Lexington

Visit Horse Country, like many others, suffered a serious financial impact from the COVID-19 pandemic. Several members of the industry, such as Fasig-Tipton, Keeneland, the Breeders' Cup and The Jockey Club, stepped into help. However, Visit Horse Country has now partnered with the Bluegrass Community Foundation to launch a charitable fund supporting initiatives like services for TAA-accredited aftercare members of Horse Country which receive a complimentary membership; scholarship and field trip visits; community outreach such as Meet the Neighbors; and a new workforce development partnership with the Kentucky Chamber of...

The second of two Lexington-bound horse transport flights operated by Tex Sutton did not depart Stewart Airport in Newburgh, New York, as planned Monday morning, Larry Ulrich, a New York-based representative for the company confirmed. The morning's first Tex Sutton flight departed Republic Airport in Farmingdale, New York on Long Island at 7:49 a.m. EST, 49 minutes behind schedule, and landed at Lexington's Blue Grass Field at 9:21 a.m. EST, 44 minutes late. As the morning wore on in greater New York, the winds intensified, causing a trailer ban across...

A caravan of four massive Sallee Horse Vans journeyed from Fayette County to Bourbon County today to deliver the 13 members of the Hill 'n' Dale stallion roster to their new residence: Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa. While Hill 'n' Dale President John Sikura said there was apprehension going into the big move, everything went smoothly. "It's kind of like when a horse goes in the starting gate- lots can go wrong," he said. "But thanks to the quality and class of the horses and the horsemanship of everybody who...

The last few weeks have been a series of 'firsts' for Shannon Bishop Arvin. Named Keeneland's President-elect on Sept. 1, she will officially transition to President and CEO once the calendar turns to 2021, and in doing so, become the first woman to take on the position at the storied racetrack. Soon after Arvin was named President-elect this month, Keeneland conducted the first as-scheduled auction following the Coronavirus pandemic with the annual world-renowned September Yearling Sale. [tdn_vimeo_embed title="Keeneland's President-elect Shannon Arvin " admp4="https://player.vimeo.com/external/443062018.sd.mp4?s=9281d875881c13761cb298e3e2e6c1a3278b1b12&profile_id=165" videomp4= "https://player.vimeo.com/external/460267221.sd.mp4?s=a58b68a38504214f67682422c9ab9e4f07fe9d86&profile_id=165" thumbnail= ""] Arvin's first weeks...

If you peak through the windows of the new café in downtown Versailles, Kentucky, the sights and smells of the tantalizing cuisine draw you closer to the door. Cajun shrimp and grits, chicken pesto pizza and beef short ribs are laid out across wooden tables adorned with mason jars filled with freshly-cut flowers. Normally, many people living in this community wouldn't dream of stepping across the threshold of such an upscale, and perhaps mistakenly pretentious, establishment. The dollar signs listed on the menu next to those mouth-watering entrees would make...

On a sparsely traveled road in downtown Lexington, African Cemetery No. 2 sits encircled by a worn iron fence. The sounds of cars flashing by nearby busier streets, the incessant barking of a neighboring dog and the harsh droning of a drill from the adjacent auto parts shop carry through the isolated eight-acre plot. Opened in 1869, the site now contains over 5,000 graves, of which fewer than 600 are recognized with markers. The plot inters hundreds of enslaved African Americans, as well as members of the U.S. Colored Troops...

   The TDN has partnered with Amplify Horse Racing to present "The Next Generation," an ongoing video series featuring young people who were not born into the Thoroughbred business, but are now excelling within the industry. The only thing six-year-old Samantha Bussanich needed was a trip to Calder Race Course with her grandfather to know that racing was the sport for her. Flash forward less than twenty years later, and she's now an alumna of the University of Kentucky, and has made a name for herself in many sectors of...

Already a four-time stakes winner at Keeneland, eFive Racing Thoroughbreds's 'TDN Rising Star' Rushing Fall (More Than Ready) looks to add to that total in defense of her title in Saturday's GI Coolmore Jenny Wiley S. Winner of the GIII Jessamine S. at two and the GIII Applachian S. and GI QE II Challenge Cup at three, Rushing Fall controlled the pace in last year's Jenny Wiley, her one-length victory belying the ease with which it was accomplished. The $320,000 FTSAUG acquisition repeated the dose in the GI Just A...

From the TDN Look After following a roundabout encircling a giant bronze statue of Secretariat, a 16.9 mile historic road called Old Frankfort Pike twists and turns alongside ancient limestone rock walls and fenceline that holds some of the best Thoroughbred breeding stock in the country. The byway connecting Lexington and Frankfort has been named one of 'America's Most Outstanding Scenic Byways' and is often referred to as 'Thoroughbred Alley'- a nod to the industry that has been a part of the area's history even before Kentucky was admitted to...

Keeneland has released the condition book for its five-day Summer Meet at Keeneland, to be held Wednesday, July 8 through Sunday, July 12. The condition book is available online at Keeneland.com/racing or by clicking here. "We are excited to offer such a high-quality Condition Book and to have the opportunity to present a number of major graded stakes traditionally held during the Spring Meet," Keeneland Vice President of Racing and Sales Bob Elliston said. "We thank our horsemen for their strong support of Keeneland and our racing program."   Keeneland will...

The commercial kitchen at Keeneland Race Course will serve as the epicenter for a production facility that will use displaced Lexington-area hospitality workers to prepare and deliver free meals to people and organizations that need them in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Marc Therrien, the executive chef and managing director of Keeneland's hospitality, is overseeing the association's integration of volunteer efforts with FoodChain and Nourish Lexington, which are two charitable groups collaborating to use the skills and talents of local chefs, businesses, farms, funders, and nonprofit agencies in order...

David Lanigan has announced that he will be closing his training operation in Newmarket at the end of April and relocating to Kentucky. Lanigan and his American wife Amy, a much respected equine photographer, will live in Lexington with their two daughters. "Moving back to Kentucky has been something that we have thinking about for a while and the timing is right for us now to make the move," said Lanigan, who added that the decision is not as a result of the current coronavirus pandemic, which has brought a...