The Kentucky Derby, held annually at Churchill Downs in Louisville, outdraws other American horse races, from the Belmont Stakes in Elmont, N.Y., to the Santa Anita Derby, in Arcadia, Calif. But thoroughbred lovers champion Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, 70 miles east, as the intimate alternative with the hospitable practice of welcoming fans behind the scenes, from morning training sessions to the backside barns.

And Keeneland is home to two annual meets, a monthlong series of contests in April that precede the Kentucky Derby and another in October that leads up to the Breeders’ Cup, which will be held this year at Churchill Downs, Nov. 2 to 3.

Beyond the track, much is changing in Lexington, the capital of American horse country and the 15-county Bluegrass Region. New locavore restaurants and whiskey distillery revivals add post-race appeal, as do thoroughbred farms themselves. Eager to expand audiences for racing, these stately farms, noted for their architecturally distinct barns and pastures encircled by double-railed fences, are throwing open the barn doors to tours.

The Farms

The three-year-old nonprofit booking service Horse Country organizes farm tours designed to engage race fans by introducing them to the horse-rearing system. There are equine veterinary clinics on Horse Country, stallion specialists, including Godolphin at Jonabell, owned by Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum of Dubai, and farms like Claiborne, the former home of Secretariat and birthplace of 10 other Kentucky Derby winners.