Keeping the grounds of Keeneland beautiful: Meet the man who oversees it all

LEXINGTON, Ky. ( FOX 56 ) — From the parking lot on the hill to the paddock and everywhere in between, if you’ve been to Keeneland, you have to be amazed by how beautiful it is.

With more than 1,200 acres of property, it takes a village to get the grounds ready each race day. For most people, race days at Keeneland start at 11 a.m. when the gates open. But for the director of maintenance, Wally Wallace, and his team, the action begins as the sun is coming up.

His crew begins at 7:00 every morning by picking up trash, mowing grass, blowing leaves, and so much more. All building to that first race.

“Everybody has to be at the track by 12:30,” Wallace explains. “Everybody that maintains the grounds also has to be at the racetrack for the races in the afternoon. So it’s not like you’ve got two separate crews that you’re trying to get everything done through a whole day. You’ve got one crew that has to do the stuff in the morning, and then also be at the racetrack in the afternoon.”

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The fall meet comes at the busiest stretch of the year for Wallace and his team. Sandwiched in between the September and November sales at Keeneland, it is pedal to the metal.

“We start Labor Day weekend, and you’re not guaranteed a day off seven days a week until Thanksgiving,” detailed Wallace. “I mean, that’s 90 days, and yeah, tempers, tempers rise, you know, and but these guys, it’s like a family. I mean, heck, we spend more time with each other than we do our own families.”

Wallace has been in his role for the last decade but before that, he was a part of the grounds crew, where you never know what each day could bring.

“Now you do have your routine tasks that you have to get done every day, but there is the one-offs that you’re trying to help somebody get something done, whether it be a trainer, a consignor, a fellow employee, somebody in a different department,” Wallace described.

Wallace will make his rounds of the property, trying to be visible and address any concerns there may be, starting around 9 a.m.

“We take constructive criticism,” Wallace explained. “Keeneland as a whole and the employees, if they see something, then by all means, you know they’ll let us know that something needs to be done or taken care of.”

Fast forward to race time and as hundreds of people scurry for a spot on the rail, you’ll find Wallace in the paddock, making sure everything goes off without a hitch.

Eventually, he makes his way over to the track but while everyone is focused on the finish, Wallace and his team are watching closely, waiting to spring into action if an emergency happens.

This is what happened when, during our interview with Wallace, a horse in a race needed to be taken away in an ambulance.

“Usually, I rely on Dr. Brown to tell me what he thinks it is, and when he said it was bleeding, Wallace said. “That’s when we hollered at Michael to grab the screen as a precautionary. We don’t always put the screen up until we get there, and we know what’s going on. But I think you noticed at the end we dropped the screen and allowed everybody to see the horse walk onto the ambulance because that’s very important to his perception.”

Fortunately, that horse was ok, but it goes to show how things can change in an instant and how important it is for everyone to work in harmony.

“It can be extremely stressful and that’s all you want is for everybody to return home safe,” Wallace explained.

Wallace will be the first to admit, that none of what is done every day isn’t possible without amazing people who work around the clock and love what they do.

“I am one person, but I have a great team,” Wallace proclaimed. “Especially, you know, from the supervisors to the crew that actually, you know, goes out and does the physical work. They know how prestigious this place is, and how fortunate we are to be able to maintain a property like this. you know, our founders, you know, founded by horsemen, for horsemen and we want to make sure that it’s a setting that is welcoming and comforting. So, we want to make sure as much as possible.”

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