Keeneland Library

On June 6, Keeneland Library received the Thomas D. Clark Award of Excellence from the Kentucky Historical Society to recognize outstanding achievement in preserving, sharing and promoting Kentucky's rich heritage. The Clark award presentation kicked off Kentucky History Day--a celebration of the state's role in America's story on the eve of the nation's 250th anniversary. The award, which is granted to one standout Kentucky entity each year, is significant in the world of history, research, education and cultural heritage stewardship. An agency of the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet,...

The Keeneland Library's spring-summer programs will kick off with a handicapping event with racing analyst Tom Leach on Apr. 29 to discuss contenders for the Kentucky Derby and that weekend's supporting races. The event precedes the Library Lecture Series which will spotlight legendary racing announcer Tom Durkin; champion racehorses A.P. Indy, Cody's Wish and Holy Bull; and a memorable journey on a retired racehorse by an acclaimed author. "We are really excited about Keeneland Library's lineup of upcoming events and being able to feature expert handicapper Tom Leach and master...

Coinciding with the United States of America's national celebration of the 250 th anniversary of the nation's founding, the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame will mark the occasion with a special exhibition, Racing at the Dawn of the United States. The presenting sponsor is Adirondack Trust Co. The exhibition will be open through December. The exhibition opens Saturday, Jan. 10 in the Museum's Link Gallery. Racing at the Dawn of the United States explores the foundation of thoroughbred racing in America from the colonial period to the...

The Keeneland Library once again has fielded an ambitious and educationally-minded schedule to start 2026 which includes tours, the Starting Gate Storytime program and its Library Lecture Series, the repository said in a press release on Thursday. The library continues to offer free year-round exhibit tours and a host of other programs geared towards all facets of the Thoroughbred industry's past and present. The popular lecture series includes authors who conducted research at the facility. Tickets are now available for these winter events: 21: Gary O'Dell, Reinventing the American Thoroughbred;...

The Thoroughbred transcends borders, oceans, entire cultures. To do so literally, of course, it will need a little help: ideally, nowadays, a plane. And that's where Andrea Branchini's day job comes in, as a shipping clerk with the transport firm Mersant International. But this is a man himself without frontiers. Branchini has lived and worked in five different countries, and traveled widely in between, constantly absorbing what makes one society different from another, and what brings them together. Few fields of interest, Branchini has observed, achieve the latter quite like...

Raíces: The Making of Latino Legacies in Racing, a new bilingual showcase and education initiative that highlights 100 trailblazing Latino men and women whose contributions have shaped Thoroughbred racing and breeding from the late 1800s to today, has opened at the Keeneland Library. The free exhibit is presented in English with an accompanying Spanish audio guide. "Raíces showcases the longstanding roles and achievements of industry professionals across the Americas: jockeys, grooms, exercise riders, owners, breeders, caretakers, veterinarians and beyond," Keeneland Library Director Roda Ferraro said. "The title reflects both the...

The annual end-of-year student networking event hosted by Amplify Horse Racing will be held Monday, Nov. 10 at the Keeneland library, the group announced Friday via press release. Set to begin 4:00pm and run until 6:00pm, the theme for this year's event is 'Storyteller Night: Exploring Careers in the Thoroughbred Industry'. Students, educators, industry and community members are invited to spend the evening storytelling, exploring careers, and establishing meaningful connections within the equine industry. Students will be offered an accessible way to meet professionals, explore pathways, and learn how diverse...

Keeneland Library's Lecture Series continues this summer with public events that celebrate recently published works about Thoroughbred racing whose authors conducted research at the facility. The series kicks off May 21 with Diane Crump and Mark Shrager discussing Diane Crump: A Horse-racing Pioneer's Life in the Saddle. It continues June 18 with "Celebrating 25 Years: An Evening with The Saratoga Special"; July 16 with Andy Plattner discussing Stymie and it concludes Aug. 20 with Catharine Melin-Moser discussing When Montana Outraced the East: The Rise of Western Thoroughbreds 1886-1900. All events...

In recognition of Black History Month, the Maryland Horse Library and Education Center will host the traveling exhibit, The Heart of the Turf: Racing's Black Pioneers. The exhibit will open Saturday, Feb. 1 with a talk by the exhibit curator, and Library Director, Roda Ferraro from the Keeneland Library. The exhibit will be available to visit at the MHLEC through Feb. 28. Heart of the Turf highlights the lives and careers of 100 African American horsemen and horsewomen from the mid-1800s to the present. One-of-a-kind photographs from the Keeneland Library...

Edited Press Release Keeneland Library is now presenting the exhibit Of Turf and Stone: Keeneland Through the Ages to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Keeneland Association, which established the race track and became a leader in the Thoroughbred industry. Showcasing photographs and memorabilia tracing the development of Keeneland's grounds, architecture, facilities and innovative industry firsts, the exhibit features photographs curated from Keeneland Library collections and Turf photographers who document today's race meets and events to highlight Keeneland's evolution from 1935 to today. "Racing has had a...

Old Friends will host a Family Day: Meet & Read to Old Friends Retirees event Saturday, Oct. 12 from 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. The event will highlight the book 'Jockey & Her Horse' by Cheryl White, the first black woman jockey to ride and win a professional race in the United States. The Family Day is part of The Heart of the Turf: Racing's Black Pioneers, a traveling exhibit sponsored by the Keeneland Association and developed and shared by the Keeneland Library, which is open to the public in the Josephine...

Old Friends will host The Heart of the Turf: Racing's Black Pioneers, a traveling exhibit sponsored by the Keeneland Association and developed and shared by the Keeneland Library, from Oct. 2 to 31, seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily, the retirement organization announced Tuesday. The exhibit, which highlights the lives and careers of 100 African American horsemen and horsewomen from the mid-1800s to the present, will be held in the Josephine Abercrombie Center at Old Friends at Dream Chase Farm in Georgetown, Ky. It will...