ALL TYPES OF TREASURES
The land of kings and commoners

Thoroughbred country is another side of the derby

Author: By Tim Dorsey, Globe Correspondent

Date: SUNDAY, April 26, 1998

Page: M13

Section: Travel

The first Saturday in May, the Kentucky Derby is broadcast to a country of viewers who can't help but watch anything that's happened for 124 straight years. Secretariat, Seattle Slew, Affirmed, and the other Triple Crown winners become part of the nation's collective memory, along with the twin spires at Churchill Downs and a sea of people in flat-brimmed straw hats sipping mint juleps.

Like the Super Bowl, Mardi Gras, and New Year's Eve at Times Square, the Run for the Roses is one of those annual flashpoints of culture that are the grand-scale packing of phone booths. But there's another side of Kentucky's equine tradition: The bluegrass horse-breeding country southeast of Louisville, where it all begins. And it's as different from the Derby as the farming communities of eastern New York State are from the Woodstock concert.

If you arrive after dusk, the first thing you may notice are brilliant chandeliers flickering through the windows of palatial buildings. Pretty fancy mansions, you might think. You'd be wrong. Those are the horse barns.

Welcome to thoroughbred country. The horses get the chandeliers. Those expensively lit stables mark the expansive Brookside Farm. Across the street, at Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum's Gainsborough Farm, surveillance cameras on tall poles scan the grounds for signs of anything that could cause even a hiccup in his barns.

And up at the historic Calumet Farm, a Polish aviation magnate who saved the spread from being chopped up on the auction block now works on extending its record eight Kentucky Derby winners.

The beauty of a racehorse in perfect stride has inspired awe in both royalty and commoners for thousands of years. And in the world of Kentucky's horse people, today's kings and peasants live side by side in a culture of bluegrass, bourbon, basketball, and Daniel Boone.

While the proletariat hauls its tobacco leaves past opulent, copper-roofed stables, Queen Elizabeth II and former President George Bush jet in to a small airport for some quality horse time.

The money flows at an eye-crossing pace. Yearlings can fetch more than $10 million at auctions/social events, and one story has a waitress receiving a $10,000 tip from a well-fed foreigner. In this economic galaxy, William Shatner of ``Star Trek'' can comfortably blend into the background with his relatively modest farm.

Despite some of the rarefied lifestyles, the Lexington area has resisted the celebrity spotlight of such retreats as Aspen, Colo., and Martha's Vineyard. Maybe it's some old Kentucky code; maybe it's because rock stars don't raise horses.

Whatever the reason for the openness, visitors can move freely in and out of the various circles.

Whether it's shopping for antiques at a tiny crossroads, access to workouts at a prestigious racetrack, or visiting the farms of Triple Crown winners, the outside world hasn't been allowed to ruin it.

One effective game plan for a visit is to imagine a ``thoroughbred triangle'' connecting Lexington, Versailles, and the state capital of Frankfort.

Heading west from Lexington on US Highway 60, you'll first notice Calumet Farm -- one of the last standard-bearers of the trademark white-plank fencing (black paint costs less and lasts longer). The farm can be visited by contacting Historic & Horse Farm Tours.

A bit farther west, across from Lexington's airport, is Keeneland Race Course, arguably the best manicured park in the country. Its seasons are short -- three weeks in April and another three in October -- but it is just as renowned for its spectacular horse sales, which have produced numerous Derby winners.

You'd think the place would have the security of a Trident submarine base, but you can drive right in before sunrise, explore your way past the stables, and even eat breakfast with the trainers out back in the track kitchen -- a little-known opportunity for visitors to go backstage.

The kitchen staff will help you find the right gate that's open so you can go out in front of the empty stands and view horses taking predawn conditioning laps, running past you a few feet away in the chilly morning air.

The unhurried town of Versailles is the next stop on US 60, home of the pleasant Sills and Rose Hill inns. You can drop your bags here, or, if you are looking for a rolled-up-sleeve vacation, stay on a working horse farm just outside town. (Contact the chamber of commerce or one of the local bed-and-breakfast associations for openings).

Take your time in the crafts and antiques shops or admire the 18th-century homes. But don't walk into a store and try to tell the folks they should pronounce their town ``Vare-SY'' instead of ``Ver-SAILS,'' or you'll trigger a painfully long bit of silence.

Highway 60 now doglegs northwest toward Frankfort and soon passes between two incredible farms, Brookside on the left and Gainsborough on the right.

The get-acquainted tour ends in a few more miles in the Frankfort Cemetery, where the grave of Daniel Boone overlooks the gold dome of the capitol building and the Kentucky River from a high bluff.

Now for some advanced exploration for the complete bluegrass experience -- the back roads. This means a map, and the Lexington Bluegrass Walking and Driving Tour brochure also is recommended.

The countryside may strangely remind you of Ireland. Rolling hills of lush grass and low, century-old stone walls. Don't worry about the tourist label; drive extra slow and let 'em pass. You'll be rewarded with astounding views, especially along the Kentucky River southeast of the capital and through the narrow pikes splitting the farms.

While on this odyssey, you may uncover some Kentucky footnotes. The grass isn't blue, but the buds off ``bluegrass'' can cast a bluish shade in large fields. Kentucky is the home of Maker's Mark and Wild Turkey whiskey distilleries, but Bourbon County itself is dry. You'll hear about the famous Louisville Slugger baseball bat, but maybe not that they're manufactured in Indiana.

The narrow, roller-coaster Old Frankfort Pike shoots beneath canopies of trees and some of those old stone fences. It takes you by Three Chimneys Farm, home of 1977 Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew, and Darby Dan Farm, where Derby winners Chateaugay and Proud Clarion lived.

US Highway 62 runs past Lane's End Farm, which has entertained President Bush and the Queen of England, and winds north into the tiny settlement of Midway, built ``midway'' on the railroad line between Lexington and Frankfort.

Despite its remoteness, Midway's landmark Railroad Street is a craft- and antiques-hunter's paradise.

Our Best Restaurant serves up excellent native dishes, listed on flour bag menus.

Ironworks Pike continues the tour of impressive horse farms, rolling up to the Kentucky Horse Park.

At the park's entrance stands a giant bronze statue of the legendary Man O' War, whose economic impact is still felt in the surrounding community (`Man O' War Plumbing and Heating,'' ``Man O' War One-Hour Cleaners,'' ``Man O' War Movies''). Another life-size statue honors Secretariat, and the Derby trophies from Calumet are displayed inside.

Still, the thoroughbred tour wouldn't be complete without a trip to Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby since 1875.

The Downs are located in Louisville about 65 miles west on Interstate 64. Races are scheduled from April 25 to June 28 and Nov. 1 to 28. For best viewing of races, there's the Eclipse Dining Room. Next to the Downs is the Kentucky Derby Museum, featuring a 360-degree multimedia presentation, Derby memorabilia, and guided tours of the track.

But if you don't ``do'' crowds, stay clear of the Downs on Derby Day, and instead follow another longstanding American tradition: Watch it on TV.

Horse racing: The granddaddy of them all, Churchill Downs, is at 700 Central Ave., Louisville. For Eclipse Dining Room reservations, call 502- 636-3351 (jackets and appropriate dress required); for race information, call 502-636-4400. Next to Churchill Downs, the Kentucky Derby Museum is open all year except Christmas, Thanksgiving, and for the Derby (the first Saturday in May and the preceding Friday). For information, call 502-637-1111. Keeneland Race Course is on US Highway 60 West (4201 Versailles Road) in Lexington. Its racing season is April 3 through April 24 and Oct. 10 to Oct. 31. For information, call 606-254-3412 or 800-456-3412.

Horse farms: Historic and Horse Farm Tours, 606-268-2906, has access to Calumet and other area farms during its 2 1/2- to 3-hour tours. Blue Grass Tours, 606-233-2152, also covers area farms.

Exhibits: The Kentucky Horse Park at 4089 Iron Works Pike (Exit 120 off Interstate 75) is a 1,032-acre tribute to horse farming and racing featuring films, a museum, and numerous other exhibits. The International Museum of the Horse is at the same site. The park is open every day, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., through the end of October. For information, call 606-233-4303.

Shopping: For exquisite arts, crafts, and antiques, visit the collection of shops in Versailles (Woodford County Chamber of Commerce) and along Railroad Street in Midway (Midway Village Guild, PO Box 478-B, Midway, KY 40347).

Guides: Three extremely helpful guides are available for the asking. Request the ``Lexington Visitors Guide'' and ``The Lexington Walk and Bluegrass Country Driving Tour'' from the Convention and Visitors Bureau. Ask for Kentucky's ``Official Vacation Guide'' from the state's Department of Travel Development, PO Box 2011, Frankfort, KY 40602; 800-225-8747.

On line: The Web site of the Lexington Convention and Visitors Bureau is www.visitlex.com; the Churchill Downs site is www.kentuckyderby.com; and the site of the Kentucky Horse Park and International Museum of the Horse is www.imh.org.