Keeneland tickets

[mattcoll]

I'm heading there for racing Friday and Saturday.  I saw a DRF article that said it sells out on weekends, and lo and behold there are no tix available for those days.  Stubhub had some tix, and season passes for the grounds were also available direct from Keeneland.

Can someone with experience tell me if I can definitely get secondary market tix outside the gate (like I always do for breeders cups at churchill)?  Or should I rely on stub hub?  Or just buy the annual and use it for both days as general admission?

I'd prefer a grandstand seat/box  but I have zero qualms about just watching from apron.  Never been there before so flying blind.

[shoes]

Matt- I have been going for many years both Spring and fall and unless it's raining, usually prefer the general admission/apron. I like to walk back and forth to the paddock (which is easily done. There are a number of 3 person benches and you are allowed to being in your own fold-up camping chair.

General admission has only been selling out since COVID (maybe they are limiting the numbers). I have not observed secondary market sellers on site the last 3 meets, but I wasn't really looking for them either. I personally would be uncomfortable chancing it. Sub can be pricey I know. Obviously you can compare asking prices to the annual fee and make a decision.

Looking forward to hearing about your experience. It is my favorite track (and I have been to many). Great tailgating in the grass and tree line parking lot too, if you're into that. I'm going 10-20 to 10-22.

[mattcoll]

Thanks for the advice shoes. I did not see any secondary ticket market outside the track or online except for stubhub, so it was a good decision to just buy the annual pass (the only ticket available for purchase direct from keeneland) and use it for general admission last weekend

My experience?

Keeneland is a shrine to the horse breeding industry. It was like no other racing experience I've ever attended. We flew to Cincy and drove the hour to the track. It's rolling hills and horse country...few trees/thick grass...a pleasant drive to the track that I don't get on the Belt Parkway heading to Belmont.


The tailgate experience is unique. It's a little bit of southern culture, a little fancy dress, and a semi annual horse business convention all wrapped up into one. The weather was perfect.

The track seemed very accessible. It's not luxurious or anything, but there also isn't a chip of paint missing anywhere and the sightlines are fantastic. Some of these cavernous tracks that host big events feel like they have all these exclusive areas where you aren't welcome. At Keeneland it feels like everyone is there for the love of the horses and it's a much flatter social scene. Of the two biggest stakes of the weekend, I ended up sitting next to the winning trainer of one at the bar one night and walking out of the track talking to the winning owners of the other one the next night. Nothing about my admission felt "general" at all. I watched the 21 races from a variety of vantage points and they were all great. Not too crowded on the apron right by the finish, and watching from the grandstand / boxes later in the day was perfect with the sun setting directing in front of us as the grandstand faces west.

It's the best paddock layout I've ever seen. Bar none. This is all about looking at horses (and looking at horse fans). Don't expect to see the odds on TVs in the paddock. There are none. It really doesn't feel like wagering is the focus here- and they specifically exclude the picnic/BYO cooler scene inside the gates. I used to hate the snooty attitude of races without horses wearing the familiar saddle clothes of numbers/colors for the biggest races at Keeneland. But now I get it...it's about the owners and you better get used to their silks if you want to follow the race.

I found the handicapping to be impossible in the allowance/claiming races- and more formful in the stakes. It was very windy heading into the final turn and hurt the speed horses, and then jockeys starting all waiting so long to make a move that they just bunched up. During BC I'll probably upgrade a few speed horses that faded late on opening weekend.

What more can I say. It's just a great place for horse fans and I wouldn't change a thing. IMO it is too small to properly host a BC, so the opening fall weekend is probably my thing going forward.

[shoes]

Matt, great to get your positive feedback for what I consider to be my "home track." When I first started going, it was the only track in America with no track announcer. Binoculars were especially useful then. That change to an announcers, sometime in the 90s was necessary.

The Paddock is indeed, special.

I agree with everything you said including that it is probably too small to properly host a Breeder's Cup.

[elkurzhal]

Bummer I haven't been checking in here often enough. I was originally planning to go Saturday, but had some conflicts come up and sold my seats already. Maybe do the apron on Friday and seats from stubhub Saturday. With general admission, you can go up to the 2nd and 3rd floor behind the reserved seating.

It's also their contest weekend. I think Friday is $400 buy-in and may get at least general admission. Saturday is $3500 and ($1000 to prizes and $2500 to bet) 10 NHC seats, 6 BCBC seats and about $60k cash prizes up for grabs. Saturday includes a seat and lunch.

[cherokeescot]

Great write up Matt. I’m glad you enjoyed the experience. Keeneland is truly delightful