while preparing the way for residential housing and commercial property on 31 lots all carved from the estate and auctioned in 1903.

Historians lament that no photograph of Murphy’s house ever has been found. But there does exist a plat drawing of the property, confrmation of where he lived and a linear representation of the property, including an outline of the house.

KEENELAND LIBRARY

Groups such as Leadership Lexington meet at the garden’s stone amphitheater.

Eugene Webster stands by Murphy’s grave in a 1961 photograph.

achievements, people forgot about him until the early 1960s, when a former newsman and his wife, Frank and Betty Borries, brought his story back to life. Borries had come across Murphy’s name when reading old sporting periodicals. He wanted to know more, but this was nearly impossible so many decades following Murphy’s death.

Recollections of Murphy dimmed quickly following his death in 1896. Racism had begun a steep rise in the United States, and with this upswing, Black athletes dropped not only out of sight but also out of memory. Memory of Murphy became so lost to history that in 1906, a mere 13 years following his death, the whereabouts of his gravesite also had been lost to local knowledge. A small group of horsemen from the Kentucky Association wanted to replace a wooden marker with one poured in concrete but they could not fnd anyone who knew where he had been buried at African Cemetery No. 2. Tis seemed a strange development considering huge crowds had lined the streets to the graveyard when a horse-pulled conveyance took Murphy’s casket there.

Te horsemen eventually found the grave upon discovering Eugene Webster, a local man who was able to lead them to the precise spot. Webster’s father, Richard Webster, had taken him to Murphy’s

gravesite when Eugene was a child and Eugene remembered the way. Te horsemen accomplished their mission in 1906. But soon aferward, knowledge of the burial site’s location became lost a second time.

Borries became obsessed with Murphy early in the 1950s and ’60s and began looking for the site in 1961. He, too, was unable to fnd the location. No one could tell him where it was — until he, too, found Webster and enlisted his help. A photo exists showing Webster at the gravesite alongside the concrete marker installed in 1906. But the fact that the site was lost to memory — twice — said a lot about loss of historical memory concerning the famous jockeys who had lived in Lexington’s East End. Murphy’s gravesite fnally received the nod from history it deserved, when his remains were moved in the 1960s to the site of Man o’ War’s former paddock on Hufman Mill Pike and later to the Kentucky Horse Park. At the Horse Park, visitors can view the grave when they visit the Man o’ War memorial.

Much efort has gone into reversing forgotten memory of 19th century racing stars such as Murphy. Te late Anne Butler and, presently, Yvonne Giles have researched much of the East End history as it relates to racing. A group called Phoenix Rising also has conducted research about the lives of Black horsemen whose contributions formed the backbone of the horse industry, especially in Lexington. Te art garden’s board works closely with Phoenix Rising, and the synergy between the two has brought a considerable amount of forgotten history back to life. Te narrative growing out of this research is a story textured much more richly than the history of racing as it was previously understood. Tis will determine how history is told in the future.

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Making a Difference

PHOTOS BY Z

ISAAC MURPHY MEMORIAL ART GARDEN

The art garden is thought to be the frst of its kind to honor African American athletes.

In addition to serving as a trailhead for the Legacy Trail, the art garden also will be a future trailhead for the Town Branch Trail.

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For example, said David Cozart, another community organizer in Lexington, “We believe [the art garden] infuenced awareness that led to the naming of Oliver Lewis Way.” Oliver Lewis won the inaugural Kentucky Derby on Aristides in 1875. For years racing fans heard only the name of Aristides and not that of his African American jockey. Now he has a road named for him connecting Newtown Pike with South Broadway.

Another way the history of the East End continues to come to life is through the Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation’s new East End Walking Tour.

Te tour may be taken either physically or virtually, with support from presenting sponsor Keeneland that enabled the creation of the “Tour the Historic Bluegrass” mobile app.

“It is in keeping with Keeneland’s mission to support initiatives such as the Isaac Murphy Memorial Art Garden and Phoenix Rising to help preserve this important history for our industry and our community,” Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said.

Plans at the art garden include continuing to keep young people involved in making art or planting additional landscaping. While they’re busy planting or drawing, young people will hear Murphy’s story and the stories of many others in Lexington’s East End who helped build the horse industry.

“Te task now is to promote programming at the garden,” said Tomas Tolliver, an East End resident and art garden board member. “When things return to normal [afer COVID-19 restrictions have cleared], we would love to see some sort of activity at the garden on a weekly, if not daily, basis. It’s the perfect outdoor classroom, what with its open space and amphitheater.”

“We claim to be the horse capital of the world, but we don’t teach it,” Embry said. “We ought to have tours every day because ‘horse capital’ goes back to that foundation: to the [Kentucky Association] racetrack, to riding style, to coming from of the pace and all these great contributions to the sport.”

Cozart marveled that the project had elements ranging from grassroots in the East End to business leaders and to government engagement. “To me, that’s one of the richest parts of the story,” he said.

“And it was serendipity,” Cozart added, “that it ended up being where Isaac Murphy lived.” KM

The Mule Team (from left): Brutus Clay, CEO, Runnymede Farm; Dr. Luke Fallon, Member, Hagyard Equine Medical Institute; Anne Hardy, Executive Director, Horse Country; Headley Bell, Managing Partner, Mill Ridge Farm; Price Bell, General Manager, Mill Ridge Farm

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We have a stable of great ideas to get your giving goals across the finish line.

Contact us today to establish your charitable fund.

bgcf.org

499 East High Street • Suite 112 • Lexington, KY 40507 / 859.225.3343

Keeneland Initiatives SUMMER 2021

ENHANCED SAFETY PROTOCOLS PROTECT HORSE AND RIDER

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Tis represents a collaborative efort among Dr. Brown and Dr. Mundy, Keeneland’s horsemen and their attending veterinarians, and the state regulatory veterinarians who monitor every horse in training at Keeneland and Te Toroughbred Center (TTC).

Recent reforms include mandatory veterinary inspections prior to workouts and race entry along with enhanced medical reporting and transparency requirements for trainers and attending veterinarians with regard to the ftness of horses to work and race.

Horses are examined at their barns and on the track every day. Tese evaluations focus on the well-being of each horse and become the foundation for decisions made on the horse’s behalf regarding competing, seeking further diagnostics, scheduling time of, or considering other suitable options.

“Te single-most important opportunity we have to positively impact the welfare of the equine racing athlete can be found in the creation of these unique examinations centered on the well-being of every horse who touches our racing surface,” Brown said. “By defning the parameters contained within the equine safety agreements we have with our horsemen, we create the qualitative approach to advocate for the safety of each horse that resides at Keeneland and TTC. Te outcomes of these conversations among the advocates who care for these horses allow us to assess their suitability to compete safely on our racing surfaces.”

Tis spring Brown and Mundy worked with Keeneland’s Broadcast Services team to create a network of video cameras that cap-

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PHOTOS BY Z

he welfare and safety of horse and rider remain Keeneland’s top priority. Under the leadership of Equine Safety Director Dr. Stuart Brown and Racing Safety Ofcer Dr. George Mundy, Keeneland deploys innovative strategies that further strengthen its safety protocols.

Equine Safety Director Dr. Stuart Brown (above) and Racing Safety Offcer Dr. George Mundy monitor horses in person and via camera, share their observations, and work alongside state veterinarians and trainers to ensure horses can compete safely.

ture footage of horses training and racing over Keeneland’s dirt and turf surfaces and its all-weather training track. Te system is the frst at a U.S. racetrack that monitors and evaluates horses for safety purposes.

Five stationary cameras that pan, tilt, and zoom provide multiple views of horses on each track. Mundy can control camera positions and record video from his perch on the fourth-foor grandstand overlooking the main track. He communicates with Brown, who is trackside and in the stable area throughout the race day.

Te two share observations about horses training, warming up before races, and

galloping out afer races. If needed, they can provide video to state veterinarians, stewards, and trainers anywhere on track for viewing.

“Twenty-fve years of information gathering has taught us that a horse at risk of injury falls somewhere in the bone stress continuum,” Mundy said. “Horses are honest and changes in their routine exercise gaits are ofen early indicators of ongoing or impending injury. Keeneland’s video surveillance program is yet another tool for horsemen and veterinarians to enhance the safety of our racing and training populations each and every day.” KM