PHOTO GALLERY: Lexington is basketball country

The Victorian Square Shoppes line Main Street in downtown Lexington, Ky. Lexington is the second largest city in Kentucky and the unofficial horse capital of the state.   |  Emily Becker

Rupp Arena in downtown Lexington, Ky., is home to the University of Kentucky men’s basketball team. In 2012, the team won its eighth NCAA championship.   |  Emily Becker

Ramsey’s Diner has been serving Kentucky cuisine since 1989 and is located a mere few blocks from the university. The menu includes fried green tomatoes, chicken and dumplings and the Kentucky Hot Brown, an open-faced sandwich topped with cream sauce, cheddar cheese and bacon.   |  Emily Becker

Horses gallop past the grandstand in the fifth of 10 races at Keeneland Race Course outside Lexington, Ky. on April 27. Races are held in April and October.   |  Emily Becker

Many horse farms, like Diamond A Farms, lie just outside downtown Lexington, Ky. In order to preserve the farmland, Lexington passed an urban growth boundary in 1958 that prevents land outside the downtown area from being used for high-density development.   |  Emily Becker

A Wildcat paw print marks the sidewalk at the University of Kentucky. The mascot name is said to have been given to the football team after a particularly hard-fought victory against Illinois in 1909.   |  Emily Becker