Versailles, Ky.–In 1984, Billy Fryer's first official week on the job at Keeneland was a busy one. The moment was marked by the arrival of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, who famously came for her only visit to the track. It was also the start of quite a journey for Fryer.After decades of service, the Lexington native is still going strong, but this past year was nothing short of the toughest of his life. That golden smile of his was pushed to the brink and his faith was tested like never before. The man who never met a stranger nearly lost his eyesight completely. He could've been blind. It was that serious.As he says, “I'm the luckiest man alive because I get to see this world and that's not something you can take for granted. Not ever.”Fryer is a Keeneland constant at the end of Old Clubhouse Lane and a fixture in the paddock where his job has been to keep order, watch out for the horses and for the people around them. Everyone around Keeneland knows 'Billy,' which is what makes him so special.Recently, he was honored as a runner-up in the Support Services category during the Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards, which is sponsored by Godolphin, and he was given the Melvin Bell Distinguished Service Award by the Organization of Racing Investigators. Bell–a longtime investigator himself–was one of Fryer's biggest influences and was also a close friend.“The people I've had the chance to meet and who have given me so much is the reward,” he said. “I've said it many times, I can't believe they pay me to do this because I'd do it for free.”Billy Fryer (left) with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and Keeneland Chairman Ted Bassett | courtesy of Billy FryerA Lexington police officer, Fryer started on the force by walking a beat in the 1970s, but it was evident that he was destined for greater things. His calling lay in instruction. He had a hand in training multiple generations of officers and even those that led them. Firearms training, tactical methods, hot pursuit instruction and everything from fraud cases to homicides became his calling card.Fryer was born and raised in a federal housing project in Lexington, which ironically used to be the site of the old Kentucky Association Racetrack that pre-dated the founding of modern-day Keeneland. You could say that Fryer was always close to the sport.“Horses are part of my life and every time I set foot on these grounds [at Keeneland], I just feel such a good feeling inside and it's like coming home,” he said.Fryer got involved with the Thoroughbred Racing Protection Bureau, which had complete control over investigations at tracks across the country, and his role in racing blossomed from there.He was added to the Kentucky Derby security team and for decades you could see him regularly escorting the winning jockey through the crowd.Later, he joined the squad at Kentucky Downs and was a regular on the Breeders' Cup Equine Security Team.Fryer has loads of stories about his time at the World Championships, but probably his most well-known moment came when he had to break up a fight between Calvin Borel and Javier Castellano in the winner's circle. Watching the video, you will see Fryer with his arms wrapped around Borel–he's the one in the black jacket.“I never missed a Breeders' Cup once I started at Monmouth Park,” he said. “That is, until last year.”In the late 1990s, Fryer lost all but 3% of his vision in his left eye. There was no explanation. Specialists couldn't solve the puzzle. So, Fryer coped, made adjustments and adapted as best he could.“I just wasn't going to be discouraged and get down on myself,” he said. “I thought that God-willing, it would return and I just needed to stay as positive as I could.”Towards the end of Keeneland's fall meet last year, the Kentucky boy who made a good career for himself all of sudden had limited vision in his right eye now.“I was at home and it just struck me all of a sudden,” Fryer said. “I went to my new doctor, which happened to be in the same office where I went before when I lost vision in my other eye, and they told me nothing could be done. I sure couldn't go to the Breeders' Cup at Del Mar, so I had to miss it. They said there was no medication, no treatment and so my daughter got to work looking for answers.”It just so happened that Fryer's family knew someone who had suffered a traumatic brain injury. The woman called Fryer when she learned about what was happening to him and wanted to meet.“We had lunch and she told me that she had someone right here, not 10 minutes from where I lived,” Fryer said. “He's an unconventional doctor, but he's going to help you see again.”Fryer went to the first appointment and the doctor told him that it was going to take something short of shear devotion to regain his sight again. The trouble wasn't in the eye itself, but it was the brain that was the source of the issue.“I started doing these exercises at the beginning of the year,” he said. “I attacked them and really disciplined myself. I was in it for the long haul.”Billy Fryer in the newly designed jocks' room at Keeneland | Sarah AndrewFour weeks into his treatment, Fryer was sitting at home working on his exercises and he decided to test the eye that initially failed him.“I thought I would cover what I'll call my good eye, just to see how the old injury was doing,” Fryer said. “I let out a yell and my wife came in asking me what the heck was wrong. I told her, it's back! I can see. I knew what kind of shoes she was wearing. I could see pictures on the wall. I couldn't believe it.”His doctor couldn't either.“He said to me, 'Billy, are you a man of faith? If you aren't, then you should be because this is nothing short of divine intervention.' It was a miracle,” said Fryer.He didn't stop there though. For 33 weeks Fryer has continued his assignments. He says it's like weightlifting, and there aren't any days off.When Fryer returned to Keeneland last April he was assigned a new position by the Vice President of Equine Safety, Dr. Stuart Brown.“It's unique that this industry finds people who gravitate to the horse,” said Dr. Brown. “When people think about the big events like the Derby or the Breeders' Cup, Billy is right alongside as a constant. Here at Keeneland, he has been integral to managing our commitment to everything from jockey integrity to horse safety. He's the perfect person to help us with advocacy because he knows how to react if a situation arises and he possesses the mutual respect of everyone here.” Katie Petrunyak videoKeeneland's paddock had a complete facelift this past year and the jockeys' room is now in a different location. Fryer's job is to personally walk members of the colony through the new 1936 Room to the paddock.“I make sure everyone has what they need and it's important to keep them on schedule,” Fryer said. “I follow them all the way to the track and wait for them until the race is done. Now that I'm doing this, our guys in the green coats are the ones who handle the paddock security and they have done a bang-up job.”Billy Fryer said he was grateful–for his family and for Keeneland. After 28 years his eyesight has returned, he's back at the Breeders' Cup and he's seeing it all better than ever at the end of Old Clubhouse Lane.Billy Fryer descends the stairs to the new jocks' room at Keeneland | Sarah AndrewThe post Keeneland-Breeders’ Cup Constant: Billy Fryer’s Miracle At The End Of Old Clubhouse Lane appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.