Bluebloods and Bluegrass

The first Saturday in May, millions of Americans who would not otherwise be inclined become horse fans. From Louisville, the Kentucky Derby is broadcast to a country of viewers who watch an event that’s been held for 124 consecutive years. Secretariat, Seattle Slew, Affirmed and other Triple Crown winners have become part of the nation’s collective memory, along with the twin spires at Churchill Downs and a sea of people in flat-brimmed straw hats sipping mint juleps.

Like the Super Bowl, Mardi Gras and New Year’s Eve at Times Square, the Run for the Roses is a grand-scale packing-in of people, an annual celebration of regional culture.

But there’s another, quieter side of Kentucky’s equine tradition: the Bluegrass horse-breeding country, southeast of Louisville, where it all begins. This is where the blueblooded aristocracy of the horse world is raised. And it’s as different from the Derby as the farming communities of eastern New York state are from the Woodstock concert.

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My father grew up in Kentucky, along the Ohio River. Later, he would spend most of his career in the city, running a business in Indianapolis and making trips to Chicago. A few years ago, nearing retirement, he decided to fulfill a dream: He traded in his business suits for overalls, bought a modest (by Kentucky standards) 32-acre farm and began taking care of horses.

Last year, my wife and I made our first extended visit to the farm, driving up from our home in Florida. We got off Interstate 75 and wound our way around Lexington out into the horse country near the hamlet of Versailles (pronounced Ver SAILS). The scene along the drive was what you’d expect from the cliches and postcards: White-plank fencing ran for miles over rolling hills as sleek thoroughbred horses grazed and galloped.

It was after we arrived at Hoxley Hole, my father’s farm, that the extent of horse mania began to sink in. We were standing in the driveway at dusk, when I noticed chandeliers light up in the cupola of a mansion next door.

“They must be rich,” I remarked to my father. “What a house!”

“That’s not the house,” he replied, “that’s the stable.”

Welcome to thoroughbred country, where the horses dine under crystal light fixtures.

The money flows at an eye-crossing pace here. Yearlings can fetch more than $10 million at auctions that are as much social events as business. One story has a waitress receiving a $10,000 tip from a well-fed foreigner. In this economic galaxy, “Star Trek’s” William Shatner can comfortably blend into the background with his relatively modest farm, Belle Reve.

Despite some of the rarefied lifestyles, the Lexington area has resisted the celebrity spotlight that shines on such retreats as Aspen, Colo., and Martha’s Vineyard, Mass. Visitors can move freely in and out of the various social strata, whether they’re antique shopping at a tiny crossroads, watching workouts at a prestigious racetrack or visiting the farms of Triple Crown winners (horses that have won the Preakness in Baltimore and the Belmont in Elmont, N.Y., in addition to the Derby).

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The next morning my father and I got up just as the sky began to lighten, and he gave me a tour of the neighborhood in his pickup. Next door at Brookside Farm the chandeliers were still burning in the dozens of horse barns stretching to the horizon. Trainers saddled up horses for predawn workouts.

He parked and turned off the pickup next to a low wall of granite stones. We could see the horses’ breath in the air as they ran by. The only sounds were their light panting and the thudding of their hooves on the ground.

My father, knowing I wanted to take some photos, said he had a nice shot for me, and drove around to the north side of Brookside Farm and across the street to the equally spectacular Gainsborough Farm, owned by Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum of Dubai.

The bright orange sky just before sunrise back-lighted the farm’s ornate copper roofs. I jumped out of the pickup for a few photos. On the other side of the fence, surveillance cameras on tall poles scanned the grounds and probably had picked up our presence before the pickup had come to a stop.

We drove east, toward Lexington, and past perhaps the area’s most recognizable farm. The white fencing running along U.S. 60 and the white buildings with dark red trim marked the historic Calumet Farm. Its horses hold a record eight Derby championships, and the Polish aviation magnate who saved the spread from being chopped up on the auction block now works on expanding the tradition. We didn’t have the time, but the farm can be toured by contacting Historic and Horse Farm Tours in Lexington.

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The day after my father’s tour, my wife and I headed out for our own exploration, again starting just before dawn. We studied maps--the “Lexington Bluegrass Walking and Driving Tour” brochure from the Lexington Convention and Visitors Bureau was extremely helpful--and imagined a “thoroughbred triangle” in Woodford County, connecting Lexington, Versailles and the state capital of Frankfort.

The money flows at an eye-crossing pace here. Yearlings can fetch more than $10 million at auctions that are as much social events as business.

We first headed east on U.S. 60 to Keeneland Race Course just outside Lexington, arguably the best-manicured park in the country. Its seasons are short--three weeks in April and another three in October--but it is just as renowned for its spectacular yearling sales, held in July and September, which have produced numerous Derby winners.

You’d think the place would have the security of a Trident submarine base, but we drove right in before sunrise, explored our way past the stables, and ate breakfast with the trainers back in the track cafeteria--a little-known opportunity for visitors to go backstage and listen to horse talk over eggs. The cafeteria is technically for the race course workers and staff, but any visitor is welcome; breakfast costs about $4 per person.

The kitchen staff helped us find the right gate to get out to the viewing area, and we watched horses taking morning conditioning laps. We were the only people in the stands, as the horses ran past us a few feet away in the fresh morning air.

Backtracking on U.S. 60, our next stop was the unhurried town of Versailles, home of the pleasant Sills and Rose Hill inns. If you don’t have a relative with a farm, you can drop your bags here or, if you are looking for a rolled-up-sleeve vacation, stay on a working horse farm just outside town. (Contact the Woodford County Chamber of Commerce or one of the local bed-and-breakfast associations for openings.)

We took our time in the crafts and antique shops along Main Street and admired the late 18th century homes.

From there, U.S. 60 doglegged northwest toward Frankfort and soon passed between Brookside on the left and Gainsborough on the right.

We reached the western end of our tour a few miles farther on, on a high bluff in Frankfort Cemetery. Here, the graves of Daniel Boone and, a stone’s throw south, my grandfather, overlook the gold dome of the state capitol and the Kentucky River.

We didn’t worry about being labeled tourists, and drove extra slow, for which we were rewarded with astounding views, especially along the Kentucky River southeast of the capital and down the narrow country roads splitting the farms. The countryside, strangely, reminded us of Ireland: lush grass and low, century-old stone walls.

Along the way, we uncovered an interesting Kentucky footnote. The grass isn’t blue, but the buds on “bluegrass” can cast a bluish shade in large fields.

The narrow roller-coaster Old Frankfort Pike in Woodford County shoots beneath canopies of trees and past old stone walls. It took us past Three Chimneys Farm, home of 1977 Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew, and Darby Dan Farm, where Derby winners Chateaugay and Proud Clarion lived.

U.S. 62, called Midway Pike, runs past Lane’s End Farm--which has entertained President George Bush and Queen Elizabeth II of Britain--and winds north into the tiny settlement of Midway, built “‘midway” on the railroad line between Lexington and Frankfort.

Despite its remoteness, Midway’s landmark Railroad Street is a craft and antique hunter’s paradise. At Our Best Restaurant, we had pork chops selected from menus printed on flour bags.

Leaving Midway, U.S. 62 leads north to Ironworks Pike and continues the tour of impressive horse farms, rolling up to the Kentucky Horse Park just north of Lexington. The park is a 1,032-acre tribute to horse farming and racing, featuring films, a museum and numerous other exhibits and surrey tours. At its entrance stands a giant bronze statue of the legendary Man O’ War, whose economic impact is still felt in the surrounding community (“Man O’ War Plumbing and Heating,” “Man O’ War One-Hour Cleaners,” “Man O’ War Movies 8”). Another life-size statue honors Secretariat, and the eight Derby trophies from Calumet are displayed inside.

A tour of thoroughbred country wouldn’t be complete without a trip to Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby since 1875. For best viewing of races there’s the Eclipse Dining Room. Next to the Downs is the Kentucky Derby Museum, featuring a 360-degree multimedia presentation, Derby memorabilia and guided tours of the track.

But the best horse riding I saw was back in Versailles. After dinner one evening my father saddled up old Red and led him out of the stable. Then he mounted, gave the reins a jerk and, literally, rode off into the sunset.

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GUIDEBOOK

Hoofing It

Getting there: There’s connecting service on United, Delta, Northwest, US Airways and TWA from LAX to Lexington. Round-trip fares begin at $324, including tax.

Where to stay: Two great bed and breakfasts: the Sills Inn, 270 Montgomery Ave., Versailles, KY 40383; telephone (606) 873-4478 or (800) 526-9801; doubles $69-$139. And the Rose Hill Inn, 233 Rose Hill, Versailles, KY 40383; tel. (606) 873-5957 or (800) 307-0460; doubles $75-$99.

For accommodations on working horse farms and other B&Bs;, contact the Bed and Breakfast Collection of Lexington, tel. (606) 252-3601 or (800) 526-9801; Bluegrass Bed and Breakfast, tel. (606) 873-3208; or the Woodford County Chamber of Commerce, (606) 873-5122.

Racetracks: The granddaddy of all racetracks, Churchill Downs, is located at 700 Central Ave., Louisville. Races are scheduled from April 25 to June 28 and Nov. 1 to 28. For race information, call (502) 636-4400.

Keeneland Race Course is located on U.S. Highway 60 West, 4201 Versailles Road, Lexington, KY 40522; tel. (606) 254-3412 or (800) 456-3412. Its racing season is April 3 to April 24 and Oct. 10 to Oct. 31.

Horse farm tours: Historic and Horse Farm Tours, P.O. Box 22593, Lexington, KY 40522; tel. (606) 268-2906, fax (606) 266-8603. It has access to Calumet and other area farms during its 2 1/2- to three-hour tours.

The Kentucky Horse Park at 4089 Ironworks Pike (Exit 120 off Interstate 75) is open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through October; tel. (606) 233-4303.

For more information: Two extremely helpful guides--”Lexington Visitors Guide” and “‘The Lexington Walk and Bluegrass Country Driving Tour”--are available from the Lexington Convention and Visitors Bureau, 301 E. Vine St., Lexington, KY 40507; tel. (606) 233-7299 or (800) 845-3959.

The Kentucky Department of Travel Development, 2200 Capitol Plaza Tower, 500 Mero St., Frankfort, KY 40601; tel. (800) 225-TRIP or (502) 564-4930, fax (502) 564-5695.