Louisville, was Lexington-based Keeneland.
Both a racetrack and reputedly the world's
premier thoroughbred auction centre,
Keeneland is a work of art, boasting vast
gardens and grounds where the public can
picnic, hang out and learn how to bet and
barter. The nearby themed Kentucky Horse
Park offers family activities and houses the
remains of equine celebrities including
Triple Crown winner War Admiral, defeated
by Seabiscuit in 1938.
The historic Keeneland track was fea-
tured in the 2003 movie Seabiscuit, and in
2015, for the first time, Keeneland hosted
the Breeders' Cup to great fanfare. Across
the road is Lexington's boutique airport
where the private planes of billionaire
buyers come and go.
A FEAST OF FESTS
While I was unable to attend any festivals
on this trip, I found a number of annual
events throughout the state that celebrate
its natural resources, history and culture.
Among these are Newport's Great Inland
Seafood Fest and Covington's German
Oktoberfest and Maifest. Louisville is
famous for the Kentucky Derby Festival and
the end-of-summer Kentucky Bluegrass
and Bourbon Experience.
This exhilarating tour of "my new Ken-
tucky home" just scratched the surface for
me. From now on, I'll be timing my drives
to dig further into this exciting, evolving
state. So I'll see y'all next time.
T R A V E L P L A N N E R
Driving time from Toronto to
Lexington is about 10 hours. Air
Canada flies directly from Toronto
(YYZ) into Cincinnati (CVG); other
airlines fly the YYZ–Lexington (LEX)
route with transfers. For additional
information and trip-planning ideas,
visit kentuckytourism.com.
DS
