Attending the BC

[OverlayHunter]

Can anyone suggest what the at-the-track experience of attending the BC at CD will be like? We're thinking about attending on Saturday. My wife and I always enjoy the KEE experience but have never been to CD.

[sandpit]

Here's my take after going to every BC held at CD. And, yep, I plan on going this year too.

That being said, weather can be a huge factor on your experience. In 1988, it was miserably cold and nearly snowing. The rest of them have fairly pleasant, but it was pretty crisp in 1991 too.

Crowds are always huge at CD, but the place is so big you can usually get around without too much trouble, except maybe around the paddock. I think it costs $20 for walk-around tickets, but that doesn't get you a view of the track.

If Zenyatta shows, it will be even more crowded, especially if she wins this weekend.

Parking around CD can be a pain; they generally run shuttles from several locations, such as the Kentucky State Fairgrounds or Papa Johns Stadium, which are not very far away. I'm sure there will be info about that on the BC or CD websites.

As far as comparing CD to Kee, that's tough to do. Kee still retains the country track feel, while Churchill has none of that. The renovation has nearly removed all the old-fashioned ambiance that used to exist.

[Grits]

Go. You'll be glad that you did. Enjoy your time there.

[SmartyLane]

So, we were planning on General Admission tickets. That is what we have the last two years at SA. We never stay in one place the whole time and just wander around between races and get a good spot for each race on the apron. From the post above it seems we won't be able to see the track? So we need to get seat tickets?

Could somebody please elaborate? I am worried now that it is too late to get seats if that is what needs to be done.

Thanks in advance.

[offtrack]

I'm still getting ticket offers in my emails, so I assume there are seats.

When I was there the crowds were big but laid back, and the nothing like the Derby party crowds.
A very international crowd in fact. Visitors from around the racing world.

Have fun and enjoy.

[Grits]

So, we were planning on General Admission tickets. That is what we have the last two years at SA. We never stay in one place the whole time and just wander around between races and get a good spot for each race on the apron. From the post above it seems we won't be able to see the track? So we need to get seat tickets?

Could somebody please elaborate? I am worried now that it is too late to get seats if that is what needs to be done.

Thanks in advance.

One is better off going to Breeders' Cup with reserved seats, and not seats found on bleachers. (The day (now days) being much too long for those.) This is particularly true at Churchill--where historically the BC has known its best attendance.

A long held belief, and one shared with me by a trainer.--"The Kentucky Derby is attended by some racing fans and many tourists. The Breeders' Cup, particularly at Churchill, is attended by many racing fans and very few tourists."

[lamboguy]

for big events, churchill is the place to be. great party atmosphere

[OverlayHunter]

Well, I guess I'm going to try to get some seats. Thanks to all.

Does anyone have any suggestions for some good Louisville area restaurants not likely to be slammed by the BC crowd?

Sandpit, thanks for the insights. By "walk-around tickets" do you mean general admission tickets with no assigned seat? You said this in the same paragraph as the paddock and I just want to confirm they haven't got the gall to charge extra to get to the paddock.

[BluegrassProf]

Does anyone have any suggestions for some good Louisville area restaurants not likely to be slammed by the BC crowd?
Depends on where you're staying, and what sorta food you're into...I may have some recommends for ya... ;)

[Black Ruby]

Last time the BC was at CD, your experience depended on what area of the track you ended up in. Since the tickets were sold by lottery, there wasn't a lot of control over that. My six tickets ended up being in the grandstand section. There, the lines for betting, food, and drink were ridiculous. After the third race I made all my bets on my cell phone. Otherwise, all you could do was bet and go to the back of the line to bet the next race. Took my siggy other about 20 minutes for her to even get us a cup of coffee. Other people I talked to didn't encounter this in other parts of the track.

We've got some great restaurants here, what type of food are you looking for?

[Striker]

Well, I guess I'm going to try to get some seats. Thanks to all.

Does anyone have any suggestions for some good Louisville area restaurants not likely to be slammed by the BC crowd?

Sandpit, thanks for the insights. By "walk-around tickets" do you mean general admission tickets with no assigned seat? You said this in the same paragraph as the paddock and I just want to confirm they haven't got the gall to charge extra to get to the paddock.
I travel to Churchill from Chicago every Thanksgiving weekend. So, I do not have as much info as a local would. Jeff Ruby's is a restaurant downtown that I have been to and I had one of the best steaks I have ever had there. My SO makes us go to Lynns Paradise Cafe which is an off the wall place and has interesting takes on a lot of dishes. Bobby Flay has down a "throwdown" here I believe. I'll never forget when I ate lunch at Wagners Pharmacy(right by the track) and they asked me if I wanted my cheeseburger "dressed" since in Chicago I have never heard that used before as the toppings.

[slew101]

You'll need to get a grandstand seat to see the track. I think they also sell seats for the benches in front of the rail, but those are likely not too good.

As for the paddock, no extra charge, but it'll be a swarm of people so you'll likely not get too close.

The $20 GA ticket does not offer a view of the track. You're limited to under the grandstand and paddock area.

[5k-claim]

So, we were planning on General Admission tickets. That is what we have the last two years at SA. We never stay in one place the whole time and just wander around between races and get a good spot for each race on the apron. From the post above it seems we won't be able to see the track? So we need to get seat tickets?

Could somebody please elaborate? I am worried now that it is too late to get seats if that is what needs to be done.

Thanks in advance.

I have been to the Breeders' Cup at both Churchill and Santa Anita, and I live in Lexington so I have been to Keeneland more times than I can count.

Keeneland is good because there are two paddocks and an apron. So you do have a good chance with General Admission to get up close to the horses throughout an afternoon.

Santa Anita was awesome last year, as there are so many places to walk up and get close to the horses-- as you already know. I think Santa Anita is a fantastic host for the Breeders' Cup.

Churchill is an entirely different experience for the Breeders' Cup. Please do not think it will be like Santa Anita, because it is not even close. There will be an incredible bottleneck of people around the paddock and there are seats all along the apron. You will not be able to wander around get good vantage points close to the horses. If you pick one spot and just stay there all day long, you may have a slight chance. But don't leave your spot. Once you wander off again, you will return to find yourself about 2-4 people deep at any vantage point.

Churchill does have a good "feel" on a big day (Derby, BC)-- it is exciting. So definitely go-- why not, it's the Breeders' Cup! (I am going again myself, hoping to see a repeat from Z.) Just go into it already knowing that wandering around throughout the afternoon and still having chances to get close to the horses is just not going to happen. Once I made my way to the front row along the paddock at the last BC, I camped out there and never went back to my seats again. The giant screen in the paddock is fine, and I did get an unobstructed "live" view of the horses in the paddock. It was about as good as I could do, given that 'proximity to a live horse' is always my top priority.


Hope this helps in some way.

[OverlayHunter]

Again, thanks to all who have contributed to this thread. Lots of great information that will no doubt make our day much more enjoyable.

Regarding the restaurants, our preference runs to locally owned and non-chain restaurants. Seafood, Italian, Chinese, and BBQ probably top the list but a place like Lynn's Paradise that Striker mentioned is something I would definitely investigate (if you're familiar with Natasha's Bistro fka Natasha's Cafe in Lexington, we enjoyed that quite a bit several years ago).

[sandpit]

Well, I guess I'm going to try to get some seats. Thanks to all.

Does anyone have any suggestions for some good Louisville area restaurants not likely to be slammed by the BC crowd?

Sandpit, thanks for the insights. By "walk-around tickets" do you mean general admission tickets with no assigned seat? You said this in the same paragraph as the paddock and I just want to confirm they haven't got the gall to charge extra to get to the paddock.

I think everyone has covered this, but yes, when you pay general admission, you can walk around anywhere on the lower level, that includes grandstand, clubhouse and paddock area. Churchill did away with dividing the GS/CH several years ago.

And I'm still getting emails from the BC wanting me to buy tickets in all areas, except the primo spots. You're walkaround general admission tickets won't get you out front to see the races. However, you can get in the infield thru the grandstand tunnel, and watch the races from there. There are bleachers along the inside of the turf stretch, but they are reserved seats too.

Lots of restaurants will be packed, but the key is to get away from the hotspots of 4th Street Live, Bardstown Road and Frankfort Avenue. The latter two are especially packed with good local eateries that are popular with locals and tourists alike. One place that is really good and is off the beaten path, but only about a 15 minute drive from CD, is Baxter Station www.baxterstation.com/ (http://www.baxterstation.com/).

[ldiatone]

my wife and i went, when BERINDINI ran. i bought bleacher seats at the 1/8 pole not knowing. next time upstairs. we stayed at the Harrahs casino over in indi, and parked at the football lot and bused to the track. all went well till the races where over. was a long time to get to the car. much traffic. only a 20 min drive to the casino /hotel, but was in the lot for at least 45 mins. or more. also the line at the windows where 20-25mins long for a bet. and all the windows where open. also they ran out of hot chocolate and coffee. BUT (the grey goose ice bar was nice as i had a few, tee hee)