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The Restaurant A feet to smaller ones 5-by-5 feet. The Artist
The Golden Horseshoe opened The Horseshoe soon became Lex- Russ Ellis, a native of Dallas,
April 1, 1947. It previously was known ington’s foremost eating and drink- Texas, had been knocking around
as Keith’s Bar and Chop House, which ing place of its time. It was known race tracks for more than 30 years
restauranteur Ralph Campbell had throughout Kentucky as a favorite (as he put it) when he came to Lex-
purchased several years earlier. 1/Vhen gathering spot before and after UK ington in the mid-1940s. He joined
it was Keith’s, Campbell operated the , football and basketball games. Camp- the Thoroughbred Record as contribut-
restaurant on the first f1oor and _]oe bell installed Harry Ware as resident T ing artist and soon thereafter was
Keith ran a handbook on the second organist, and his artistry and musical commissioned by Campbell to paint
floor. Campbell remodeled after clos- personality enhanced the restau- Blue Grass equine scenes for the
ing Keith’s March 2, 1947. He did rant’s reputation. Golden Horseshoe.
away with the handbook and moved gg gg g _g gg g Ellis` reputation as a gifted horse
kitchen facilities to the second floor II, ullllruclled artist alreadygwas established. His
to enlarge the first-floor dining room gg gg ggg gg gg g   g work was familiar, said then Thorough-
and lounge area. I c°nsgder¤bIe hred Record editor Haden Kirkpatrick, l
Campbell, a nat1ve of Mercer y ggg _gg gg gg   g to practically every horse lover who
County, already had established a rep- unentgon because looks at pictures anywhege, in maga-  
utation as a first-class restauranteur. _g gg     gg gg gg zines or hanging on walls. ,
He previously had operated the Ken- many og llhe faces °‘ Ellis painted the famous set of  
tucky Bar and Restaurant in Daytona gg g gg _ gg _ murals depicting the life of the great ,
Beach Fla. { runner Seven Hearts for the Thor-  
l ’ . . O S I"$ II WEP r
` The Golden Horseshoe cuisine unl u   _ ° gs e oughbred Room of the Brown Hotel
was excellent and the cocktail identifiable. in Louisville. g l I
lounge relaxed and friendly. The _ _ His work was exhibited at major
decor, with colors of gold, subdued race tracks throughout the United
green and black, added to the It was not unusual for patrons to States, and his paintings were
restaurant’s drawing power. Artist line up through the front door reproduced in publications 110t
Ellis' handsome paintings were top- onto the Main Street sidewalk to only in America but also in France
ics of discussion by the horsy set and wait for a table or a stool at the bar. and England.
other patrons. The canvases were Apparently they thought the wait The covers he painted for the Thor-
large, ranging in size from 17-by-5 was worthwhile. oughbred Rerorrl could well be called
Fall 1992 Kentucky Alumnus 7