Keeneland Library’s The Heart of the Turf: Racing’s Black Pioneers

On display in the von Stade Gallery from July 10 to September 28, 2025

The Heart of the Turf: Racing’s Black Pioneers traveling exhibit, developed and shared by the Keeneland Library, highlights the lives and careers of 100 African American horsemen and women from the mid-1800s to the present. One-of-a-kind photographs from Keeneland Library collections capture moments across their varied careers, while biographical vignettes honor their lasting legacies.

From racetrack superstars to vital behind-the-scenes caretakers of horses, The Heart of the Turf: Racing’s Black Pioneers showcases select stories of the countless African Americans who forged their way across the country from the era of slavery to the present, making the Thoroughbred racing and breeding industry what it is today.