toomanybooks

mile ho (who is in the horse business) and I would like to invite you to a horse-racing and bourbon DO in LEX (Lexington, KY), my original hometown, April 13-15.

mile ho is working on getting us private tours of horse farms where he knows the managers. This will be breeding season, so some places won't let us in, but he thinks he can persuade others. His horse-related post is below.

Here is a rough schedule, subject to modification as conditions warrant, since the number of attendees may affect what we can arrange:

Friday April 13: Horse farm tour(s). Or possibly a trip to the Kentucky Horse Park (http://kyhorsepark.com/) if we cannot get into individual farms and/or Shakertown (http://www.shakervillageky.org/). Plan on a late afternoon reception/party at my parents' home, on a lake in Lexington.

Saturday April 14: Breakfast/early morning visit to Keeneland, one of the most beautiful horse tracks in the world (http://www.keeneland.com/default.aspx). This might include watching the horses work out, breakfast at the track kitchen (southern biscuits and gravy, mmmm), visits with trainers and farriers, etc. Then we depart for one or more bourbon distillery tours (http://kybourbontrail.com/). Likely visits would be to the two closest ones: Woodford Reserve, a few miles away in Versailles (http://www.woodfordreserve.com/) and Wild Turkey (http://www.wildturkey.com/). If time permits, a real classic distillery is Makers' Mark in Loretto, but it's about 65 miles distant (http://www.makersmark.com/). I will try to arrange a private or special tour(s) if we get enough attendees.

Sunday, April 15: A Day at the Races: Keenelend. The track is located across the street from the LEX airport, so you can bug out whenever you want. My father knows some members of the Keeneland Club, so I will try to reserve a table or two for private lunch, but there can be no guarantee how many people we can get in, if any. This is a formal place, requiring coat-and-tie for men and equivalent for ladies. It's optional of course and you can enjoy the informal public Grandstand for the day if you like.

A cheap points hotel for your stay is the Lexington Four Points, an SPG category 1, of which there are few in the US.:

http://www.starwoodhotels.com/prefer...ropertyID=1263

2000/3000 SPG point redemptions per night, and nights/stays count toward SPG status.

Please post here if you are planning to come for sure, or thinking about it, so we can plan.

Thanks.

Planning to come

toomanybooks + 1
mile ho
Blank Sheet
herb687
KMA26
CokeandTaco
iris30


Maybe or interested


karung99+1
SomeGuy


Hoping for a fall repeat

Sweet Willie
CubsGirl
From NYC
ElmhurstNick
nub2travel
nub2travel+1

Looking forward to 2013!

k_malm

Sweet Willie

No can do in April, I'm hoping you guys might have the same type of Do during Keeneland's Fall racing schedule

mile ho

I'll be organizing the Friday part of the DO.

We'll be traveling to a few of the great horse farms in and around Lexington to see some of the all-time great equine athletes.

Some farms that we may get to visit are the notable Three Chimneys, home of such greats as Big Brown, Dynaformer, War Chant and Point Given. We will also try to visit Hill n Dale where Midnight Lute and Stormy Atlantic stand. Lane's End has Smart Strike, English Channel, Quality Road, Candy Ride and of course the great Curlin.

Where we go on Friday will depend on where I can get us in. It will be breeding season and these great stallions will be busy. But I will do my best to get us in to see as many as I can. As a horseman, I do breed mares in Ky so I'll have a little pull.

I also plan on taking our group to a mare farm as well so we can see that side of the business.

I'll be working on getting a famous trainer or two to speak to our small group as well as working on a trip to the backside at Keeneland and/or Churchill Downs.

When more concrete plans become available, I'll post them here. But rest assured, if you love horseracing and those wonderful animals, you'll have a good time on Friday.

Please PM me with any questions or suggestions.

Blank Sheet

I'm in and can organize a caravan from downtown Cincy for the DO. Can provide free parking just off Reading Road across from Graeters as an assembly point.

The new dates work for me.

nub2travel

Mrs Nub and I are in. This will be a great anniversary getaway. Look forward to more information.

nub2travel

Hotel booked thanks for the suggestion. Great deal.

Sweet Willie

Muchas Gracias ^

toomanybooks

De nada. Hola. Cerveza, por favor. Gracias. No mas; adios muchacho.

That's all the Spanish I know.

karung99

Put me and +1 down as Maybe, we have an eyes on Trans Atlantic Cruise
Hotel is booked so far.

Love to join you guys I think it is more fun ^

Sweet Willie

the most important words

bk3day

Damn...I'm already committed to be in AUS that weekend.

I will raise a glass of bourbon & think of y'all having a great time. I was really hoping to join in this time after having missed the last DO.

So, like Sweet Willie I'm hoping for a fall repeat so I too can enjoy your old Kentucky home.

tmartazu

Torn! Not committed to AUS that weekend but want to see my friends there. However, this is VERY tempting! ^

toomanybooks

mile ho and I did not realize this weekend conflicted with the AUS DO. So we are thinking we might switch to the weekend before, April 13-15. Comments?

Sweet Willie

unless my taxes are not done by then for some reason or if a legal matter comes to play (I have 2.5 hours of community service I promised to do (as a result of a judge dismissing a speeding ticket) on a Saturday in April to be named by the court), there are not too many reasons why I couldn't make this earlier date.

BTW, for those who are interested in this Do but can not make a spring event, a couple of FTers & I are planning another Keeneland outing the weekend of Oct 20/21. I (nor the other FTers) have access to the behind the scenes like mile ho has but it will be fun to get together with FTers & bet on the ponies. I'll start a different thread shortly as this thread should be about a spring Do.

toomanybooks

Please note date change. April 13-15 so as not to conflict with Austin DO. Thanks.