The Red Mile
Location | Lexington, Kentucky |
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Owned by | Lexington Trots Breeders Association |
Date opened | September 28th, 1875 |
Race type | harness racing American Flat Track |
Official website |
The Red Mile is a horse racing track located in Lexington, Kentucky, United States. The track hosts harness racing, a type of horse racing in which the horses must pull two-wheeled carts called sulkies while racing. It is one of harness racing's most famous tracks and is located in the heart of the Bluegrass region, an area of Kentucky famous for horse breeding and racing.
In 2014, The Red Mile announced it was partnering with Keeneland to build a $30 million historical racing facility, with 1,000 terminals, scheduled to open September 2015.[1] In May 2015, Keeneland also announced that it would move most of its Off-track betting operations to The Red Mile beginning July 15, 2015, investing over $2 million upgrading The Red Mile's grandstand area.[2]
Facilities
The race track itself is one mile long and made of red clay, which gives the track its name.
In addition to the race track, The Red Mile features a two-story clubhouse, a round barn, and a park. The clubhouse is often used for weddings, parties, and other gatherings. The Tattersalls area can accommodate large groups and is often used for horse sales.
History
The track was founded on September 28, 1875, and was sponsored by the Kentucky Trotting Horse Breeders Association. Attendance to the opening races was minimal because the track had not been advertised. Once newspapers published articles about the new track, attendance picked up. The track is the second-oldest harness racing track in the world and the oldest horse racing track in Lexington.
The Red Mile hosts one of the legs of the Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Trotters, the annual Kentucky Futurity.
Since 2017, American Flat Track motorcycle racing is conducted during the off-season.
In 2023, the Railbird Music Festival was held in the infield. The bill included 32 acts over two days, headlined by Zach Bryan and Kentucky native Tyler Childers. An estimated 40,000 people attended the festival each day.[3]
References
External links
- Media related to The Red Mile at Wikimedia Commons
- Official website
- v
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landmarks
- Alumni Gym Fitness Center
- Ashland
- Aviation Museum of Kentucky
- Bell Soccer Complex
- Calumet Farm
- Central Bank Center
- City Center
- Fayette National Bank Building
- Gratz Park
- Hunt–Morgan House
- Keeneland
- Kentucky Horse Park
- Kentucky Proud Park
- Kentucky Theatre
- Kroger Field
- Lexington Brewing and Distilling Company
- Lexington Cemetery
- Lexington Financial Center
- Lexington History Center
- Counter Clocks Field
- Mary Todd Lincoln House
- McConnell Springs
- Memorial Coliseum
- Mount Horeb Earthworks Complex
- Patterson Office Tower
- Pope Villa
- The Red Mile
- Singletary Center for the Arts
- University of Kentucky Art Museum
- Waveland State Historic Site
universities
- Bluegrass Community and Technical College
- Indiana Wesleyan University-Lexington
- Lexington Theological Seminary
- Midway University-Lexington
- National College–Lexington
- Sullivan University-Lexington
- Transylvania University
- University of Kentucky
- Kentucky Wildcats
- Lexington Legends
- Transylvania Pioneers
- KHSAA Commonwealth Gridiron Bowl
- KHSAA Sweet Sixteen (boys & girls)
38°02′39″N 84°31′06″W / 38.04417°N 84.51833°W / 38.04417; -84.51833