Since 1936, Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky, has represented the gentility and excitement of Thoroughbred horse racing. To central Kentuckians, it is an enduring part of their culture and a fun place for all generations. For horsemen from all over the world, Keeneland is also an honest marketplace for the best Thoroughbred racing and breeding bloodstock to be found. Keeneland's world-class library is the repository of the largest collection of Thoroughbred racing information in the world; all the images in this book are from its vast collection. The book opens with photographs of the Kentucky Association racetrack that came before Keeneland and continues with images of the people who made Keeneland possible: jockeys, trainers, grooms, exercise riders, owners, track management, track workers, customers, and others. Photographs in the book also capture famous horses from the past, including Iron Leige, Round Table, Seabiscuit, Man o' War, Nashua, Whirlaway, Citation, and Bull Lea.

A research center for Thoroughbred racing, breeding, and related subjects, the Keeneland Association Library is located at Keeneland Race Course near Lexington, Kentucky. Amelia King Buckley, who became librarian in 1953, has compiled an alphabetical author listing of the titles in this unique collection as of June 1, 1958. Begun in 1939 with a gift of 2,000 volumes from William Arnold Hanger, the library has grown with the addition of other gifts and purchases, and now comprises one of the finest collections in its field. The published catalog includes more than 900 monograph titles, more than 100 serial titles, selected sales catalogs, private studbooks, bound pamphlets, and a small amount of manuscript material. The volume is illustrated with photographs from the library's remarkable collection of 15,000 negatives taken by the late Charles Christian Cook, one of the first American photographers to specialize in racing scenes.

In the December 30, 1967, edition of the weekly Thoroughbred trade publication, the Blood-Horse, was an announcement that took up one inch of space—James E. "Ted" Bassett III had been named assistant to the president of the Keeneland Association. It was sandwiched between equally short news items about a handicapping seminar at an East Coast racetrack and a California vacation trip by a horse-owning couple. Bassett's new job, in his own words, "was not earthshaking news." More than four decades later, Ted Bassett is one of the most respected figures within the global Thoroughbred industry. He has served as Keeneland's president, chairman of the board, and trustee, playing a critical role in its ascendency as a premier Thoroughbred track and auction house. Bassett was also president of Breeders' Cup Limited during its greatest period of growth and has been a key architect in the development of the Sport of Kings as we know it today. Written in collaboration with two-time Eclipse Award–winning journalist Bill Mooney, Keeneland's Ted Bassett: My Life recounts Bassett's extraordinary journey, including his days at Kent School and Yale University, through his U.S. Marine Corps service in the Pacific theater during World War II, and as director of the Kentucky State Police during the turbulent 1960s. He helped found the College of Justice & Safety at Eastern Kentucky University, and his continuing service to the Marine Corps has gained him the highest honors accorded to a civilian. During his forty-plus years with Keeneland, Bassett has hobnobbed with hot walkers in the track kitchen, hosted the first visit by Queen Elizabeth II to a United States track, and participated in many of the most important events in the modern history of horse racing. With self-effacing humor, characteristic charm, and candor, Bassett describes his association with historic figures such as J. Edgar Hoover and Kentucky governors Albert B. "Happy" Chandler, Edward T. "Ned" Breathitt, and John Y. Brown; and his friendships with racing personalities D. Wayne Lukas, Nick Zito, Ron McAnally, Pat Day, and Joe Hirsch. Bassett shares details about difficult corporate decisions and great racing events that only he can supply, and about the formation of Equibase, the premier data collection agency within the Thoroughbred industry. He tells about his role as an international ambassador for racing, which has made him a highly influential figure on six continents. Bassett often describes his life as a fascinating blur. That "blur" and all its unique components are brought into sharp focus in a book that is as wide-ranging as it is personal, filled with a gold mine of firsthand stories and historical details. In addition to highlighting Keeneland's reputation as the jewel of the Thoroughbred industry, Bassett chronicles the business of racing and accomplishments of many prominent people in the horse world, and elsewhere, during the twentieth century.

Central Kentucky is home to many magnificent horses and their farms. Although there are numerous places to witness these beautiful animals, including Keeneland, Churchill Downs, Pimlico, and Belmont, their history often gets overwhelmed by their statistics. Images of America: Kentuckys Famous Racehorses goes beyond the numbers and provides insight into the character of these beloved creatures by featuring stories straight from those closest to the horsesthe grooms.