Historic photos show the growth of Lexington’s Keeneland racetrack over its 86 years

A Lexington tradition is back, the Keeneland Spring Meet.

The 15-day horse racing meet will run from Friday through April 29, with no racing on Mondays, Tuesdays or Easter Sunday (April 17). 

A popular event every spring and later in October for the Fall Meet, Keeneland will be packed early each day on the Hill with tailgaters. As the 1:05 p.m. post time approaches, the picturesque paddock will be blossoming with flowers and fans. And of course the grandstands will be filled with cheering patrons of horse racing. 

But this sight is nothing new for the legendary Thoroughbred Lexington racetrack.

Since its opening in 1936, Keeneland has been a popular destination in the heart of Kentucky horse country. The timeline and pictures shown in the video above, highlight Keeneland’s growth and history over the years to meet racing fans’ needs with construction expansions. 

Another thing that keeps growing at the track, the purses awarded. Overall, this year’s Spring Meet will award a record $7.7 million for 19 stakes races.

Keeneland Spring Meet

When: April 8-29, no racing Mondays, Tuesdays and Easter Sunday.

Where: Keeneland Racetrack, 4201 Versailles Rd.

Tickets: keeneland.com

This story was originally published April 7, 2022 at 1:10 PM.

Brian Simms

Lexington Herald-Leader

859-379-9041

Brian Simms has been with the Herald-Leader for 20-plus years, most recently reporting and editing coverage of restaurants, bars, food and bourbon. He is also a photographer and manages the newspapers photo archive that dates back to the late 1930s. Support my work with a digital subscription