Keeneland Library Lecture Series Opens With Kentucky Derby Handicapping Event

With the Kentucky Derby three days out, Keeneland Racing Analyst Tom Leach will take the floor at Keeneland Library on April 29 to break down the Grade 1 field and the supporting undercard, opening what shapes up as the most ambitious lecture program the library has assembled in months.

The April 29 handicapping event serves as a standalone curtain-raiser for the Library Lecture Series, a five-event program running from May through September that celebrates published works about Thoroughbred racing whose authors conducted research at Keeneland Library. Library Director Roda Ferraro called out two names in particular when describing the lineup. "We are really excited about Keeneland Library's lineup of upcoming events and being able to feature expert handicapper Tom Leach and master storyteller Tom Durkin," Ferraro said. "Our spring and summer events are sure to please racing fans and our community patrons."

Durkin, the legendary racing announcer, headlines the June 11 lecture with his book "A Life's Calling: The Voice Behind the World's Greatest Horse Races." He is one of five authors scheduled across the series, each presenting at Keeneland Library from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Paul Halloran opens the Lecture Series on May 21 with "Cody's Wish: A Boy, A Racehorse and a Fight for Life," the story of the champion racehorse whose bond with a terminally ill child became one of racing's most resonant recent chapters. Elizabeth Letts follows on July 8 with "The Ride of Her Life: The True Story of a Woman, Her Horse and Their Last-Chance Journey Across America," chronicling a woman who rode a former racehorse from her farm in Maine across the country. Lenny Shulman presents on August 5 with "A.P. Indy: Champion Racehorse and Breed-Shaping Sire," and Avalyn Hunter closes the series on September 2 with "Holy Bull: An Unconventional Path to Racing Glory," honoring two Racing Hall of Famers whose legacies continue to shape the breed.

Tickets for each Lecture Series event are $20 and can be reserved at Keeneland.com/library or by calling 859 254-3412. A portion of proceeds benefits the Keeneland Library Foundation, which funds the library's preservation, education and outreach efforts. Copies of featured books may be purchased in advance and signed by authors during the reception following each presentation.