Traveling to Keeneland Horse Racing Track in Lexington, Kentucky

Keeneland Horse Racing Track is located at 4201 Versailles Road in Lexington, Kentucky and traveling to Keeneland is a fabulous experience. Keeneland was first built back the early 30's by Jack Keene, who initially considered it as a portion of his own private horse training and racing facility. However once the Depression era hit Jack Keene pretty much lost his entire fortune eventually losing the unfinished race track. A group of horsemen from the central region of Kentucky then purchased the race track and completed the construction of what is known as one of the North America's premier horse racing facilities. Keeneland's track was upgraded and renovated back in 2006, which included installing a Polytrack surface. Polytrack consists of a mixture of fibers, rubber and silica sand which is later coated with wax. Keeneland's renovation and upgrade also consisted of reconfiguring the racetrack so that it had wider turns, allowed for better viewing by visitors and the lengthening of the home stretch. Keeneland is 1 1/16th miles in distance with four perfectly symmetrical and sweeping turns.

Safety rails were installed along with a newly decorated and larger winner's circle. The trackside rail was beautifully constructed of stone and wrought iron and installed along side the grandstand and the clubhouse area. The Keeneland's clubhouse lawn and grandstand area was enlarged to approximately 17,000 square ft. to accommodate more patrons. The digital state of the art tote board provides some of the clearest and clear photos, video and graphics. Keeneland also got a well deserved upgrade in technology advancement including high def and radio frequency technology, including simulcast racing. Trakus video racing technology, offers patrons a unique glimpse into what the jockeys see. Sensor chips carried in saddle-cloths and antennas around the track track each horse in real time. Keeneland was the first race track in the United States to use the Trakus high tech technology which provides valuable data on every race horse.

The grounds at Keeneland were also upgraded to feature improved lighting, new drainage and irrigation systems. Keeneland also upgraded their landscaping throughout the entire race track grounds including the lawn and grandstand area.

Keeneland also has a beautifully designed track kitchen and any patron can enjoy the food but be prepared to eat alongside many jockeys and trainers of the race horses which you will be betting on. The kitchen is open daily starting at 6 a.m. for breakfast and runs year round, except for holidays. The track kitchen is located off the Barn area in back of the Grandstand area. Large groups over 12 people can also be accommodated but one should call 859-288-4147 for more information and reservations.

References for this article include:
www.race-track-info.com/horse-racing-usa/keeneland-race-track.html
www.lexingtonkentuckytravel.com/keeneland-lexington
www.keeneland.com/racing/default.aspx