Our Park-like Landscaping

Keeneland’s unique and beautiful landscape sets it apart from other racetracks. The landscape was designed in the late 1930's by the landscape architecture firm of Innocenti and Webel to provide a relaxed park setting excellent for picnicking and watching horses. The trees and bushes on Keeneland's property were selected with April flowers and fall foliage in mind, with horse safety and comfort being a top priority. The most recognized trees include dogwoods, crabapples, Yoshino cherry, sycamore, Chinese elms, Pin oaks and maples. An impressive allée of Autumn Blaze maples usher patrons down the long clubhouse drive, while the parking lot, with its rolling acres of long grassy strips, is punctuated by row after row of soldierly columns of Pin oaks. Trees shelter patrons in the paddock, provide shade for horses encircling them in the saddling ring and create shady spots for picnicking and socializing throughout the grounds. Unlike many tracks without the luxury of a more rural setting, the Keeneland barns are surrounded by grassy areas, allowing horses an area in which to cool down and unwind after training and racing. Walkways to the track through the paddocks using recycled rubber "bricks." This surface is much softer than traditional brick and is much more forgiving on horses delicate hooves.