Thoroughbred Park occupies 2.5 acres on the corner of East Main Street and Midland Avenue. Thirteen life-size statues of horses are found within the park. Seven are racehorses with likenesses of great jockeys (Randy Romero, Pat Day, Bill Shoemaker, Jerry Bailey, Don Brumfield, Chris McCarron and Craig Perret) that are racing in front of a decent sized water fountain. There are forty-two plagues on a limestone track (walkway) that you may walk across. The great, late horse Lexington also has a statue in the park. The park was created to celebrate the history of horses in Lexington as well as providing a spot for relaxation. The park is open 24/7.
Lexington was a bay racehorse born on March 17, 1850. He won six of his seven starts and came in second in the other race. He raced under the name ‘Darley’ in his first two races, but was later renamed Lexington by his new owners after he was sold.[i] He was retired in 1855 due to poor eyesight, which was the result of a facial infection.[ii] He went on to be the leading sire in North America for 16 years (from 1861 to 1874 and 1876 to 1878).[iii] He passed away on July 1, 1875 at Woodburn farm and was buried whole in a casket in front of the stables. In 1878, his bones where donated to the U.S. National Museum (Smithsonian Institution).[iv]
My personal experience with the park is that it offers one some good photo opportunities. It’s a nice little park to take some time out to rest. Also, it is a good little park to go for a short dog walk in the middle of the city of Lexington.
[i] The Spell of the Turf by Samuel C. Hildreth and James R. Crowell, J. B. Lippincott & Co., 1926.
[ii] “One hundred sixty years after his birth a racehorse’s bones return to Lexington”. Smithsonian Science. 2010-11-17. Retrieved 2013-01-04.
[iii] Ahnert, Rainer L. (editor in chief), Thoroughbred Breeding of the World, Pozdun Publishing, Germany, 1970
[iv] “Famous Horses”. Encyclopedia Smithsonian. January 2011. Retrieved 2013-01-04.
Last modified: April 24, 2020
