Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton brought glad tidings to the city’s Rotary Club luncheon Thursday. Horse racing continues to be big business in central Kentucky and Gorton said just-released figures show last fall’s Breeders Cup at Keeneland had an economic impact on Fayette Count of 81-point-8 million dollars.
“Think about that. That that represents money spent here. And it is the second highest economic impact in Breeders Cup history.
Gorton said when Keeneland first hosted the Breeders Cup in 2015, some thought the Lexington area was too small to host such an event. She also said things were looking up in the city – unemployment is lower than before the pandemic and youth homicides are down.
“Between 2021 and 2022, we saw a 50% decrease in gun-related homicides among youth and young adults. That age group is the 18 to 29 group.”
Gorton also plugged the city’s 250th anniversary coming up in 2025, noting Lexington was founded a year before the Declaration of Independence.
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