The Thoroughbred Center
The Thoroughbred Center
4.5
Monday
9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Friday
9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
About
The Thoroughbred Center is nestled among some of the most lavish horse farms in Lexington, KY. Our tour offers a ‘behind the scenes’ look at the daily care and training of Thoroughbred Race Horses. During the tour you will get to watch morning workouts, see horses up close at track side, in the paddocks and barns, and visit with professionals who will answer questions. Learn how Thoroughbreds are trained for racing and experience a typical day in the life of a racehorse. Come to The Thoroughbred Center to learn why and how Central Kentucky came to be the Horse Capital of the World! Tours run ONCE each day and last approximately 90 minutes. Self-guided tours are not permitted. Tour space is limited. April 1 – October 31 Monday – Saturday: 9 am Reservations are Recommended November 1 – March 31 Monday – Friday: 9 am Reservations and a 4-person minimum are Required
Duration: 1-2 hours
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
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4.5
193 reviews
Excellent
155
Very good
24
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11
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Jo Anne L
2 contributions
Aug 2023 • Family
My son just had his wedding here and it was wonderful! The event coordinator, Emily, was very attentive and helpful. We had several events over 2 days. She not only made sure we had what we asked for, but also saw other details that we needed and made sure they were taken care of. All of the staff was amazing. A special shout out to Cecelia - so warm and friendly. I highly recommend The Thoroughbred Center.
Written September 6, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
beardman
plainview,ny.34 contributions
This facility teaches thoroughbreds to become race horses.A bus is used on the tour,almost no walking.Its on and off the bus at a slow pace.They had 850 horses on the property when we visited .The tour guide was excellent.Horses train on two full size tracks and starting gates.On the tour we met a horse farm owner who spoke with us for quite awhile.Tours are at nine AM so you get to see the workouts.I highly recommend a visit,you will be glad you did!
Written October 30, 2010
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SusieQ16
Bowling Green, KY10 contributions
Oct 2011 • Friends
Dress for the weather because this is a hands on tour of the process young thoroughbred horses go through to learn to become a race horse. If you are a fan of horse racing this will make you appreciate so much more all the hard work & effort that goes into training & grooming the winners of the Kentucky Derby & other big races. We actually got to spend quality time with a very successful trainer & meet the horses he is training at this point in time. Very interesting time well spent. Will accept AAA member discount.
Written November 1, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Penny E
Roseau358 contributions
Apr 2018 • Couples
It was extremely cold/windy day for April (temp in the 30s) but even with that, we had a great time on the tour! We arrived early, as suggested, but waited inside due to the cold. We broused the Tack Shop next to the main building and even got a peak inside the old horse auction theater. Amazing how horse sales have changed! It was just my husband and I but we joined about 10 others, boarding a shuttle bus to bring us to the track/stable area. We drove by the huge original barn as our wonderful guide shared information. You could tell she had been in the business for a long time and had a ton of information. So this was no ordinary "memorized speech" - she was talking from experience and was willing to field any questions we had! After the short drive to the track, we got out of the bus and stood at the rail and watched many horses on the track. A couple stopped by so tour members could visit and pet their horses. This was definitely a tour for any person - horse lovers/owners or anyone interested in racing! After we had all gotten our fill at the track (and the cold), we got back in the toasty bus to drive back to the starting gate area, which we viewed from the bus, seeing a couple young horses working the gate, then on to the barn. We unloaded again and got to walk throught the barn and see the horses and stalls. From there, we drove by one last building which was actually a school to train workers of all levels - grooms, jockeys and trainers. You could actually earn your Associates degree there! Sorry for the long review but I wanted to share all the details - SO WORTH THE STOP! Excellent tour for a rock bottom price! Don't skip this one!
Written April 20, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you, Penny, for such a detailed and thoughtful review! We appreciate your kind words and are happy to hear you enjoyed your experience. We hope you're able to return on a warmer day!
Written April 23, 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
MomaFrog276
Chelsea, MI3 contributions
Apr 2018 • Family
The Thoroughbred Center is an amazing facility! We unfortunately had a tour guide (Annette) who failed to stay focused and to keep Q&A to a reasonable pace/time. We were a "captive audience" in the bus and subjected to off topic LONG personal stories. This tour has the potential of being one of the best in Lexington with more time management awareness and focus on basic group presentation skills of the tour guide. We had the opportunity to watch the Thoroughbreds train on a beautiful April morning! Terrific experience!
Written April 7, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
F6832HQginad
Falls Church, VA2 contributions
Jul 2017 • Family
Better off going to Keeneland at 6am to see the morning workouts trackside -- free. No tour necessary. Jockeys will come and up ringside and talk to you. We learned more here on our own that visiting and paying for a tour at the Thoroughbred Center. At the Thoroughbred Center, we got stock on a bus in 90 degree weather with no air conditioning. There are no added bonuses going to the Thoroughbred Center to see the horses.
Written August 16, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your feedback. We certainly wish you had a better experience, and apologize for the inconvenience. Since your visit, the air conditioning on our tour bus has been repaired.
Written August 21, 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
362junea
Lakewood McHenry County, IL4 contributions
May 2017 • Family
Highly recommend for all ages. Seeing behind the scenes of what goes into training a race horse was a great experience and the knowledgeable guide was amazing! A must do when you are in the area.
Written May 11, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
C0untryfan
Saint Louis, MO111 contributions
Jul 2014 • Friends
Think of this venue as an addition to the Kentucky Horse Park (which I also love.) The two sites have different missions. The thoroughbred center gets you trackside to actually feel the ground shake as the horses in their early-morning breezing fly by you. This tour also gives you time with trainers. The guide was very informative with her personal stories of being in the racing business. I've taken this tour twice and learned different things each time. While there are free opportunities at some tracks to watch morning work outs, they don't give as much educational access to the same areas as this tour. I feel it is well worth the price of admission and plan to go back for my third visit the next time I'm in the area.
Written July 4, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
lapb1399
Kentucky29 contributions
Sep 2012 • Couples
We were surprised to learn that at any one time there could be up to 1,000 horses training here! They put you on a van, and show you this massive operation. You sometimes get to speak directly with one of the trainers. If you have any interest in racing at all, this is a must see in Lexington.
Written January 31, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bersurvey
25 contributions
May 2012 • Couples
A look inside the training life of a throughbred racehorse. Tour runs at 9am and you need to call ahead for reservations. A shuttle bus takes you to track side where you can spend time on the rail watching and photographing horses during their morning workouts. Guide was friendly and answered any questions we had. Exercise riders cooling their horses on the outside rail would say hello as they rode past.
You don't have to walk far from the bus to the rail but you do have to navigate a grassy hill that could be a challenge to those with mobility issues.
The second stop is a visit with a trainer who will answer any questions you have about racing. He was kind enough to bring a horse out of it's stall for us to photograph in the barn. Again you don't have to walk far from the bus but there is grass and gravel and a slope to navigate.
Everyone was very friendly and informative. The guide stopped along the road in a few places to explain what you were looking at and answer questions.
The tour lasted about an hour and is definitely worth checking out. The property is now owned by Keeneland. There is also a tack shop in the building beside the office that is an interesting stop. They have everything from tack (racing plus some western and english) to veterinary supplies and some gift items.
There is a small gift shop (gift cabinet) in the office that mainly has Keeneland and Kentucky Derby themed items but the employees have made up a shirt that has both Keeneland and the Throughbred Center on it.
You don't have to walk far from the bus to the rail but you do have to navigate a grassy hill that could be a challenge to those with mobility issues.
The second stop is a visit with a trainer who will answer any questions you have about racing. He was kind enough to bring a horse out of it's stall for us to photograph in the barn. Again you don't have to walk far from the bus but there is grass and gravel and a slope to navigate.
Everyone was very friendly and informative. The guide stopped along the road in a few places to explain what you were looking at and answer questions.
The tour lasted about an hour and is definitely worth checking out. The property is now owned by Keeneland. There is also a tack shop in the building beside the office that is an interesting stop. They have everything from tack (racing plus some western and english) to veterinary supplies and some gift items.
There is a small gift shop (gift cabinet) in the office that mainly has Keeneland and Kentucky Derby themed items but the employees have made up a shirt that has both Keeneland and the Throughbred Center on it.
Written May 25, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Do we need reservations to come. And we would like to come Jan 10th if possible
Written January 3, 2019
Yes, be sure to order your tickets ahead of time online.
Written January 4, 2019
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