I thought we would do something a little different and Kentucky-appropriate for breakfast on this beautiful morning so we headed out to the Keeneland Race Course, a National Historic Landmark.
Track Kitchen
Lexington, Kentucky
The Track Kitchen is part cafeteria, part conventional restaurant. You grab a tray, order off a menu hanging on the wall, self serve your beverage, and pay at a cash register. If you order something that needs to be cooked and assembled, a friendly employee delivers the meal to your self chosen table. How they know where to deliver what is a mystery. After the meal is consumed you just leave the remains at the table and someone will take care of the mess. This was not anything like the breakfast I once had at the Saratoga Springs NY horse track where you eat at tables with fresh cut flowers and are served by people in white shirts and black bow ties. But the Track Kitchen was ten times cheaper!
The dining area is strictly utilitarian in design. With cinder block walls, linoleum floor, and panel ceiling tiles, the room reminded me of a larger version of the rooms where Target or Costco employees take their breaks. There was however some redeeming decor. In the front of the room were large plate glass windows that looked out on the parking spaces (at Saratoga you look out on the racetrack where you can see the horses gallop through their morning routines) so there was some natural light. The one feature that made you feel that you were at a horse racing track and not sitting at the Department of Motor Vehicles waiting for your number to be called was a collection of horse with jockey photographs covering the cinder block walls. Each frame identified the pictured horse, none of which I recognized. I assume each horse had won a stakes race at this track but with a few rare exceptions, the purses at Keeneland are not nearly as large as those at the major tracks like Santa Anita, Saratoga, and Churchill Downs.
Never mind the purely functional environment of the room, it was the people watching that made the Track Kitchen a stellar place to eat breakfast. The dining room was filled with all sorts of interesting looking people, from stately gentlemen in official looking green blazers to stable hands who left clumps of dirt from their boots on the floor. About three-quarters of the customers were intently studying the day's racing form, more interested in odds and previous times than the fact that their breakfast was getting cold. Trainers, owners, exercise jockeys, track officials, security personnel, and gambling addicts were all gathered under one roof. It seemed everyone associated with Keeneland was there except the horses. I'm sure I could have picked up some "hot tips" but we weren't staying for the afternoon races.
5 out of 5 stars
FOOD: I ordered oatmeal, the first time that had happened during the Breakfast Tour. I figured this was a good place to have oatmeal since we were surrounded by hundreds of horses and what do they eat? Subsequent research revealed that horses no longer eat straight oats like at one time when they were the staple of any horse's diet. Evidently, today's horse eats a much more balanced diet that may contain some oats. To balance my diet I also ordered an egg, bacon, and cheese sandwich.
The oatmeal came with a small plastic container of raisins, and a similar container of brown sugar. I poured the contents of the containers into the oatmeal and went at it as my sandwich had not yet arrived. The oatmeal didn't bowl me over. It was too watery for my tastes and in fact, didn't taste too different than the instant variety.
The egg, bacon, and cheese sandwich on the other hand, was excellent. The egg was especially outstanding. Perfectly grilled, (in butter or bacon grease perhaps?), it tasted fresh and delectable.
Ironically, as the creamy yellow yolk was coating my lips, I looked up and saw this scene through the window:
Those weren't horses but free range chickens! Maybe that explains why the egg sandwich was so yummy.
The Healthy One found some granola and yogurt with fruit in a self serve refrigerated cabinet. That wasn't going to provide enough energy for the busy day we had planned so she added a scone. The scone was decent, not decadent. The granola and yogurt she said was nothing special, on par with what you might get at a McDonald's.
4 out of 5 stars
COFFEE: The coffee wasn't bad considering it came from one of those large dispensers you often see at conference breaks.
3 1/2 out of 5 stars
3 1/2 out of 5 stars
SERVICE: No nags working here. After you grabbed your tray and moved a few feet down the line, you ended up facing a couple of women with big smiles on their faces. They sincerely looked happy to see you. How could anyone look this cheerful at this hour of the morning? You placed your order with one of them and they pleasantly explained where to get your coffee and that someone would bring you your breakfast sandwich. The cashier was no less amicable.
I had purchased a container of juice which I had planned on taking with me and drinking later in the day. About 15 minutes after I left the Track Kitchen, I remembered that I had left the juice on the table. I went back, but the table had been cleared. "No problem" said the cashier when I explained my situation, "just grab another one from the refrigerator". Nice.
5 out of 5 stars
A FEW WORDS ABOUT LEXINGTON:
Lexington, "The Horse Capital Of The World" and a city of 300,000, is located in the Bluegrass Region of Kentucky. The Bluegrass Region is primarily located in Northern Kentucky and is known for its phenomenal grazing land. The region, once dominated by agriculture has become increasingly developed with residential and commercial properties. The grass looked green to me but I learned the term came about because in the Spring, the bluegrass produces bluish-purple buds that convey to the grass a bluish tint when seen in large fields. The bluegrass is high in calcium content which greatly benefits the diets of horses.
Lexington is home to the University of Kentucky, Transylvania University, and Bluegrass Community & Technical College. Transylvania University (enrollment about 1,000) is much, much smaller than the University of Kentucky (enrollment about 30,000) but much older. Transylvania, meaning "across the woods" in Latin was established in 1780. It is the oldest college in Kentucky and the 19th oldest in the United States.
Lexington has a vibrant downtown area filled with restaurants, hotels, performing arts venues, shopping, and bars (where you can drink the famous Kentucky bourbons). In 1958 the city put in place the first urban growth boundary in the U.S. in order to limit urban sprawl and preserve the city's surrounding farmland. The boundary originally surrounded 67 square miles of developed land that was eventually expanded by 8 more square miles. When we drove from the city center to Keeneland, it was obvious when we crossed the boundary. All of a sudden the housing developments and strip malls disappeared and were replaced by rolling hills of grass filled with horses getting their calcium fix.
Although a source of continual tension between preservationists and developers, the boundary has helped preserve the area's numerous horse farms. Lexington is home to two horse racing tracks (Keeneland and The Red Mile, the latter the second oldest harness racing track in the world), as well as facilities for equestrian competitions. Economic activities related to horses generate approximately $4 billion annually for the area.
BURN THOSE BREAKFAST CALORIES OFF:
Lexington, "The Horse Capital Of The World" and a city of 300,000, is located in the Bluegrass Region of Kentucky. The Bluegrass Region is primarily located in Northern Kentucky and is known for its phenomenal grazing land. The region, once dominated by agriculture has become increasingly developed with residential and commercial properties. The grass looked green to me but I learned the term came about because in the Spring, the bluegrass produces bluish-purple buds that convey to the grass a bluish tint when seen in large fields. The bluegrass is high in calcium content which greatly benefits the diets of horses.
Lexington is home to the University of Kentucky, Transylvania University, and Bluegrass Community & Technical College. Transylvania University (enrollment about 1,000) is much, much smaller than the University of Kentucky (enrollment about 30,000) but much older. Transylvania, meaning "across the woods" in Latin was established in 1780. It is the oldest college in Kentucky and the 19th oldest in the United States.
Lexington has a vibrant downtown area filled with restaurants, hotels, performing arts venues, shopping, and bars (where you can drink the famous Kentucky bourbons). In 1958 the city put in place the first urban growth boundary in the U.S. in order to limit urban sprawl and preserve the city's surrounding farmland. The boundary originally surrounded 67 square miles of developed land that was eventually expanded by 8 more square miles. When we drove from the city center to Keeneland, it was obvious when we crossed the boundary. All of a sudden the housing developments and strip malls disappeared and were replaced by rolling hills of grass filled with horses getting their calcium fix.
Although a source of continual tension between preservationists and developers, the boundary has helped preserve the area's numerous horse farms. Lexington is home to two horse racing tracks (Keeneland and The Red Mile, the latter the second oldest harness racing track in the world), as well as facilities for equestrian competitions. Economic activities related to horses generate approximately $4 billion annually for the area.
BURN THOSE BREAKFAST CALORIES OFF:
We walked the grounds of Keeneland. The access to the stables and the practice track was unbelievable. This place was really laid back. Riders were smiling and saying good morning. Even the horses looked content. Every place we wandered into I kept thinking "we're going to get kicked out of here" but nobody seemed to care. And I certainly wasn't being mistaken for a jockey after all I had eaten the past two weeks. We watched the horses engaged in their morning workouts and visited a few in their stalls. I gave this handsome guy a pep talk for his upcoming race which turned out to be all for naught because I learned that he was just an escort pony.
We also visited the renowned Keeneland Sales Pavilion where Thoroughbreds are sold at auction. Thoroughbreds are a distinct breed of horse known for their agility and speed and primarily bred for racing. There are a number of sales throughout the year (19 Kentucky Derby winners have been sold at Keeneland) but the September yearling sale is the world's most important Thoroughbred sale. The highest price ever paid for a yearling was at Keeneland. Seattle Dancer sold for $13.1 million (about $30 million in today's dollars) in July, 1985. Seattle Dancer went on to win a grand total of two races and had total earnings of about $150,000; not a very good return on the investment. He did have some additional value as a stud however, siring a number of high stakes winners.
We then took a short drive to a place where pari-mutuel betting on horses was unheard of. The Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill is the largest restored Shaker village in the U.S. We wandered through the tranquil grounds of the village and took the three mile loop trail to the Kentucky River.
October 18, 2017
NEXT UP: WEST VIRGINIA
No comments:
Post a Comment