The Kentucky Association was formed on July 23, 1826, to promote the breeding and racing of Thoroughbred horses in the Bluegrass region of Kentucky. The "oldest turf organization in America", it was founded by a group of prominent locals, who included planter and politician Henry Clay, Jesse Bledsoe, Dr. Elisha Warfield, and Thomas F. Marshall. Between 1828 and 1834, the Association acquired 65 acres of land in an area of the city of Lexington, Kentucky that today is the east end of 5th Street at Race Street. On the property, the Association built a one-mile dirt racetrack with grandstand and stables to host Thoroughbred flat racing events.