The Kentucky Association (also known as the Kentucky Racing Association E. Polk Johnson, ''A History of Kentucky and Kentuckians: The Leaders and Representative Men in Commerce, Industry and Modern Activities''"> E. Polk Johnson, ''A History of Kentucky and Kentuckians: The Leaders and Representative Men in Commerce, Industry and Modern Activities''
Volume 2 (Google eBook), Lewis Publishing Company, 1912, p. 758) was formed on July 23, 1826 to promote the

breeding Breeding is sexual reproduction that produces offspring, usually animals or plants. It can only occur between a male and a female animal or plant. Breeding may refer to: * Animal husbandry, through selected specimens such as dogs, horses, and rab ...

and

racing In sport, racing is a competition of speed, in which competitors try to complete a given task in the shortest amount of time. Typically this involves traversing some distance, but it can be any other task involving speed to reach a specific goa ...

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...

horses in the

Bluegrass region The Bluegrass region is a geographic region in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It makes up the central and northern part of the state, roughly bounded by the cities of Frankfort, Paris, Richmond and Stanford. The Bluegrass region is characterized ...

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

. The "oldest turf organization in America", it was founded by a group of prominent locals, who included planter and politician

Henry Clay Henry Clay Sr. (April 12, 1777June 29, 1852) was an American attorney and statesman who represented Kentucky in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. He was the seventh House speaker as well as the ninth secretary of state, al ...

Jesse Bledsoe Jesse Bledsoe (April 6, 1776June 25, 1836) was a slave owner and Senator from Kentucky. Life and career Bledsoe was born in Culpeper County, Virginia in 1776. When he was very young, his family migrated with a Baptist congregation through Cumber ...

, Dr. Elisha Warfield, and Thomas F. Marshall. Between 1828 and 1834, the Association acquired 65 acres of land in an area of the city of

Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is a city in Kentucky, United States that is the county seat of Fayette County, Kentucky, Fayette County. By population, it is the List of cities in Kentucky, second-largest city in Kentucky and List of United States cities by popul ...

that today is the east end of 5th Street at Race Street. On the property, the Association built a one-mile dirt racetrack with grandstand and stables to host

flat racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...

events.

Financial difficulties and sale

After more than six decades of success, financial problems led to the track being sold in 1890 to a group of investors. The

economic depression An economic depression is a period of carried long-term economical downturn that is result of lowered economic activity in one major or more national economies. Economic depression maybe related to one specific country were there is some economic ...

following the

Panic of 1893 The Panic of 1893 was an economic depression in the United States that began in 1893 and ended in 1897. It deeply affected every sector of the economy, and produced political upheaval that led to the political realignment of 1896 and the pres ...

was a serious blow, and financial difficulties plagued the new owners. Given the low economy, they had difficulty attracting horses for important events such as the 1896 Ashland Oaks, which the ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' described as a

farce Farce is a comedy that seeks to entertain an audience through situations that are highly exaggerated, extravagant, ridiculous, absurd, and improbable. Farce is also characterized by heavy use of physical humor; the use of deliberate absurdity o ...

after it drew only two entries. Facing imminent foreclosure, on March 18, 1897 the track was put up for sale. The status of the track remained in limbo for four years until Charles Green of

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...

, who had been a Trustee for the stockholders, purchased the track in 1901 for $1 plus other considerations.

April 1906 fire

In April 1906 a fire broke out at the track, which quickly spread to the surrounding private residences. Eighteen area homes were destroyed.

Notable events

The

Phoenix Stakes The Phoenix Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and it is sch ...

, now the oldest stakes race in the United States, was first run in 1831 as the Phoenix Hotel Handicap at the Kentucky Association track. Other important races inaugurated there and still run today, include the Ashland Oaks, revived as the

Ashland Stakes The Ashland Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in early April at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky, United States. It and the Ashland Oaks, the Kentucky Association racetrack's predecessor race, were named for ...

, which was named for Henry Clay's Ashland estate; plus the

Breeders' Futurity Stakes The Breeders' Futurity Stakes is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held annually in early October at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky. Currently offering a purse of $500,000, the race is open to two-year-old horses and is run ...

(1910), the

Blue Grass Stakes The Blue Grass Stakes, currently the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes due to sponsorship by the Toyota Motor Corporation, is a horse race for 3-year-old Thoroughbreds held annually in April at Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, Kentucky. The race is run ...

(1911), and the

Ben Ali Stakes The Ben Ali Stakes is an American race for thoroughbred horses run in the Spring of each year at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky. For 4-year-olds and up, it is a Grade III event set at a distance of one mile and one eighth mile on t ...

(1917). Some of the notable events that took place at the Kentucky Association Racetrack include: * On September 16, 1876, future

Hall of Fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...

jockey

Isaac Burns Murphy Isaac Burns Murphy (January 6, 1861 – February 16, 1896) was an American Hall of Fame jockey, who is considered to be one of the greatest riders in American Thoroughbred horse racing history. Murphy won three runnings of the Kentucky Derby and ...

earned his first win. * In 1898 Hall of Fame jockey

Jimmy Winkfield James Winkfield (April 12, c. 1880–1882 – March 23, 1974) was a Thoroughbred jockey and horse trainer from Kentucky, best remembered as the last African American to ride a winner in the Kentucky Derby (1902). Winkfield was born in Chilesbu ...

got his start. * On January 27, 1921, the champion stallion

Man o' War Man o' War (March 29, 1917 – November 1, 1947) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who is widely regarded as the greatest racehorse of all time. Several sports publications, including ''The Blood-Horse'', ''Sports Illustrated'', ESPN, and ...

arrived in Kentucky. Prior to beginning

stud Stud may refer to the following terms: Animals * Stud (animal), an animal retained for breeding ** Stud farm, a property where livestock are bred Arts and entertainment * Stud (band), a British progressive rock group * The Stud (bar), a gay bar ...

duty at Hinata Farm near Lexington, he was installed at Edward R. Bradley's stable at the Kentucky Association racetrack. A crowd gathered to watch him exercise gallop.

Management and new ownership

Past presidents of the racetrack include

John C. Breckinridge John Cabell Breckinridge (January 16, 1821 – May 17, 1875) was an American lawyer, politician, and soldier. He represented Kentucky in both houses of Congress and became the 14th and youngest-ever vice president of the United States. Serving ...

and General Leslie Combs. During 1918-1919, the Kentucky Jockey Club was created to take over the four racetracks in the state, consisting of the Kentucky Association,

Churchill Downs Churchill Downs is a horse racing complex located on Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, famed for hosting the annual Kentucky Derby. It officially opened in 1875 and was named for Samuel Churchill, whose family was ...

Latonia Race Track Latonia Race Track on Winston Avenue in Latonia ( Covington) Kentucky, six miles south of Cincinnati, Ohio, was a Thoroughbred horse racing facility opened in 1883. The track hosted a spring-summer racing series and a second in late fall. It wa ...

, and the Douglas Park Racetrack. The Kentucky Association racetrack closed in the spring of 1933 and its facilities were torn down in 1935. On April 17, 1933, articles of incorporation were filed for the

Keeneland Association Keeneland Association, Inc. is an equine business based in Lexington, Kentucky. It includes two distinct divisions: the Keeneland Race Course, a Thoroughbred racing facility, and Keeneland Sales, a horse auction complex. It is also known for its ...

; their new racecourse opened in 1935, located about six miles outside of Lexington. Today city roads Versailles and Man O' War Boulevard intersect at one corner. The Kentucky Association racetrack's historic gates were replicated at the Keeneland Race Course. The historical records for the Kentucky Association (1828 to c.1935) are maintained at the

University of Kentucky The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a Public University, public Land-grant University, land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentu ...

library's Special Collections & Digital Programs Division.

References

* * {{cite book, author = John Dean W title = Lexington: Heart of the Bluegrass, year = 1982, publisher = Lexington Historical Pub, isbn = 978-0-912839-06-6
The University of Kentucky library's Special Collections & Digital Programs Division
Defunct horse racing venues in the United States Horse racing in Lexington, Kentucky Horse racing venues in Kentucky 1826 establishments in Kentucky Sports in Lexington, Kentucky Henry Clay Defunct sports venues in Kentucky 1933 disestablishments in Kentucky