Experience Kentucky Downs – The Only European Style Track in North America
The author near the finish line.
In September, 2013, I finally made it to Kentucky Downs. I can now cross this off my bucket list! I attended two days of live racing, with two completely different experiences.
Before I get into that, let me describe Kentucky Downs, as it is a truly unique venue for racing in North America.
It is modeled after European Turf courses, which are not oval, and definitely not flat. Kentucky Downs has undulations on the track that include both rises and falls at various points. Further down in the article we will show the course layout and some live pictures.
Day One (Wednesday, September 11)
Ominous Skies
The day started out very hot and humid, with a threat of thunderstorms. For the first four races I was sitting under the tent pictured to the side. Then, with skies darkening, I decided to take cover in the main building where the casino is housed. This turned out to be a good move, as within minutes of my departure, severe lightning started to break out. Within minutes there was a loud snap through the audio system, and the video screens all went blank.
Rumors started to spread inside that there was a lightning strike on the tent near the finish line (where I had been sitting). Turned out the rumors were true, and apparently a few spectators were shocked, including one woman who was taken to the hospital. Fortunately no one was seriously hurt. Unfortunately, the severity of the storm and the resulting hit to the tote system and video feed forced a cancellation of the remaining races.
Day Two (Saturday, September 14)
Stretch Viewing Area
72 hours later, and a much different story. Sunny skies and temperatures in the mid 70s made for a stunning day at Kentucky Downs. With music playing and patrons spread out over the grass, horse racing was conducted in a manner that I imagine was normal back in the 1800s.
Family and friends shared food and drink, watched intently as horses paraded only a few feet away from them, and cheered wildly as they rushed down the lane to the finish line.
Kentucky Downs Paddock
In all of my years attending racing, I’ve never had such a communal experience. We were all together, in a relatively small area, inhaling and exhaling as one body. There were young and old, male and female … regular people.
Listening to many of them, they knew some things about horse racing too. This was not like a day at Saratoga, with fancy hats, but little knowledge of the sport. These people “got it.” And I have to say, it was an amazingly fresh experience for me.
Kentucky Downs, the Race Course.
To the side is a diagram of the course outline. But it doesn’t come close to describing the “lay of the land.” The backside has a noticeable incline. Then the far turn sweeps down and bends around before the horses briefly disappear behind some trees. As they straighten away into the stretch run the ground seems to flatten, but then as they hit mid-stretch, there is gradual, yet noticeable incline that continues all the way to the finish line. Below are a series of photos to help you see what I’m describing.
Kentucky Downs – Incline on the Backside.
Kentucky Downs – Decline into the Far Turn
Kentucky Downs – Final Turn before Stretch Run
Kentucky Downs – Uphill to Finish Line (This is the same horse leading in the first two pictures above).
Having followed racing at Kentucky Downs from home last year, I was curious why, with such a long stretch run, horses rarely make up a lot of ground in the stretch. After seeing it first hand, I think the combination of the downhill turn into the stretch, combined with the incline in the lane just make it harder for horses coming from behind. This seems especially true for the sprint races, where the frontrunners get some separation from the field by heading downhill immediately after breaking out of the gate. Just like our website name suggests, “Getting out of the Gate” means everything in racing at Kentucky Downs.
Click here to read more from Kentucky Downs “Live Racing” web page.
Click here for some tips when handicapping the unique Kentucky Downs turf course. Included are details about the performance of favorites at the 2013 meet, as well as the impact of speed and pace at various distances run on the course. All very useful information for the handicapper.
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