A Dispatch from Keeneland

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Like a fine bottle of wine that, once opened, won’t store and needs a couple of friends to enjoy its quality, Keeneland’s race meeting comes and goes too quickly. While it lasts, however, the races at the historic track outside Lexington provide a daily opportunity for thousands of people to take a working holiday. In addition to the horseplayers and horse people, men and women from businesses in the area, as well as busloads from urban centers like Cincinnati and Louisville, caravan over to the picturesque racetrack to see the spectacle of racing. For a moderate price, they can buy a lunch or a buffet and sit at a table overlooking the track. From there, even patrons who are not otherwise connected to racing can watch the races, have a sociable meal, and watch the glitterati of the sport, including major figures such as trainers Wayne Lukas, Todd Pletcher, or Bob Baffert.

Keeneland also offers a card of competitive racing five days a week, and the feature race of last Saturday’s events was the Blue Grass Stakes. First run at Keeneland in 1937, the Blue Grass is a major prep for the Kentucky Derby and has been won by some outstanding horses such as Alydar, Kentucky Derby-winner Spectacular Bid, Preakness winner Summer Squall, and Horses of the Year like Holy Bull and Skip Away.

This year’s winner was Dominican, who won the race in the last stride by a nose from last year’s champion juvenile, Street Sense. The race itself was dramatic, and the result, which was the first top-level victory for Dominican, provided some additional amusement. Before Dominican had returned to the winner’s circle, one businessman who owns stallions and makes a good deal of money from them turned to his farm manager and said he wanted to try to acquire breeding rights to that horse. The farm manager smiled and started to object to the stallion owner’s enthusiasm, but as a man of wit, and perhaps as an effect from a couple of glasses of French wine, the farm manager set off toward the Keeneland winner’s circle.

With a quick peek, the horseman confirmed his recollection of the winner’s reproductive status and began to wind his way back to the clubhouse. Returned from his errand in less than 15 minutes, he was met at the clubhouse door by his anxious employer. Choosing to delay the summation, the farm manager said, “Well sir, you were the first in line….”

His man’s face started to brighten with anticipation.

“But … neither love nor money can buy the rights to that horse. He’s a gelding.”

The revelation that the Blue Grass winner was a neutered, non-breedable male did not precipitate a storm of good humor from the man wanting to buy him as breeding stock. As they were standing in the Keeneland clubhouse, however, a shade of decorum was required. Rather than busting a couple of Ming vases, the man went back to his table and eased his pain with a double scotch on the rocks.

Life can be hard in the horse business.
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Frank Mitchell lives on a farm where he writes and raises horses about 30 minutes from Keeneland. He's written two books on horse-racing and writes a regular column on Thoroughbred bloodlines for Daily Racing Form that can be found at drf.com.