Tickets on sale at Keeneland.com/library

Keeneland Library’s popular Lecture Series returns in winter/spring 2024 with four ticketed events that celebrate recently published works about Thoroughbred racing whose authors conducted research at Keeneland Library. For event details and to purchase tickets, please visit Keeneland.com/library.

During programs planned from January through May, the following authors will discuss their books, with each presentation followed by a reception and book signing: 

• Jan. 24 – Kim Wickens, Lexington: The Extraordinary Life and Turbulent Times of America’s Legendary Racehorse.

• Feb. 21 – Fred M. Kray, Broken: The Suspicious Death of Alydar and the End of Horse Racing’s Golden Age.

• March 7 – John Paul Miller, False Riches.

• May 9 – Avalyn Hunter, The Kentucky Oaks: 150 Years of Running for the Lilies.

“The authors in this lineup cover varied and engrossing territory,” Keeneland Library Director Roda Ferraro said. “From a chronicle of legendary racehorse and sire Lexington to a gripping account of superstar Alydar, and from a novel of race track intrigue to a comprehensive history of the Kentucky Oaks, this series is sure to please our fans of racing and newcomers alike.”

Released in July, Wickens’ Lexington has become a national bestseller and earned a nomination by the publisher for a Pulitzer Prize in the historical nonfiction category. 

“I love Keeneland Library not only for the wealth of information housed there, but because this award-winning library opens its doors and knowledge to everyone, whether a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, unpublished author, sportswriter, historian or fan who just wants to find out a little more about that horse, jockey or trainer,” Wickens said. “Keeneland Library is a special place and one that is dear to me. I spent many weeks there in this home away from home leafing page by page through some of the oldest sports periodicals in existence. Only because of Keeneland Library was I able to piece together Lexington’s history.”

Hunter’s The Kentucky Oaks, set to release next spring, traces the evolution of the classic through the stories of the men, women and fillies who made the race a symbol for women’s growing participation in the sport.

“I’m delighted to be part of the Keeneland Library Lecture Series,” Hunter said. “The Library is a treasure to any researcher interested in the history of the Thoroughbred and has been generous with its help on research issues. I’m glad to have the opportunity to share some of what I have learned about the history of the Kentucky Oaks and to contribute to the Library’s unique place in the Thoroughbred community.”

All programs will be held at Keeneland Library from 6:30-8:30 p.m. ET. 

Partial proceeds from ticket sales benefit the Keeneland Library Foundation, which supports the Library’s preservation, education and outreach mission and funds projects to expand access to its collections.

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Founded in 1939, Keeneland Library is one of the world’s largest repositories of information related to Thoroughbred racing, housing nearly 30,000 books, more than 1 million photographic negatives and prints, and thousands of newspaper and magazine articles about all aspects of the equine industry. At the globally renowned public research institution, Library staff has assisted thousands of journalists, writers, academics, historians, racing fans and others with research.

The Library is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. To reach the Library, enter Keeneland at Gate 1 (Man o’ War Blvd.) on Keeneland Blvd. and take the first right on Entertainment Ct. The Library is to the left of the Keene Barn and Entertainment Center.

For more information, visit Keeneland.com/library.