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A family vacation recently took me to Kentucky, and having been in the Lexington area before, I knew that this time one of the stops on the trip was going to be a famous Kentucky horse farm. Since most of these farms do allow visitors by appointment, I booked tours at two of horse racing’s legendary farms, Claiborne and Calumet. Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky is the resting place of 1973 Triple Crown winner, Secretariat, one of the world’s most famous race horses. Secretariat stood at stud here until 1989, when he was put to sleep after suffering from laminitis, a painful hoof disease.

Claiborne is also the birthplace of Seabiscuit, the subject of two major motion pictures. The tour was very hands-on as our guide, one of the stallion grooms, led several horses out of their stalls for our close-up inspection. We saw Monarchos and Go for Gin, 1994 and 2001 respective Kentucky Derby Winners. We also saw the stall Secretariat stood in during his time at Claiborne; his gold nameplate still graces the door. Stud fees for the stallions here range all the way to $150,000. No artificial insemination is performed on Thoroughbreds. Mares under contract to Claiborne stallions are brought to the farm and bred naturally.

Calumet Farm in Lexington, Kentucky is the epitome of Thoroughbred racing with a record nine Kentucky Derby winners and two Triple Crown winners. The 800 acre farm with its red and white barns and elegant cupolas make Calumet a showplace like no other. Calumet’s most glorious decade was the 1940’s when horses Whirlaway and Citation each took home the Triple Crown. Calumet’s overwhelming collection of trophies is exhibited at the Kentucky Horse Park, where Calumet Farm has an entire section of the museum devoted to their horse biographies and winnings.

The story of Calumet was started in 1924 by William Monroe Wright, founder of the Calumet Baking Powder Company. Mr. Wright raced Standardbred horses, but it was his son, Warren Wright Sr. who converted the farm’s stock to Thoroughbreds after selling the family company to General Foods for $40 million. The farm enjoyed many triumphs through the years, but in the 1980’s new management took the farm into bankruptcy, however it was revived in 1992 when Henryk de Kwiatkowski secured Calumet Farm at public auction on a bid of $17 million.

On the Calumet tour, we were not allowed in any of the barns or to pet any of the horses. Unlike Claiborne Farm, you are driven around the farm in a van with a tour guide who points out all the items of interest, including the mares and foals, the dirt and turf tracks where the yearlings are trained for racing, and the nineteen barns, including one that is featured in the 2003 Seabiscuit movie. We also stopped at the large cemetery where many of the farm’s great horses like Alydar, Citation, and Bull Lea are buried. Our guide informed us that Kentucky’s horse farms were once open to the public; guests could come at will to roam around the barns and walk along the paddocks. Unfortunately, some people took this liberty for granted, forcing the area farms to operate under the tight security of today.

No visit to Kentucky would be complete without stopping at the Kentucky Horse Park, the only park of its kind in the world. Located in Lexington, it is a 1,200 acre working horse farm surrounded by 30 miles of white plank fencing. Fun things to see at the park are the International Museum of the Horse, the Parade of Breeds, Parade of Champions, Farrier Shop, and Draft Horse barn. Get up close and personal with nearly 50 breeds of horses, including a Seabiscuit movie double. Racing legends, Cigar, the richest racehorse ever, and John Henry, also call the park home.

Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby, was the last site we visited on our trip. I had never been to a live race before and the excitement was contagious. Before a race, the contending horses are led down the track bareback, and are prepared for the race in a common area, where fans can study them before placing a bet. It was Saturday, the day of the Belmont Stakes in New York, the day everyone was cheering for Smarty Jones to win the final leg of the Triple Crown. It didn’t happen, but it was fun watching the broadcast at horse racing’s oldest track. So if you love horses, or find them only a tad bit interesting, a trip to Kentucky will be a worthwhile adventure. Please send email to stacey@agselect.com.

Click here for more information about horse farm tours.