A day at the races

My 9 yr old daughter and I have a tradition that started last spring and we plan on continuing with every meet at Keeneland. We target a Friday, keeping our fingers crossed for good weather, sunny, spring or fall day, t-shirt or light jacket weather when we plot our getaway. I take off at lunchtime and head straight for her school where she gets out for a "dentist" appointment. We drive straight for our day at the races. We prefer to go mobile and hang by the rail and alternate to the paddock and then squish through the crowd and head to the winners circle. We both love the beauty of the day. Keeneland is a gorgeously landscaped, tradition-laden track where echoes of the past can be heard on every race day. We love to take it all in. We pull a wooden green bench down to the rail and stand from each post parade to the heart-thumping finish. We pick winners sometimes and that adds to the excitement. We watch the business in the paddock and marvel at the power and beauty of the horses. My daugther rides so she likes to watch the jockeys mount and balance their way on the backs of these powerful animals. The pounding hoofs, the roar of the crowd and the sheer fun of our day at the track have made me look forward to these days each season. I especially look forward to these days on a cold wintry week-end in February. Come on Spring!