Enjoying A Day at Keeneland

Photo by Eclipse Sportswire
Driving up from New Orleans on Thursday, April 17 left me a bit exhausted but Keeneland beckoned. Anne had an ownersʼ seminar early Friday and I headed out to explore some bourbon and wine (more on that in another post). My adventure took longer than planned and my arrival was late. Relegated to a distant lot, I boarded the shuttle and made it inside as the second race began.
The "50 to 1" crew was busy signing autographs and posing for pictures, making for a congested entryway. Their tour bus was impossible to miss at the Fair Grounds, but I didnʼt even notice it here.
'50 TO 1' TOUR BUS

Photo by the Fair Grounds
Keeneland overwhelms me on race days. Hordes of people partying and milling about is nothing new to this resident of New Orleans. Racing is different though. The Fair Grounds rarely gets jam-packed, but even then I can find my way around with my eyes closed. Maybe more time at Keeneland will help. Maybe having my picks ready before I arrive would allow for more people watching and enjoying the day. Betting as I go has not proven to produce winners in Lexington - zero tickets cashed on Friday. Slight optimism, lots of stubbornness and that gamblerʼs sense of being due caused me to continue searching for the right horse, to no avail.
It was a gorgeous day though, I was with Anne and we had a great time. We found two gentlemen willing to share their treasured table on the second floor while we ate and watched racing on TV. Anne chose a hot dog, someone had mentioned a gourmet hot dog option but even one of the Keeneland staff, with a map, was unsure where that was. (We found it later, on the third floor, the word “gourmet” in front of “hot dog” for the same price as the one we ate).
The dog was the perfect size for the bun, plump, juicy and with lots of flavor. The casing offered a satisfying snap as I bit into it but was not overly chewy in the mouth, a perfect balance. Anne summed it up nicely, “This is a good hot dog.”
I opted for the burgoo, having been introduced to the concept in a story featured in The Atlantic Cities about shrinking population numbers for squirrels in the 1800s. “[R]ecipe books at the time abounded with squirrels all broiled, fried, roasted, fricasseed, and swimming in an oyster-and-cream ʻKentucky Burgooʼ that was the talk of the town on Derby day.” I plan a much more extensive post about burgoo at some point but the versions seen now do not appear to be cream-based and neither oysters nor squirrel are featured.
KEENELAND BURGOO

Photo by Geoff Wordon
Keeneland offered what I expected based on my reading: a dark brown, hearty stew with beef (chuck roast perhaps?) and lots of vegetables. It reminded me of similar hearty dishes found in the northeast where I grew up but with a richer liquid and a more diverse selection of produce. I saw corn, carrots, green beans, okra (Iʼm pretty sure) and peas. Lima beans were mentioned in a lot of my reading but no sign of them here. Peppery spice livened the thick stew. I thought it was delicious and ate every last bit, almost forgetting to take a picture.
The gentlemen sharing their table said they thought the burgoo at Keeneland was, “Better than Churchill ... really, better than anything around.” Apparently, it was a fortuitous start to my burgoo education. Next thing to figure out is pronunciation - BUR- goo or bur-GOO?
When the "50 to 1" folks appeared on the TVs around us, I realized the calm (and good company) we had found caused me to lose track of time, missing my photo ops of the cast and Mine That Bird as well. Too nice a day for crying over spilt milk, the craft beer tent beckoned.
50 to 1 MOVIE CAST SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS

Photo courtesy of Keeneland
Past the paddock, a small oasis of space, grass and tables greets those who wander far enough. On Fridays and Saturdays during the spring meet some tasty brews are available at this end of Keeneland, though a brewer friend pointed out a dearth of dark beers. We opted for a Country Boy Cougar Bait and a Sweet Water Blue. I laughed about the name of the Country Boy then decided it was a must have. The American Blonde Ale displayed a lovely golden brown hue with with a nice, delicate roasted aroma. The beer was soft and easy but with some appealing front of the tongue bite. In their words, “Cougar Bait works.”
Sweet Water comes from Atlanta but this Saints fan is not holding that against them. The Blue, a blueberry wheat beer, showed the hallmark, bright, lemon-gold color that only gets more appealing in the sunlight. The blueberry aromas mingled with a pleasant deeper, almost malty note. The berry flavor carried through on the palate and finish, tasting like real fruit rather than the fake syrup so many other fruit-flavored beers show. The acidity balanced the easy drinkability, keeping this brew fresh and very gulpable. We settled in near the rail for a race at this end and then employed Anneʼs credentials to watch the next from the rail in the winnerʼs circle. After that, we called it a day.
Anne had a delightfully close parking spot and the shuttle line was long so I asked for a ride to my car. However, I had no idea how to tell her to get there. “Itʼs by tailgating. Thereʼs a paved area right there.” Frustration grew as we drove against traffic and the way security wanted us to go but eventually found the car, over a hill past where we had parked last fall. For the record, I had only one beer that day but clearly hadnʼt paid enough attention when I arrived. Hereʼs hoping my confusion at Keeneland is at an end and I can enjoy my next visit like a regular ... maybe that will be better news for my betting too!