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Tips you need to know before attending a Horse Race at Keeneland

March 31, 2018 By Nedra McDaniel 20 Comments

Tips you need to know before attending a Horse Race at Keeneland

During our visit to Lexington, KY we took a Unique Horse Farm Tour with tour guide extraordinaire, Shaun Washington.

He shared with us that we needed to come back to see a race at Keeneland. We didn’t know what to expect for our first race and I wanted to share useful tips before your visit.

Keeneland Horse Race Track Lexington, Kentucky

Keeneland Has A Short Racing Season

Keeneland is a Lexington tradition and only offers a short live racing season during the month of April in the spring and October in the fall.

Keeneland generates the majority of its income from their Thoroughbred auction house which has sold more champions and stakes winners than any other sales company.

That’s why they can afford to have a shorter live racing season than most race tracks.

Keeneland Horse Race Track Lexington, Kentucky

Parking at Keeneland

When you arrive at Keeneland,  you can choose to pay for parking or there is plenty of free parking in several grassy areas that are not far from the entrance which might be more of a challenge if you are wearing high heels.

Keeneland Horse Race Track Lexington, Kentucky

Tours at Keeneland

If you get to Keeneland really early, I would suggest watching the early morning practice and taking the self-guided walking tour.

Tailgating is also really popular on race days. We attended a Sunday race which was less crowded and a bit more of a kid-friendly atmosphere.

Keeneland Horse Race Track Lexington, Kentucky

Pre Race Activities at Keeneland

Before each horse race, patrons can view the horses and watch the jockeys mount on the horses at the paddock.

Post time for the race is 1:05 and races are about 30 minutes apart which gives you time to see the horses before each race.

Keeneland Horse Race Track Lexington, Kentucky

It’s great to see the beautiful horses up close.

Keeneland Horse Race Track Lexington, Kentucky

The paddock also allows you to observe what the horse’s temperament is like that day which could affect how he races that day.

Kentucky Burgoo

Food & Drink Options

There are a lot of different food options while at Keeneland. There are concession stands and several restaurants on site.

There is a dress code for some of the upscale restaurants.

We opted to try the Kentucky Burgoo which is a soup made from meats and vegetables that was really good.

Keeneland Horse Race Track Lexington, Kentucky

Keeneland also sells a specialty drink called the “Keeneland Breeze” that is made with Kentucky Bourbon so we had to sample it too.

(1 part Maker’s Mark Bourbon, a splash of orange liqueur, and a squeeze of fresh orange. Top off with ginger ale and serve in a rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with an orange wedge. )

The Dress Code at Keeneland

Race attendees wear a variety of clothing attire from shorts to dresses. I will say that overall it was a dressier crowd.

I wore a dress and my husband and kids wore khaki pants with a colored polo shirt and we felt like we fit in.

I would recommend dressing a little nicer with business casual or above style. It’s fun to dress up a little and I think it’s better to be a little overdressed than underdressed.

Depending on where you will be dining, you will need to dress accordingly.

*The nicer the restaurant and seating area, the more formal the dress code.

Keeneland Horse Race Track Lexington, Kentucky

Gambling at Keeneland

A program from Keeneland will tell you the distance length of each race and all of the information you need to know associated with the horses.

If you are the betting type, you can talk to a betologist and you also have multiple areas where you can place your bet.

Keeneland Horse Race Track Lexington, Kentucky

My friend gave me a great tip for the kids. She said that when she went as a child, her dad would give her and her siblings a bag of coins so that they could bet between themselves on the races.

My older son used a strategy and read all of the stats in the program and my younger son the picked horses by picking horses with cooler names.

Guess who won the most money???

You will notice that the grounds around Keeneland are absolutely beautiful. There is history and Kentucky pride at every turn.

Keeneland jockey silks 2

The statues of the jockeys near the paddock are repainted each year to display the winning colors of the silks of all of the grade races.

A race a Keeneland is a great way to see why Kentucky is the Horse Capital of the World.

General Admission (check website to confirm pricing)

$5

Kids 12 and under are FREE!

(If you are sitting in the lower level you can also bring a lawn chair or get there early to reserve a bench)

 Grandstand Reserved Seating is a more comfortable seating option with a back and armrest undercover.

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday: $10 per person
Saturday: $20 per person

*Tickets include general admission fee.

More Information

You can find out more about Keeneland from their website.

Keeneland is located at 4201 Versailles Road
Lexington, Kentucky 40510

Tips you need to know before attending a Horse Race at Keeneland

 

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Filed Under: Adventures with Animals, Adventures With Friends, Family Adventures, Featured, On A Date Adventures, Solo Adventures Tagged With: family travel, Horse, horse race, horse racing, Keeneland, keeneland race track, Keeneland self guided tour, Keeneland tour, kentucky, lexington, Lexington Kentucky, travel

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kathy

    October 7, 2019 at 4:26 pm

    If it rains Saturday, are umbrellas allowed?

    Reply
  2. Bo

    April 16, 2019 at 10:08 pm

    Hi! There a chance Olof rain for the wknd… can a small canopy be set up at my tailgate at the paved parking area?!

    Reply
  3. John Creech

    April 7, 2018 at 5:19 pm

    Can we bring bags? We have a baby coming with us and need to prepare bottles, toys, etc and what we can pack it in.

    Reply
    • Nedra McDaniel

      April 8, 2018 at 9:45 am

      A diaper bag is allowed at Keeneland, though it will be checked at the gate for safety.Keeneland.com/safety gives further information!

      Reply
  4. Vicki

    March 30, 2018 at 5:17 pm

    My son and daughter in laws family will be attending on mothers day at tables in the clubhouse.Can you advise me as to the dress code.I understand it is dress but how formal of dress.Can you help me?

    Reply
    • Nedra McDaniel

      March 31, 2018 at 9:19 am

      Are you possibly attending an event at Churchill Downs?

      Reply
  5. Greg Colegate

    March 26, 2018 at 4:47 pm

    More question than comment. Just curious can you bring a camera into the racetrack. Thanks

    Reply
    • Nedra McDaniel

      March 26, 2018 at 4:53 pm

      I’ve taken pictures and video with my phone without a problem. What type of camera? I don’t think that it would be an issue.

      Reply
  6. Chad

    March 12, 2018 at 2:17 am

    My family and I are going for Spring Break. None of us have attended a live horse race. How long should we plan to be there? I see the track opens at 11am and then starts at 1:00pm. I’m curious if this will be the only thing we do that day or if we can get to Louisville by 4:00pm…

    Reply
    • Nedra McDaniel

      March 12, 2018 at 3:37 pm

      It really depends on your kids attention spans. Our kids competed against each other to guess the winner which made them more interested in each race. It’s also nice to watch the horses in the paddock before each race. The time goes by pretty fast

      Reply
    • Jamie

      April 13, 2018 at 1:09 am

      Probably not by 4. Take your time driving along Frankford Pike. Look up Minns Steak House while in lv.

      Reply
  7. Gil

    October 9, 2017 at 9:35 am

    any areas for smoking ? particularly cigars ?

    Reply
    • Nedra McDaniel

      October 9, 2017 at 2:51 pm

      I’ll see what I can find out.

      Reply
  8. Steve Lane

    September 11, 2017 at 4:39 pm

    Can we park an RV on the grounds during race days.

    Reply
    • Nedra McDaniel

      September 12, 2017 at 10:46 am

      That’s a good question- I will look into that and get back to you

      Reply
      • Nedra McDaniel

        September 12, 2017 at 11:00 am

        They have a designated parking lot for buses and Rvs. The lot is adjacent to barns 1-3. Here is a link for addition information on parking http://www.keeneland.com/racing/parking

        Reply
  9. Janis Guinchigliani

    April 22, 2017 at 11:23 am

    Your site is very nice but you should correct the spelling of Gambeling to correctly be Gambling to enhance the accuracy of the site. I came to your site to check dress code and what to expect when we come and quickly noticed the typo.

    Reply
    • Nedra McDaniel

      April 22, 2017 at 7:57 pm

      Thanks for catching the error. My spellcheck didn’t pick it up and I missed it. Hope you have a fun visit to Keeneland.

      Reply
      • Jan

        October 7, 2017 at 9:39 am

        Loved you information and tips for having fun!!! Going today and I have decided to dress up because of your post!! Thanks for keeping people like me “ in the loop”.

        Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Historic Walking Tour at Churchill Downs says:
    May 5, 2018 at 8:46 am

    […] It was really interesting to walk around an area that appears so different in contrast to the excitement and crowds seen on Derby Day. Churchill Downs is located in a pretty urban area which is quite a contrast to Keeneland.  […]

    Reply

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