Lexington Museum to Salute 'Trainers of the Bluegrass'

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Following its popular 2006 exhibit featuring a dozen jockeys with close ties to the area, the Lexington History Museum salutes the “coaches” of the Thoroughbred industry. Opening April 9, the 2007 exhibit will feature famous race horse trainers either from the Bluegrass or whose careers have been made with significant success in the region.

When the museum asked advisors to suggest leading Bluegrass trainers, the level of talent immediately caught planners’ attention when it was noted that a dozen of its honorees had amassed three dozen Derby victories -- over a fourth of the 132 runnings of the world’s most famous race.

Joining in Lexington’s annual Best of the Bluegrass celebration, “Trainers of the Bluegrass” opens at 6:30 p.m. in the downtown Lexington History Center and will remain in place through Keeneland’s fall meet. The opening events include a round-table of Thoroughbred personalities discussing the impact of great trainers moderated by Edward Bowen, the author of the recently published, Masters of the Turf, at 7:30 p.m.

The exhibit covers trainers as diverse as a former slave born in Lexington before the Civil War to well known trainers still facing each other in the leading venues around the world including Edward D. Brown, John E. Madden, Derby Dick Thompson, Ben & Jimmy Jones, Woody Stephens, MackMiller, Henry Forrest, Harry Trotsek, Bill Mott, Neil Howard, Carl Nafzger, Shug McGaughey, John Ward, Bob Baffert, D. Wayne Lukas and Nick Zito.

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