Editing Lexington, Kentucky (section)

==Sports==
===College athletics===
[[File:Kroger Field during a Kentucky Football game.png|thumb|[[Kroger Field]] (formerly Commonwealth Stadium) during a Kentucky Football Game against the Florida Gators]]
The [[Kentucky Wildcats]], the athletic program of the University of Kentucky, is Lexington's most popular sports entity. The school fields 22 varsity sports teams, most of which compete in the [[Southeastern Conference]] as a founding member.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.secsports.com/article/12628010/sec-history |title=SEC History |work=secsports.com |access-date=April 27, 2016 |archive-date=April 2, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402163802/http://www.secsports.com/article/12628010/sec-history |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball|men's basketball team]] is one of the winningest programs in [[NCAA]] history, having won eight national championships. The basketball program was also the first to reach 2000 wins.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kentucky.com/2009/12/23/1070054/uk2k-shirt-a-surprise-winner.html |title='Uk2k' shirt a surprise winner |date=December 23, 2009 |access-date=September 13, 2010 |archive-date=May 16, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100516091015/http://www.kentucky.com/2009/12/23/1070054/uk2k-shirt-a-surprise-winner.html |url-status=live }} Herald-Leader [Lexington]</ref>

===Professional sports===
[[File:155493503 cf0435fc6d o.jpg|thumb|A [[Lexington Legends]] game]]
Lexington is home to the [[Lexington Legends]], a member of the [[Atlantic League of Professional Baseball]], an independent [[Major League Baseball|MLB]] Partner league.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.lanereport.com/138525/2021/02/legends-join-the-atlantic-league-of-professional-baseball/ |title=Legends join the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball |website=The Lane Report |date=February 18, 2021 |access-date=February 18, 2021 |archive-date=February 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210218220543/https://www.lanereport.com/138525/2021/02/legends-join-the-atlantic-league-of-professional-baseball/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=March 6, 2023 |title=We're The Lexington Counter Clocks |url=https://www.lexingtoncounterclocks.com/news/name-announcement |access-date= |website=Lexington Counter Clocks |language=en |archive-date=March 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230327035642/https://www.lexingtoncounterclocks.com/news/name-announcement |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Minor League Baseball|minor league]] team plays home games at [[Counter Clocks Field|The Ballpark at 207 Legends Lane]]. In 2020, the team lost MLB affiliation under a new plan by the MLB.<ref name="proposed downsizing">{{cite web |title=Lexington Legends part of proposed downsizing |url=https://www.kentucky.com/sports/mlb/lexington-legends/article237471889.html |website=kentucky.com |access-date=November 27, 2019 |archive-date=November 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191127204607/https://www.kentucky.com/sports/mlb/lexington-legends/article237471889.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

The city also hosts [[Lexington SC]], which fields a men's team in the [[USL Championship]] and a women's team in the [[USL Super League]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Homepage |url=https://www.lexsporting.com/ |access-date=2025-03-21 |website=Lexington Sporting Club |language=en-US}}</ref> The club was founded in 2021 and currently plays at [[Lexington SC Stadium]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-09-06 |title=Inside the $50 million Lexington Sporting Club Stadium |url=https://lextoday.6amcity.com/sports/inside-the-50-million-lexington-sporting-club-stadium |access-date=2025-03-21 |website=6AM - LEXtoday |language=en}}</ref>

Former professional sport teams based in Lexington were the [[Kentucky Thoroughblades]], [[Lexington Men O' War]], [[Lexington Bluegrass Bandits]], [[Kentucky Horsemen]], [[Bluegrass Warhorses]], [[Bluegrass Stallions]], [[Lexington Colts]], and Lexington Counter Clocks.

===Horse racing and equestrian events===
[[File:R3DE StadiumJump.jpg|thumb|The Rolex [[Kentucky Three-Day Event]]]]
The city is home to two [[horse-racing]] tracks, [[Keeneland]] and [[The Red Mile]] harness track. Keeneland, sporting live races in April and October, is steeped in tradition; little has changed since the track's opening in 1936. Keeneland hosted the [[2015 Breeders' Cup]], with the event's signature race, the [[Breeders' Cup Classic]], won by [[Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States)|Triple Crown]] winner [[American Pharoah]]. This track also has the world's largest Thoroughbred auction house; 19 [[Kentucky Derby]] winners, 21 [[Preakness Stakes]] winners, and 18 [[Belmont Stakes]] winners were purchased at Keeneland sales. Its most notable race is the [[Blue Grass Stakes]], which is considered an important preparation for the Kentucky Derby. The Red Mile is the oldest horse racing track in the city and the second-oldest in the nation. It runs live [[harness racing|harness races]], in which horses pull two-wheeled carts called sulkies. The two tracks announced a partnership in 2014.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://redmileky.com/red-mile-news/red-mile-and-keeneland-joint-venture/#id8dB5d8GlagE70thTNwMT9Q |title=Red Mile and Keeneland Joint Venture – Red Mile – Lexington, Kentucky |date=October 13, 2014 |access-date=July 20, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160817042840/http://redmileky.com/red-mile-news/red-mile-and-keeneland-joint-venture/#id8dB5d8GlagE70thTNwMT9Q |archive-date=August 17, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The [[Kentucky Horse Park]], located along scenic [[Kentucky Route 1973|Iron Works Pike]] in northern Fayette County, is a comparative latecomer to Lexington, opening in 1978. Although commonly known as a tourist attraction and museum, it is also a working horse farm with a [[farrier]] and famous retired horses such as 2003 Kentucky Derby winner [[Funny Cide]]. Since its opening in April 1978, the Kentucky Horse Park has hosted the [[Rolex Kentucky Three Day]] Event, which is one of the top-three annual equestrian [[eventing]] competitions in the world and is held immediately before the [[Kentucky Derby]] at [[Churchill Downs]] in [[Louisville, Kentucky|Louisville]]. In September and October 2010, Lexington was the first city outside of Europe to host the [[2010 FEI World Equestrian Games|World Equestrian Games]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.alltechfeigames.com/default.aspx?ekmensel=c580fa7b_8_10_btnlink |title=2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games |access-date=July 24, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120318173954/http://www.alltechfeigames.com/default.aspx?ekmensel=c580fa7b_8_10_btnlink |archive-date=March 18, 2012}}</ref>

=== Other sports ===
[[File:Lexington_Dirt_Bowl_2023.jpg|thumb|A player shoots a shot at the 2023 Lexington Dirt Bowl at Douglass Park.]]
Lexington is home to [[Roller Derby of Central Kentucky]] and [[Hardcourt Bike Polo|Lexington Bike Polo League]]. In 2017, Lexington hosted the World Hardcourt Bike Polo Championship, the most competitive bike polo tournament in the world, at facilities in Coolavin Park.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2017 World Hardcourt Bike Polo Championship |url=http://nahardcourt.com/whbpc |access-date=April 28, 2022 |website=2017 World Hardcourt Bike Polo Championship |language=en |archive-date=July 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220702115207/http://www.nahardcourt.com/whbpc/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Two years prior the city hosted the North American Hardcourt Bike Polo Championship for teams from across Canada, Mexico, and the United States.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2015 North American Hardcourt Championship – Lexington Bicycle Polo League |date=September 30, 2017 |url=https://lexingtonbikepolo.com/raw/upcoming-2015-north-american-hardcourt-championship/ |access-date= |language=en-US |archive-date=May 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220522005036/https://lexingtonbikepolo.com/raw/upcoming-2015-north-american-hardcourt-championship/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2023, Roller Derby of Central Kentucky returned to competitive play at Central Bank Center after a three-year hiatus.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 20, 2023 |title=The Return of ROCK! Home Bout Double Header! – ROCK |url=http://rockandrollergirls.com/the-return-of-rock/ |access-date=September 11, 2023 |language=en |archive-date=September 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230929103019/http://rockandrollergirls.com/the-return-of-rock/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The Dirt Bowl is a long-standing local basketball tournament held by Lexington Parks and Recreation at Douglass Park. The league has been around since the early 1970s. Sports Illustrated covered it in 1983 and called it one of the premier summer leagues in the country at the time. The basketball courts at Douglass Park were originally dirt, giving the tournament its "Dirt Bowl" name. The courts have since been paved.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Super Sunday: Dirt Bowl Summer Basketball League Showcase |url=https://www.lexingtonky.gov/events/21167/super-sunday-dirt-bowl-summer-basketball-league-showcase |access-date=September 11, 2023 |website=City of Lexington |language=en |archive-date=October 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231029034611/https://www.lexingtonky.gov/events/21167/super-sunday-dirt-bowl-summer-basketball-league-showcase |url-status=live }}</ref>