Lexington , Kentucky is the land of great bourbon and great horse breeding. You can experience both at Keeneland race track, and do some betting to give you a reason to cheer and shout.
Before the first race, we wandered through the gift shop. It is located on extensive acreage six miles outside of town, in a sublime setting. It held its first race in Training and horse sales go on throughout the year, but races only take place in April and October.
You have to well to hit town at the right time. So there we are, before the races even started, committed to betting on behalf of a girl in kindergarten. Here I am poring over race odds and jockey history, but she wins just as often by going for pink or purple.
The kids with betting slips cheer hard all day, without whining about how many races are going on. Our little one walks home with a pink toy pony that makes magical sounds when you squeeze it, so the horse track now qualifies for her list of top-ten fun places.
The slight tinge of guilt I have in the beginning for introducing a toddler to gambling fades after the horses started thundering down the track, with everyone yelling for their hopeful champ. Daddy we won! Most punters are placing small bets just to add a stake to the outcome. You can bet horses to win, place or show for as little as two dollars, so even if your luck is terrible you can escape losing less than the price of your bar tab.
