rxgeek

A password is required by Zoom now but if you are sent a link, the pw is embedded. Does anyone have an account that is not limited to 40 minutes?

Zorak

I upgraded to a paid account in March because it seemed like I would be doing a lot of these but if there are people w/o Zoom then we should use a more inclusive platform.

WhatsApp would work for me. Also FB Messenger and LINE, if it comes to that

toomanybooks

A couple notable sights in LEX, where maybe we can get selfies next time.

1. World’s largest (?) hairball:

https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/61076

2. Approximate birthplace of David Atchison, arguably US President for one day. The roadside marker is a stone’s throw from Merrick Inn, where we usually have a meal:

https://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/53798

MSPeconomist

I refuse to set up a facebook or instagram account, so there's also an inclusivity issue in the reverse direction.

mattp1987

More information from the US Senate and the History Channel.

Governator

Hey toomanybooks it's probably too soon to be locking in Apr 2021, but I wanted to throw out a weekend. Looks like my daughter will be coming to Lex for the Kentucky Land Rover around April 22-25th and it might be nice to tie in a visit with y'all and her at the same time! Just a thought. Just for my own interest, from what you know, will that weekend be particularly hectic for hotels and such?

toomanybooks

I tried to find 2021 spring Keeneland dates online and failed. Do you have them?

Looking at a calendar. I am not sure if Keeneland will run through Friday 4/23 or 4/30.

I am not familiar with that event. My guess is that it will soak up a lot of rooms as it appears to have many attendees/spectators.

Will try to pick dates as early as I can.

MSPeconomist

If we're going to do a zoom or whatever thing online, IIRC there are some horse races coming up as things re-open. It might be fun to do it during one of them, presumably late Saturday afternoon and broadcast on NBC (for the major ones) or at least NBC-SN if previous patterns are followed. It would be a good time for a group happy hour since many of us are forced to stay at home anyway.

Alternatively, sometimes they broadcast video from some past major races. Even to get together during a good horse movie on TV would be nice, although I realize that different people have access to different stations and other platforms/distribution channels.

Of course, none of these options are even close to coming to Lexington for the weekend and going to Keeneland in real life.

Governator

I was thinking it might be a nice change for the regulars to maybe do this event instead of Keeneland? It looks like it's dressage, cross-country and show-jumping. Not sure if the betting opportunities are the same Perhaps we poll our regulars and see what they think?

MSPeconomist

If I understood a TV announcement correctly when I was multitasking, in two weeks (Saturday, June 20, 2020), horse racing is coming back in the USA after a hiatus of several months due to the virus. It's also the first day of summer and approximately the longest day of the year in terms of daylight in the northern hemisphere.

It will be the first part of the triple crown run at Belmont Park, and will be preceded by Royal Ascott.

Most of this should be covered on NBC, possible with additional coverage on NBC-SN for those who get this on cable.

This would be a good date to pick for our virtual FT Horse and Bourbon DO, BYOB of course, and no claims that it's as good as being in Lexington at Keeneland, visiting bourbon distilleries in person, having good meals there, hanging out with relatives of toomanybooks (and himself too in real life) etc.

Reactions?

toomanybooks

If someone wants to set up some kind of virtual meeting, feel free. I am not familiar with the process.

Herb687

Slight correction. Horse racing never completely went on hiatus. It was slim pickin's throughout the late Spring with only Gulfstream, Tampa Bay Downs, and Oaklawn among major Thoroughbred tracks still running (all of them without spectators) but those three tracks kept running. Oaklawn even had enough entries that its signature Arkansas Derby was split and run in two divisions. The winner of one of those two divisions of the Arkansas Derby, Charlatan (how appropriate), now sidelined due to "a filling in a front ankle" ...after failing a drug test.

Belmont Stakes Saturday the 20th could work. There will also be a rare Summer meet (no spectators ) at Keeneland July 8-12 to include the postponed Spring meet feature Blue Grass Stakes. The Blue Grass will still be a key Derby prep offering a total of 100 points towards qualifying for the KY Derby.

So if we wanted to keep our virtual DO Keeneland themed, consider something that week of July?

https://www.keeneland.com/media/news...nd-summer-meet


Horse racing has already returned to Churchill Downs and Santa Anita. Here's Maxfield winning the Matt Winn Stakes at CD on May 23 off a long layoff. Very impressive to win like that and to do it off a layoff. He's a legitimate Derby contender:


Well, in the words of Marge Simpson when the Simpsons went to "family resort" Branson: "Oh, no, there's gambling. We just have to find it."

MSPeconomist

Will the July Keeneland event be televised?

mattp1987

The Belmont Stakes are on NBC from 3-6pm EDT on June 20th, with the main race scheduled for 5:45pm. There is also other TV coverage during the day which I assume covers more of the races. https://www.belmontstakes.com/event-info/tv-schedule

If we choose to go that route, we could start around 4:30 or 5 ET to chat and drink some bourbon during the pre-race coverage.

Herb687

Most likely. On weekends FS1 has been airing "America's Day at the Races" which is produced by the New York Racing Association and covers different tracks while NBCSN has been running TVG's programming covering the tracks that NYRA is not. Keeneland's July meet will be a big deal for the few days it runs.