Versailles

You know, it's almost like they're family. Okay, maybe that's not terribly helpful. As we've learned from others kindly sharing their experiences for this series, the only right way is the one that works for you. That's always a pretty good starting point, anyway, with horses. And given this additional variable, where the directors stage board meetings around a kitchen table, then different families must find their own ways to meet the challenges of succession. Some hire consultants; some transition with parallel businesses; some, no doubt, never get past the...

"La vita è una combinazione di magia e pasta." (Life is a combination of magic and pasta.) Such was the opinion of a man who should know, in Federico Fellini. And the great Italian director would surely have savored the slice of life, understood in those terms, now available in the heart of Woodford County, Ky. Because Vallozzi's restaurant, which recently opened in downtown Versailles, does not confine its excellence solely to the kitchen. This is a house of true pedigree and style, surely destined to become an institution of...

Jim and Dana Bernhard, recent buyers of the 793-acre Pin Oak Stud near Versailles, KY, have acquired an additional 465 acres from Adena Springs, bringing the total size of the farm to just over 1,250 acres. The land, purchased from eight-time Eclipse Champion Breeder Adena Springs, connects the existing Pin Oak land on the east side of US-60--commonly known as Versailles Road--with an entrance on Old Frankfort Pike. "Frank Stronach's Adena Springs and Josephine Abercrombie's Pin Oak Stud are two legendary farms. Both were champion breeders focused on raising the...

On an impossibly sunny day in October 2022, I found myself at L&D Stables in Nicholasville, Kentucky, looking at a very handsome chestnut gelding for my first OTTB restart project. Despite his flashy presence, my eye kept drifting to a small herd of mares in a nearby paddock. I made my way to the fence line and was met immediately by a pair of kind eyes and an inquisitive pink nose, searching for my face and neck. Sixty seconds later that nose was gently resting on my shoulder. I was...

Just a week and a half after GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic winner Flightline (Tapit) was officially retired and shipped from Keeneland Race Course down the road to his new home at Lane's End Farm, the Versailles-based operation opened its doors to members of the media for an up-close and personal afternoon with their newest superstar addition on Wednesday. With a group of nearly 15 in attendance, along with members of the Lane's End team, Flightline was walked around the stallion complex, displaying how well he has adapted to life...

Edited Press Release Bluegrass Equine Surgery (BES) has opened at 3550 Lexington Road in Versailles, Kentucky. BES is a comprehensive, world-class surgical and recovery facility with onsite diagnostics, imaging, pharmacy, and lab access to care for any equine need on or off the farm and will be led by Woodford County native and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine W. True Baker. BES is part of a growing investment in the Kentucky equine industry by its parent company, PetVet Care Centers of Westport, Connecticut. In addition to expanding its footprint with BES,...

LEXINGTON, KY--The majority of the trophies that were stolen just over a month ago from trainer Wesley Ward's home in Versailles, Kentucky have been recovered. According to the Versailles Police Department's Assistant Chief Rob Young, one individual was charged with receiving stolen property and is now in custody. On the morning of Feb. 8, 2022, a thief walked off with 14 trophies, including many that Ward received from the Royal Ascot meet, but they did not take any other valuables from the home such as electronics and several other trophies...

If you peak through the windows of the new café in downtown Versailles, Kentucky, the sights and smells of the tantalizing cuisine draw you closer to the door. Cajun shrimp and grits, chicken pesto pizza and beef short ribs are laid out across wooden tables adorned with mason jars filled with freshly-cut flowers. Normally, many people living in this community wouldn't dream of stepping across the threshold of such an upscale, and perhaps mistakenly pretentious, establishment. The dollar signs listed on the menu next to those mouth-watering entrees would make...