All Things Horses and Keeneland!

Breeder’s Cup is this weekend at Churchill Downs bringing a celebration of horse racing and all things Kentucky. One of my favorite parts about moving to Louisville, Kentucky has been to visit Churchill Downs, and this fall I made my first official trip to Keeneland, the internationally renowned racetrack in Lexington, Kentucky, established in 1936.

While Churchill is epic, Keeneland was quaint, picturesque, and the best mini trip I have taken this October. Overall, when visiting Keeneland, the racetrack had a younger population filled with local college students. Not having been familiar with horseracing at a fall meet, it was fun to see so many folks dressed in jackets, gorgeous plaids, and orange or red tones. The weather was wonderful the day we attended with a crisp breeze yet warm and sunny. It was a perfect kind of beautiful for a Saturday afternoon.

The layout made me reminiscent of an Ivy League college campus. In the heart of the Bluegrass Country, Keeneland was built over 50 years after Churchill Downs, and it is smaller, more intimate, and more manageable. While some of my friends prefer Keeneland to Churchill Downs I think they both have noted highlights.

What you need to know:

Parking is free-- well, it was when I visited during the October meet.
Tailgating is a big part of the experience, for some. There is a hill beyond the main parking lot, and part of that lot is all folks that never make it into the track. They even have food trucks out there, and many attendees were still playing corn hole when I dropped my friend off there at the end of the day.
The gift shop is adorable; make sure you at least walk through when you get a minute.
My friend and I purchased general admission tickets for $5.00 each and we had a blast walking around without “official” seats.
Make a day out of your visit and see a few other sites in town. I spent a few hours in Lexington before I met my friend at Keeneland. A few folks attended Keeneland during the day and the UK game in Lexington that night.
It roughly takes a 1 hour & 15 minutes to drive from Louisville to Lexington, Kentucky.

This is a must-see if you are into horses, Kentucky Bluegrass Country, or need a proper excuse to visit Lexington. Keeneland is the answer.