Peek Inside Keeneland’s New Paddock Building

Keeneland, a ninety-year-old horse racing facility and auction house in Lexington, Kentucky, hosts some of the most anticipated events in the so-called sport of kings. Its upcoming Spring Meet (April 3–24) will dole out some $10 million in purse money across nineteen graded stakes, including the Blue Grass Stakes, a key Derby prep race. Come October, it will host the Breeders’ Cup World Championships for the fourth time. 

Last year, in time for the Fall Meet, Keeneland reimagined its saddling paddock and winner’s circle. Now it’s preparing to debut a new Paddock Building, which adds five new rooms in which racegoers can eat, drink, and socialize, plus a new rooftop space that will look out over all the action. 

Peek inside the upgraded facilities below.

The 1936 room, named for Keeneland’s opening year, offers heavy hors d’oeuvres and drinks in an open space studded with high-top tables. Here, jockeys pass by on their way to saddle up, and guests get exclusive access to the Paddock Lawn beside the Saddling Paddock. 

Jockeys head to the Saddling Paddock from the 1936 Room. 

A stately sycamore tree has presided over the Paddock area since Keeneland hosted its first race. The eponymous Sycamore Room offers a high-end take on American classic dishes. 

A table in the Sycamore Room. 

Come springtime, dogwood trees flower all over Keeneland’s grounds. The Dogwood Room—featuring Kentucky artist Ellen Skidmore’s painting “Winner’s Circle”— offers buffet-style fare and overlooks the Saddling Paddock. 

Crowning the new building is the third-floor Rooftop, featuring an indoor dining room with panoramic views of the grounds, plus an outdoor patio anchored by a bar. 

The new Saddling Paddock outside the Paddock Building.