Keeneland history

In 1949 Keeneland installed an inside aluminum rail for its spring meeting, replacing the old wooden one.

For the 1950 Spring Meet the box seat area was rebuilt.

Hal Price Headley was elected President of the Keeneland Association, a position he would hold until 1951.

For the 1953 Fall Meet management decided to enlarge and extend the grandstand.

In 1954 a Walt Disney Productions featurette titled Stormy, the Thoroughbred with an Inferiority Complex had several scenes shot in the sales pavilion.

As Keeneland was envisioned to be a great horse race track, in September 1955, the first five-furlong training track was opened after almost a year of constructing and developing it.

In time for the 1961 Spring Meet an alpha- numeric message board was added at ground level in front of the infield tote board.

For the 1963 Spring Meet an alternate finish line was installed at the sixteenth pole.

In 1973 Keeneland added four 40-stall barns to the backside.

For the 1976 Fall Meet a new section of concert and steel replaced the historic wooden grandstand that had stood since the track opened.

In 1980 a walking ring was added to the Sales Pavilion to permit buyers to inspect the horses before they entered the auction ring.

October 11, 1984, was a very special day in Keeneland history.

In 1985 a new grandstand entrance adjacent to the paddock and walking ring was opened.

In June 1990 Keeneland submitted an amended application for dates to the Kentucky State Racing Commission asking for racing on Wednesdays through Sundays.

In the spring of 1991, for the first time in Keeneland history, races where held on Sundays.

Keeneland Gets an Announcer 1997

Sports Central is the longest-running independent sports fan publication online, established in 1998 and featured by the BBC, NY Times, Chicago Tribune, and more.

The Daily Racing Form donated these volumes in 2000, prompting the building of the new library.

Though plenty of extras showed up on filming days, some “spectators” were in fact the same inflatable dummies developed by Joe Biggins that debuted during the filming of Seabiscuit at Keeneland in 2003.

Vince Gabbert joined Keeneland in October 2009 and serves as the company’s Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.