Keeneland Library's popular Lecture Series, designed to celebrate recently published works about Thoroughbred racing whose authors conduct research at the facility, has scheduled these series events over the next four months:
- Dec. 12: Arthur B. Hancock III, author of Dark Horses: A Memoir of Redemption, in conversation with Turf writer Lenny Shulman
- Jan. 22: Eliza McGraw, who wrote Astride: Horses, Women, and a Partnership That Shaped America
- Feb. 19: Stacy A. Cordery, author of Becoming Elizabeth Arden
- March 19: Jessica K. Whitehead, who wrote The History of the Kentucky Derby in 75 Objects
All events will be held at Keeneland Library from 6:30-8:30 p.m. ET. Each program will be followed by a reception and book signing, and a limited number of books will be available for purchase.
To purchase tickets, please visit Keeneland.com/library or call 859 254-3412.
"On the heels of memorable Library Lecture Series evenings with Josh Pons and Tom Hammond, we are pleased to announce an exciting lineup for winter and early spring," Keeneland Library Director Roda Ferraro said. "From a fourth-generation horseman's memoir and a curator's recentering of Kentucky Derby narratives to two renowned historians showcasing women who bucked the industry status quo, these upcoming events promise lively, important discussions and, as always, good company."
Partial proceeds from ticket sales benefit the Keeneland Library Foundation, which supports the Library's preservation, education and outreach projects. In 2024 to date, Keeneland Library has engaged with more than 81,000 community members, industry stakeholders and racing fans from across the U.S. and 30 countries through its free exhibits and youth and adult education and outreach programs.
Dark Horses: A Memoir of Redemption
A fourth-generation Thoroughbred horseman who has raised three Kentucky Derby (G1) winners on his Stone Farm in Paris, Kentucky, Hancock also is a musician and avid songwriter whose songs have been recorded by some of country music's greats.
In Dark Horses, Hancock tells the incredible story of his journey to the brink and back again. On one level, the work is an intimate portrait of the American Turf, introducing some of the most colorful characters and vignettes in its history. But the underlying narrative deals in epic human themes: rebellion and redemption, addiction and recovery, desire and spirituality, discord and song. Above all, its unflinching record of every twist in the road -- shameful or inspiring, tragic or comic -- shows how the same dreams that can unravel a life will sometimes end up saving it.
Astride: Horses, Women, and a Partnership That Shaped America
Eliza McGraw is the Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award-winning author of Here Comes Exterminator! The Longshot Horse and a contributing writer for EQUUS magazine. Her articles have appeared in Bloodhorse, New York Times, Washington Post and Smithsonian.com.
In Astride, McGraw recounts how the latter half of the 1800s ushered in a golden age of the horse that found more American women riding -- both aside and astride -- as they commanded presence in the public sphere. Reporters filed riding-craze stories about Manhattan socialites shopping on horseback, women who exercised on hobby horses, and women who worked as horse breakers, cattle rustlers or jockeys. From tamers to caretakers and performers to teachers, all worked with horses to buck the status quo. Expressing the idea of femininity with athleticism and authority, these trailblazers changed the way America understood women.
"I feel very lucky to be part of the Library Lecture Series," McGraw said. "I've depended on the Library for many years, and consistently marvel at the images and material that the extraordinary staff here finds for even my most offbeat requests."
Becoming Elizabeth Arden
Stacy Cordery is a professor of history at Iowa State University whose earlier books include biographies of Alice Roosevelt Longworth and Juliette Gordon Low. She is an award-winning teacher and a sought-after speaker who has appeared on the History Channel, NPR, C-SPAN, Smithsonian TV and on several podcasts.
In Becoming Elizabeth Arden, Cordery explores Arden's captivating story as a builder of beauty and Thoroughbred empires. Arden redefined beauty, literally changing the faces of women and building a global beauty empire from scratch. Her Red Door made her luxury salons internationally recognizable, but not everyone knew of her connection to cerise and blue: the colors of Maine Chance Farm under which she raced her prized Thoroughbreds. As an owner and breeder, Arden spent lavishly and successfully, gaining a quirky reputation as "Lady Lipstick" for being a woman who treated her horses with her beauty creams, hired and fired personnel with lightning speed, and spoke out against mistreatment of animals.
"Keeneland Library was critical to my understanding of Elizabeth Arden and her role in the Thoroughbred racing world," Cordery said. "The breadth of its holdings, the professionalism and warmth of its staff, and the beauty of its setting made Keeneland my absolute favorite archive during the long process of researching Becoming Elizabeth Arden."
The History of the Kentucky Derby in 75 Objects
Jessica K. Whitehead is the senior curator of collections for the Kentucky Derby Museum, where she safeguards and interprets the permanent collection of more than 20,000 objects, photographs, and archival materials.
In The History of the Kentucky Derby in 75 Objects, Whitehead sets out to recover this accurate history of America's longest continuously held sporting event and establish a balance between well-known narratives and those that are less widely shared. She gives readers a personal tour of this history through 75 historic objects from the museum's permanent collection. Her selections place Black, Latin American and female riders, owners and trainers closer to the center of the Derby story, spotlighting the contributions and achievements of groups that have played a vital role in shaping the legacy of the Run for the Roses.
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