Keeneland’s College Day is a wonderful tradition every fall that brings hordes of students to the track for a great day of racing, socializing and handicapping. When I arrived at Keeneland at about 10 a.m., there already was a huge line of students queued up to register to win one of ten $1,000 scholarships provided by Keeneland Association and the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association.
There were also T-shirt, hat, food and beverage giveaways, and all sorts of other great swag.
Keeneland provided a photographer and a step-and-repeat line so students could commemorate the event in style. Everyone was dressed to the nines and looked great – and everyone was having so much fun, too!
There were also tons of other great events put on by sponsors, like this wheel of fortune-style game where students could win T-shirts, frozen yogurt treats and more. I wanted to play so badly! I love frozen yogurt.
After taking in the sights of the registry area, I wandered around the track snapping photos and chatting with the students here for College Day. I asked them what they thought of the event, and the answer was almost universal: that they were incredibly grateful to Keeneland for providing students with a full day dedicated to them and the opportunity to win scholarship money. I spoke to people who came from schools hours away, and everyone was excited to be here for the great racing and atmosphere. Below are some photos I took while roaming around:
Of course, there were also tons of things to see around the track today that had nothing to do with College Day – that’s just the magic of Keeneland. Enjoy the pretty images below!
The grandstand as seen from the turn for home.
A horse and groom returning to the Keeneland stable area.
The beauty of the fall foliage in the stable area.
Making new friends trackside. I love seeing kids interacting with the horses – it was one of my favorite parts of going to the track when I was a little girl. I still am tempted to go pet the pony horses myself when I see this happen!
A unique thing about Keeneland is that the afternoon sun streams into the seating area, and to combat the glare the track provides parasols to racegoers. These little girls were having a blast spinning them in their hands like a scene out of Mary Poppins. Looked like fun!
Larry Jones walks one of his trainees in the paddock under the lush fall foliage.
That’s it for today, but I’ll be back tomorrow! Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you have a very excellent weekend.
