Not Till A Hot January: C2 Essay

For this second assignment, we had to pick a local place to analyze. We had to find any underlying messages the location could be sending. I had several places in mind for this essay, including my old high school building, the Henry Clay Estate, a local restaurant, as well as a local bookstore. I settled on Keeneland racetrack, which is a staple of Lexington culture. I quite enjoyed this essay, since it meant I got to go visit Keeneland when I normally wouldn't in order to do a bit of research. This essay was a good chance to practice my analysis abilities in a way I wouldn't normally use them.

Keeneland racecourse has been a part of Lexington’s landscape for close to century, and has seeped into the culture of the town. Keeneland itself has clung tightly to some of its traditions that have been around as long as the racecourse itself. On a clear day at the track, with the westward facing grandstand and the sun beating directly into your eyes, you can look up to the boxes and see women shading themselves with dainty white parasols, like we’d suddenly jumped back in time a century. The grandstand is divided into sections where those with more money have better accommodations and special private rooms, while the rest of the crowd gathers on the ground floor in hordes. This separation is indicative of a certain proclivity for aristocratic themes.

The structure of Keeneland itself is divided into the lower general seating area and the upper grandstand. The lower area is where anyone who has paid the five dollar entrance fee can sit or get as close to the rail as possible to view the thoroughbreds in all their glory. At any given time, there are numerous children hanging on to the railing around the track trying to get as close to the horses as possible. The only accommodations in this level are the dark green worn benches that are interspersed throughout the concrete surface. If someone wants to have a guaranteed seat, then they usually bring folding lawn chairs with them and set up camp. However, those with the deeper pockets sit above the rest of the crowd in their boxes or in the stadium seating. The dark green boxes in the front of the upper level are reserved for the wealthy horse racing families and esteemed horse farms. Each box bears a plaque identifying the family or horse farm that owns it, letting the entire world know exactly for whom it is reserved. The two rows of boxes are blocked from the rest of the seating behind them by a solid three foot wall, yet the only barrier between each box is a single rail the height of the surrounding sides of the box. This shows an openness amongst the people who own the boxes, yet also a closed off feeling towards everyone else who does not. There are even ushers in their dark green Keeneland jackets that stand by the entrance to the boxes. They make sure that anyone going through is wearing the sticker identifying them as being allowed to be there.

This is an aspect that we have definitely adopted from our British ancestors. Not just the sport of horse racing came with it. We have also seemed to take on certain traits of the aristocracy found in British culture in relation to horse racing. Even Queen Elizabeth II has visited Keeneland, solidifying this feeling of aristocracy even further. There are old horseracing families that have existed in central Kentucky for as long as Keeneland has been around. They are revered in the horse racing community. Clay Barnes, a horse owner from Keeneland’s neighboring town of Versailles, says that these families “are almost like the royalty that Kentucky never had.”

Although there are separate clubs and private seating for the more affluent of visitors, Keeneland still appears to be a beautiful lavish place to anyone visiting, not just the rich. The buildings are built of beautiful stone with ivy crawling up the walls. The focal point of the paddock is the enormous old sycamore tree. The windows along the buildings are Romanesque arches, giving an impression of an arcade found in spectacular cathedrals. Even in the parking lot, one feels like they are in a lavish place with the rows of large trees forming a canopy over the cars. “The manicured lawns, tree-shaded saddling area, ivy-covered walls and Japanese yews in the infield that spell out Keeneland, produce a picture perfect setting.”

For the people who have club tickets, there is an opulent entrance into the building with a grand staircase and high ceilings. There is also a restaurant that has large windows overlooking the paddock. A general theme here is that these people who are wealthier are above the rest of the crowd, literally. They don’t have to join the crowds of people trying to force their way as close to the paddock railing as they can to get a glimpse at the racehorses. They can simply look out the window and see all the horses in the upcoming race perfectly well. To even be close to the race as a club member is a luxury. There is an entirely separate area on the rail closed off only to these people. Club members enjoy a much less crowded, grassy area to enjoy the race.

Having said all this however, it is not hard for a person who is not from an old horse racing family to experience this luxury. Living in Lexington, the odds of knowing someone who owns a horse farm are pretty good. And it is a common practice for people to loan their friends their box for the day or their club tickets. It’s not as if it is completely restricted to those who are wealthier and own horses. And it is also not as if these richer families are snobs that we think of when we hear about those sorts of people.

Horse racing is something that is especially important to the people who live in central Kentucky. We take a great amount of pride in our horses and for good reason. “The water that passes through the massive limestone shelf that lies beneath our nourishing bluegrass pastures feeds the soil and grasses that grow strong horses unlike anywhere else in the world. The high mineral content in the soils of the Bluegrass Region leads to stronger bones and greater durability in horses and helps maintain our reputation as Horse Capital of the World.” Anyone who lives here wants to be able to see these thoroughbreds in their prime, and Keeneland is the place that they can do that. Even though there is a separation amongst the crowd, it is still open to anyone that wants. It is a gathering place for anyone who is a fan of horse racing.

Keeneland shows a sort of interesting mix of these two types of values. A sort of sense of aristocracy, yet also an American sense of democracy. Keeneland is a place where people of all types gather. The wealthy horse owners, as well as the general Lexington citizens who want to enjoy a beautiful day at the races and appreciate their Kentucky culture. As the first president of Keeneland, Hal Price Headley said, “We want a place where those who love horses can come and picnic with us and thrill to the sport of the Bluegrass. We are not running a race plant to hear the click of the mutuel machines. We want them to come out here to enjoy God’s sunshine, fresh air and to watch horses race.”