LEXINGTON, KY (Lex 18 ) – A Lexington man’s personal collection of horse racing memorabilia may keep the stories of the sport’s most historic figures alive for many decades to come.
A trip to Ken Grayson’s basement is like a walk through horse racing history.
"These are the shoes off of Count Fleet when Count Fleet won the Derby on the way to the Triple Crown," Grayson said, while showing one of many glass cases in the room.
From winning racing silks to a Triple Crown trophy, Grayson has it all.
"I have a saddle used in that match race with Sir Barton. It’s almost 100 years old," Grayson said. "It’s on loan to the National Museum of Racing now.">
Even museum directors are jealous of his collection. He sometimes loans Churchill Downs its own original records
"It starts in October 1874 before the very first Derby in 1875," Grayson said while thumbing through the book. "It covers everything that happened at that track from what they paid for pulling stumps to clear the land, all the way to building the fence around the track"
Grayson said it all started with a glass and program at his first Derby more than 50 years ago.
He’s since only missed one, and amassed enough knowledge and memorabilia to tell the sport of kings’ history.
"They’re all special to me because they remind me of that person or that event," Grayson said.
Grayson said he has no plans to stop collecting, even if he misses a Kentucky Derby in the future.
"I always said i was going to 50 Kentucky Derbys if i was lucky and I’ve already done that, so whether I go to another one or not, it’s not the end of the world to me," He said.
Keeping up with history is a never ending race, but odds are Ken Grayson’s collection is a safe bet.
