College Scholarship Day along with special Military Day guests and the inaugural Kids Club Day highlight special events for all ages
LEXINGTON, KY (April 2, 2015) – A special Military Day, the inaugural Kids Club Day and the return of other exciting special events highlight a fun-filled calendar during Keeneland’s 15-day Spring Meet, April 3-24.
The Spring Meet opens with the popular College Scholarship Day that draws thousands of students to Keeneland for scholarship and other giveaways. The Maker’s Mark Commemorative Bottle signing, Horses and Hope Pink Day, Jockey Autograph Signing, It’s my Derby and a variety of trunk shows add something for everyone to the calendar. The meet concludes with the Dixiana Presents Concert on the Lawn featuring country music artist Sundy Best after the final race on Friday, April 24.
Sunrise Trackside and Breakfast With the Works provide a family-friendly opportunity for fans to experience the excitement of morning workouts and other track activities. Fans also can tailgate on The Hill, which returns with a larger jumbo TV screen, music, food trucks and more.
Special Guests on Military Day at the Races
Military Day at the Races Presented by Marathon is one of Keeneland’s most popular special events. On Sunday, April 19, Keeneland will host U.S. Army Ranger Sgt. First Class Cory Remsburg, a decorated soldier honored by President Obama in the 2014 State of the Union Address, and other military dignitaries.
All active and inactive members of the military and their families receive free general admission with a military ID. A Military Family Zone in the North Terrace from noon to 4 p.m. will feature free food, live music and children’s activities.
Keeneland 2015 Spring Special Events Calendar
Keeneland fans have a multitude of special events and race-day opportunities this spring:
· Friday, April 3: College Scholarship Day on Opening Day welcomes thousands of students from colleges and universities in Kentucky and beyond. Admission is free with a college ID. Full-time students can register in the North Terrace to win one of ten $1,000 scholarships and prizes from local vendors after each of the day’s races. The first 2,000 students to register will receive a Keeneland College Scholarship Day T-shirt courtesy of Kennedy’s Wildcat Den or a Vineyard Vines hat.
· Fridays, April 3, 10, 17, 24: Friday Pick 4 Presented by TVG: A $200,000-guaranteed pool will be offered on the last four races of the day.
· Fridays and Saturdays: The popular Craft Beer Tent returns on the North Terrace patio on Fridays and Saturdays during the meet. A special selection of beers will include Blue Stallion, Country Boy, Fat Tire, Kentucky Ale, Land Shark, Shock Top, Sierra Nevada, Sweetwater and Woodchuck Hard Cider. On Friday, April 3, the Craft Beer tent is located in the Paddock area.
· Fridays and Saturdays: Keeneland’s popular tailgate lot, The Hill, located adjacent to the Keene Barn & Entertainment Center, will feature food trucks, a jumbo television screen, wireless wagering and wagering terminals, race-day programs, a Keeneland Gift Shop kiosk and free shuttles to the track. On Saturdays, fans can enjoy live music. BETologists also will be available to answer fans’ questions.
· Friday, April 3: The Keeneland Gift Shop Presents Sail to Sable trunk show from 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
· Friday, April 3, and Saturday, April 4: The Keeneland Gift Shop Presents Christine A. Moore trunk show from 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
· Saturdays, April 4, 11, 18: Want to experience the sights and sounds of Keeneland many don’t get to see? On Saturdays, Sunrise Trackside,sponsored by LEX18 and Dunkin’ Donuts, offers activities for all ages beginning at 7 a.m. Fans can enjoy Breakfast With the Works, a Southern-style breakfast and trackside commentary while horses train on the main track (until 8:30 a.m.); children’s activities in the Kids Club Corner (7-9 a.m.); an equine-related demonstration in the Paddock (9 a.m.); guided walking tours of Keeneland (8-10:30 a.m.); a trackside handicapping seminar (11:30 a.m.); and a Q&A session with a Keeneland jockey in the Paddock (12:05 p.m.). Keeneland Bugler Steve Buttleman also will be on hand to take photos with fans. Note: Because of earlier post times on April 4 and 11, the handicapping seminar and jockey Q&A will begin 30 minutes earlier.
· Saturday, April 4: Guaranteed $300,000 All-Stakes Pick 4 Presented by TVG, challenges patrons to handicap the Commonwealth (G3), Shakertown (G3), Central Bank Ashland (G1) and Toyota Blue Grass (G1).
· Saturday, April 4: Play the Guaranteed $300,000 All-Stakes Pick Five Presented by TVG by selecting the winners of the Madison (G1), Commonwealth (G3), Shakertown (G3), Central Bank Ashland (G1) and Toyota Blue Grass (G1).
· Wednesdays, April 8, 15, 22: WINS-day Challenge, a handicapping contest presented by Malone’s and Daily Racing Form takes place Wednesdays. At Wagering Central, contestants can sign up to play for a $10 entry fee, then place a mythical $2 win and place wager on Keeneland races 3 through 8. The contest offers a guaranteed $2,500 pool, and the first 200 participants receive a free Daily Racing Form and a card for a free appetizer at Malone’s.
· Wednesday, April 8: Keeneland and Kentucky First Lady Jane Beshear join forces to host Horses and Hope Pink Day to promote breast cancer awareness. Wear pink to the races in support of the cause. Prior to the races, a survivor’s luncheon and fashion show – with partners the Keeneland Gift Shop, Talbots and the Spa at Griffin Gate – takes place in the Keene Barn & Entertainment Center. More information can be found atHorsesandhope.org.
· Friday, April 10: The Maker’s Mark Commemorative Bottle signing takes place in the Keene Barn & Entertainment Center at 8:30 a.m. ET. Sales of the bottle start April 3 at retail locations across Kentucky and benefit the University of Kentucky Athletics Association’s Center for Academic and Tutorial Services (C.A.T.S). More information on the bottle signing can be found at keeneland.com/calendar/makers-mark-bottle-signing.
· Sunday, April 12: Keeneland’s inaugural Kids Club Day gives all Kids Club members and their families free general admission with their Kids Club badge at any pass gate. Children’s activities, including face painting, crafts and more, in the North Terrace from noon to 4 p.m. The Keeneland Kids Club is the free Official Kids Club for Keeneland fans 12 and under. Members of the Kids Club will receive a personalized membership pass, birthday card from Buckles, discounts, invitations to exclusive Kids Club events and more.
· Friday, April 17: Keeneland welcomes some of the biggest names in Thoroughbred racing for the Jockey Autograph Signing and It’s my Derbyevents. Race fans can get autographs of the current jockey colony from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Paddock to benefit the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund. In the evening, Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas will host It’s my Derby at the Keeneland Sales Pavilion and be joined by jockeys Pat Day, Angel Cordero Jr., Chris McCarron and Laffit Pincay Jr. in reliving their Kentucky Derby experiences. Proceeds benefit the Kentucky Derby Museum and Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund.
· Friday, April 17, and Saturday, April 18: The Keeneland Gift Shop Presents Dorfman Pacific Hats trunk show from 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
· Friday, April 17, and Saturday, April 18: The Keeneland Gift Shop Presents Kabana Jewelry trunk show from 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
· Friday, April 17, and Saturday, April 18: The Keeneland Gift Shop Presents Southern Proper trunk show from 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
· Thursday, April 23: Herald-Leader Subscriber Day gives Lexington Herald-Leader subscribers free general admission.
· Friday, April 24: Keeneland closes the Spring Meet in style as Dixiana Farm Presents Concert on the Lawn featuring national country music artist Sundy Best. The free concert immediately after the final race on closing day of the Spring Meet benefits the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Foundation.
Keeneland 2015 Spring Meet at a Glance
Post time: 1:05 p.m. ET. Gates open at 11 a.m., except on Saturday, April 4, and Saturday, April 11, when first post is 12:35 p.m. No racing on Mondays and Tuesdays or on Easter Sunday, April 5.
Admission: $5. Children 12 and under free.
Parking: Free (shuttles available from many lots); Preferred parking: $5; Clubhouse valet: $10.
The Hill (Official Tailgate Lot): Located adjacent to the Keene Barn & Entertainment Center. Enter Gate 1 across from Man o’ War Boulevard or via the Van Meter Road entrance.
Simulcasting: Major Thoroughbred tracks in the U.S.
Website: Keeneland.com; Keeneland.com/bluegrass
Twitter: Follow us at @keenelandracing for news, information, real-time Paddock updates and expert picks.
Other: Keeneland is on Facebook (Facebook.com/Keeneland), YouTube (Keenelandfan), Pinterest (Pinterest.com/Keeneland), Instagram (Instagram.com/Keeneland), and has both a mobile site and Race Day app for smartphone users.
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For more than 75 years, the Keeneland Association has devoted itself to the health and vibrancy of the Thoroughbred industry. As the world’s largest Thoroughbred auction company, Keeneland conducts sales every January, September and November. Its sales graduates dominate racing across the globe at every level. In April and October, Keeneland offers some of the highest caliber and richest Thoroughbred racing in the world. In 2015, Keeneland will host the Breeders’ Cup World Championships on Oct. 30-31. Uniquely structured, Keeneland is a private, for-profit corporation that returns its earnings to the industry and the community in the form of higher purses, and it has donated millions of dollars in charitable contributions for education, research and health and human services throughout Central Kentucky. To learn more about Keeneland, visit Keeneland.com.