Lexington

Kim Wickens has been named the winner of the 2023 Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award for excellence in Thoroughbred racing literature for her biography of the great 19th century stallion, Lexington. The book, Lexington: The Extraordinary Life and Turbulent Times of America's Legendary Racehorse, creates a vivid time capsule back to the pre- and -post Civil War era. This was the second straight year a book about the peerless sire was honored, following Geraldine Brooks's 2022 win for her novel, Horse. Lexington is the first book authored by Wickens, a...

Applications for The Jockey Club's paid internship program for college students and recent college graduates and its five academic scholarships opened Monday. The eight-week internship program in Lexington, KY will accommodate up to three interns and is now available in the summer or fall based on the intern's preference. Interns will gain exposure to all companies and departments within the organization, and they will have the opportunity to spend additional time in areas that they find to be of particular interest. The Jockey Club scholarships will apply to the 2025-2026...

Old Friends will host this year's finalists for the Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award for a book signing held Wednesday, Nov. 20 from 12:30-2:30 p.m. at the Josephine Abercrombie Center located at 1841 Paynes Depot Road, Georgetown, KY. The finalists include: Katherine Mooney (Isaac Murphy: The Rise and Fall of a Black Jockey), Kim Wickens (Lexington: The Extraordinary Life and Turbulent Times of America's Legendary Racehorse) and Curtis Stock (The Turcottes: The Remarkable Story of a Horse Racing Dynasty). One semi-finalist will also be available for signing: John Paul Miller...

A Planning Commission Public Hearing is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 17, at 1:30 p.m. ET at City Hall in Lexington, Kentucky to discuss the completed draft of the Urban Growth Master Plan, according to a press release from the Fayette Alliance on Wednesday. Residents of Lexington-Fayette County are encouraged to provide public comment and input on the draft plan during this time. The Planning Commission will then reconvene on Thursday, October 31, at 1:30 p.m. ET at City Hall to review any proposed revisions and consider adoption as an element...

The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance will be on-site as a sponsor this year for The Retired Racehorse Project's Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium held at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY October 9-12. The event is the largest retraining competition for recently retired Thoroughbred racehorses and showcases the versatility and adaptability of these athletes as they transition into new careers while highlighting the importance of aftercare in ensuring successful second careers for Thoroughbreds. Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance will have a booth located in the Covered Arena during the Thoroughbred Makeover. Riders...

A public hearing at City Hall in Lexington, Kentucky is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 26 at 1:30 p.m. ET. concerning the expansion of industrial-scale solar development in the county, the Fayette Alliance said in a Wednesday release. After the comment phase is complete, a future vote by the LFUCG Urban County Council will take place on the Zoning Ordinance Text Amendment proposed by the solar development company Silicon Ranch. "Green energy should not come at the expense of prime farmland, which is recognized nationally and state-wide as the very best...

Thoroughbred Charities of America will return as the title sponsor for the Retired Racehorse Project's Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium the organization announced Tuesday. The Thoroughbred Makeover showcases recently-retired ex-racehorses, transitioned to new careers by trainers across North America to culminate in a four-day competition at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington annually in October. The Makeover offers 10 equestrian disciplines with over $100,000 in prize money offered; a division of competition for recently-retired broodmares returns for the second year. "The Thoroughbred Makeover has made a measurable impact on Thoroughbred...

LEXINGTON, KY - The Keeneland September Yearling Sale, which has settled into a standard format over the last four years, opens its 12-day run Monday with the first of two boutique Book 1 sections beginning at 1 p.m. Bidders returning to the Lexington venue will be welcomed to a redesigned pavilion with a more wide open view of the rostrum from the entrance, as well as wider hallways, increased lighting, and a grouping of tables and sitting area behind the rows of seats in the pavilion. "It's something we've been...

The Ed Brown Society, led by Chairman Greg Harbut and President Clark Williams, accepted the 2024 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame award on behalf of the late jockey Abe Hawkins during the induction ceremony Friday at Saratoga Springs. Hawkins, who died in 1867, is known for riding Lecomte to victory over the previously undefeated Lexington in 1854. The Ed Brown Society is a Lexington, KY-based organization whose mission is to celebrate the history of African Americans in the equine industry, and to provide exposures, experiences, resources, and professional...

A trio of authors have been selected as finalists for the 19th annual Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award with the winner being selected on Thursday, Nov. 7 at Castleton Lyons near Lexington, Kentucky, the farm said in a Friday morning release. This year's finalists are: Isaac Murphy: The Rise and Fall of a Black Jockey by Katherine C. Mooney Lexington: The Extraordinary Life and Turbulent Times of America's Legendary Racehorse by Kim Wickens The Turcottes: The Remarkable Story of a Horse Racing Dynasty by Curtis Stock The winner will receive...

A rezoning vote that could permit a super-sized recreational vehicle (RV) and "glamping" park to be built on farmland near Midway, Kentucky, got postponed from July 11 to Aug. 8, setting up the next clash in what has been a three-year civic and legal battle over whether a commercial operation of such a massive scale is right for the low-key city of 1,700 residents and the numerous horse farms in the area. When the project was first proposed in 2021, Woodall's Campground Magazine billed the "enormous" development as having "973...

Industry participants are holding a fundraiser for Grant and Tracy O'Shaughnessy at McCarthy's Irish Bar in Lexington Thursday, July 25. Grant was involved in a farm accident recently that has resulted in injuries including a broken ankle, pelvis, ribs, and lower vertebrae. These injuries will require multiple surgeries and Grant will face months of intensive physical therapy to regain his strength and mobility. The funds raised will be used to cover medical expenses, hospital stays, rehabilitation, physical therapy, and medications. Please contact Ben Burger 859-230-1574 or Neil Clarke 859-333-4682 to...