It is More Than Just A Day At the Races

It's a visit to the past...

April 11, 1975

My first experience at Keeneland Racecourse was 49 years ago. (I double-checked the math on my phone…) My brother, 17 years my senior drove me there in his ‘75 Monte Carlo. I was 10 years old.

I’d never been to central Kentucky before that trip. Our western Kentucky home felt so far removed from what I was seeing. My brother pointed out the castle, on Versailles Road that day. Who knew that there was an actual castle in Kentucky?

Then we passed one enchanting horse farm after the next. I could not believe my eyes. Turning into the stone gates and driving up the tree-lined drive, I encountered a world that was beyond the conjuring of my 10 year old mind. There was so much to take in.

Last night, I sat on my back porch trying to remember details from that day and decided to call my brother to see if he could remember anything else.

I asked how he was doing and he told me that his back was bothering him; that he walked around like an old man all stooped over. I reminded him that he was in fact, an old man. “Yeah, but I don’t want to act like one.” He noted.

Whether it was his age or the fact that he’s not one to take note of details, he was only able to remind me of the kind of car that he drove all of those years ago. Still it was nice to chat with him.

I was trying to remember these things because last weekend, Matt and I went to the races at Keeneland and joined our friends, Phil & Mary Alice Prater there and the day left me with feelings that I couldn’t quite put my finger on.

Phil and Matt were two Kentucky boys accepted into the same class (year) at The Ohio State University, College of Veterinary Medicine. Since Kentucky doesn’t have a vet school, and OSU only had 5 spots for Kentucky residents that year, this created a strong bond between these two.

Mary Alice and I became friends too. She’s shared stories of my husband’s antics in vet school—before I entered the picture that have offered new insights… Over the years, we’ve commiserated over our lives being inconvenienced by their unique profession.

We touch base a few times a year and catch up with each other regarding the state of our lives and those of our children. While Matt and I try to attend the races at least once during every fall and spring meet, last year we started meeting our friends there. We did it again this spring.

Driving home after the races, we both noted how much more we’d enjoyed our day with them there. This new tradition felt important. I realized that we needed these moments sitting outdoors with friends, strengthening our bonds of friendship.

For generations, horses have brought people together. They are the great equalizer. At least that’s what an owner told me at the Keeneland January sale. He said that horses bring people of every socioeconomic group together. “Our focus turns to the horse and we sort of forget about ourselves,” he said. I think he might be right.

Race days have a comfortable rhythm to them. Lunch before the races offers a time to indulge in a bowl of burgoo or maybe a Hot Brown; comfort foods only available in Kentucky. We like to go to local restaurants in Versailles or Midway.

Then we arrive at Keeneland together, get parked and through security, purchase a program (They were $.25 in 1975 and $5.00 today) and find our seats. The first order of business is choosing a horse for the race from the program.

Though my brother bought me a program and Daily Racing Form and tried to teach me how to choose a horse, we have a simpler approach. We look for owners, trainers, jockeys names that are familiar to us. We might look at their stats for fun. Some of us, just pick names that we like or that are meaningful to us… Sometimes we just like to play the long-shots. This creates a lively discussion.

Then, we head to the paddock to watch the horses as they are saddled. It is important to see if what they look like on paper, impresses us as much as what they look like in motion. Then we place our bets and go back to our seats to wait for the race.

You get a second chance to see the horses move as they are ponied to the track by sensible older horses that help them stay calm until they get loaded into the gate. The sturdy Appaloosa at Keeneland has to be one of their best employees—though my husband is concerned that he might be suffering from Cushing’s Disease.

The bell rings, the gate doors fly open and away they go. Will the horse leading the pack fizzle out, or is this the jockey’s strategy? We jump to our feet and peer towards the track, looking back and fourth between the Jumbotron and the field of horses until the pass the final turn. The whole place is on its feet, shouting and cheering. Once they pass the wire and it becomes official, we either celebrate or move on to the next race.

This is what we do all day long. It’s what I see families doing too. Moms holding the hands of little boys with bow ties. Little girls wearing hats and spring dresses. College students celebrating with friends with a full spread of food out of the hatch of an SUV and grandparents wiping dripping ice cream from the mouths of their grands.

It’s a day to enjoy the outdoors, taking in the seasons of spring or fall with friends. There is no television set on. Phones are used at a minimum. Time slows. We visit. We admire the horses. We take in the sights, sounds and smells of this now familiar place.

At some point, we go get ice cream or bourbon bread pudding. It’s what we do. Like our parents who had grave yard cleanings and family reunions on a Sunday afternoon with aunts who pinched my cheeks, that I never understood, it is a way for us to remember our past while living in the present moment and offering it to the next generation.

When I looked closely at the program from 1975, I saw the name Hal Price Headley, Jr. listed as a board member to Keeneland. It is a name that inhabits the history books of Kentucky horse racing. Like his father before him, I’m sure he felt that the horse would always be something to be proud of like the land that supported them and the people who appreciate them.

A day at the races with friends is important to us. It honors our history and stabilizes us in a world that often feels as if it is spinning out of control. I guess those are the feelings that I was holding on our drive back to Tennessee.

I’d like to invite you to join me along for the ride. I’ll be sharing more in the future. I’ve got a secret that when the time is right, I will share with you. Until then, the Kentucky Derby is a little less than 3 weeks away. I’ve got my dress. I’ve got a little handbag. I’m still looking for that darn hat…