Breeders Cup - Churchill Downs

[SmartyLane]

Very excited, I just booked my ticket to Churchill for the Breeders Cup. Fingers crossed my guy QR runs against the two mares.

My buddy, brother, and I will be arriving on Wednesday and first off need some advice as where to stay. Would prefer a reasonable rate as we just need a place to lay down and wireless internet really. We will be renting a car but still want something reasonably close to the track. So for those of you that have made the trip to CD could you please provide me with some hotels that are close? Thank You

Secondly, we really want to take a few farm tours. By my handle you can tell who I want to see the most. Buddy was a huge Big Brown guy, so Three Chimneys covers those two. We would really like to hit another one. Any advice on where to go. I would absolutely love to see Tiznow but the others are Winstar aren't ones "I have" to see. Curlin was also a favorite of mine that would mean a lot to me to see. Lane's End and Three Chimneys in one day? Possible? Good choices? They are close in distance from maps I have looked at.

That's about it.

Thank You in advance.

[Robert Fischer]

Originally Posted by SmartyLane

Very excited, I just booked my ticket to Churchill for the Breeders Cup. Fingers crossed my guy QR runs against the two mares.

My buddy, brother, and I will be arriving on Wednesday and first off need some advice as where to stay. Would prefer a reasonable rate as we just need a place to lay down and wireless internet really. We will be renting a car but still want something reasonably close to the track. So for those of you that have made the trip to CD could you please provide me with some hotels that are close? Thank You

Secondly, we really want to take a few farm tours. By my handle you can tell who I want to see the most. Buddy was a huge Big Brown guy, so Three Chimneys covers those two. We would really like to hit another one. Any advice on where to go. I would absolutely love to see Tiznow but the others are Winstar aren't ones "I have" to see. Curlin was also a favorite of mine that would mean a lot to me to see. Lane's End and Three Chimneys in one day? Possible? Good choices? They are close in distance from maps I have looked at.

That's about it.

Thank You in advance.

don't have advice for you - hopefully some who have attended BC or Derbys will - but good score!
I hope we see the BIG3 as well
Like any year it is still early... we could see a number of horses peaking the more the better (blame,Fly Down, Drosselmeyer, Lookin@Lucky etc...)

[sandpit]

Originally Posted by SmartyLane

Very excited, I just booked my ticket to Churchill for the Breeders Cup. Fingers crossed my guy QR runs against the two mares.

My buddy, brother, and I will be arriving on Wednesday and first off need some advice as where to stay. Would prefer a reasonable rate as we just need a place to lay down and wireless internet really. We will be renting a car but still want something reasonably close to the track. So for those of you that have made the trip to CD could you please provide me with some hotels that are close? Thank You

Secondly, we really want to take a few farm tours. By my handle you can tell who I want to see the most. Buddy was a huge Big Brown guy, so Three Chimneys covers those two. We would really like to hit another one. Any advice on where to go. I would absolutely love to see Tiznow but the others are Winstar aren't ones "I have" to see. Curlin was also a favorite of mine that would mean a lot to me to see. Lane's End and Three Chimneys in one day? Possible? Good choices? They are close in distance from maps I have looked at.

That's about it.

Thank You in advance.

There's a few ways you can go hotelwise.
1. Southern Indiana...right across the river from downtown Lou...pretty easy access to the track about 6-7 miles away...also close to restaurants right on the Indiana side of the river.
2. Airport...close to the track, but probably going to be the most expensive except for the 4star joints downtown.
3. South Louisville...Fern Valley road at I-65 about 10 minutes to the track, reasonable room rates, but not the best part of town.
4. Hurstbourne-Blankenbaker area...15-20 minutes from the track on I-64, but it is probably the best area, with reasonable hotels and plenty of places to eat and have a cocktail, and it's on the way to Lexington, so a little closer to the farms when you make that trip.

Farm tours
If you call in advance, you can make Three Chimneys, WinStar and Lane's End all in one day. They are close enough to see all three. The people at Three Chimneys are great, and WinStar is such a showplace it's not to be missed. And just up the road a few minutes from WinStar is a real European castle that has been turned into a restaurant/hotel. Warning, it's expensive, but very cool to see. Here's a link: http://www.thecastlepost.com/. Also, the castle is only about 5 minutes from Keeneland, so if you've never been there, you might want to drive around the grounds and if you do, be sure to check out their library, it's like a racing museum.

[Edward DeVere]

Originally Posted by SmartyLane

Fingers crossed my guy QR runs against the two mares.

20-1, at the lowest.

1. They'd all have to be healthy.
2. They'd all have to be performing at a high level.
3. The connections of RA don't want to go against QR, since both have the same running style. The race might then set up for Z (among others). The last thing on planet Earth the connections of RA want to do is to soften up QR so that Z can swoop by both RA and QR. I mean THE LAST THING ON EARTH.
4. The connections of Z don't want to go against QR unless RA is there to soften up QR.
5. I suspect the connections of Z really don't want to face high-class males on real dirt, anyhow.

[OTM Al]

Technicality. Rachel is a filly.

[NikeUnlimited]

Am I the only one that wants to see Zenyatta and Rachel in the Ladies Classic instead? With Blind Luck, Unrivaled Belle, etc.

[tucker6]

Originally Posted by NikeUnlimited

Am I the only one that wants to see Zenyatta and Rachel in the Ladies Classic instead? With Blind Luck, Unrivaled Belle, etc.

NO

In fact, there's a chance that two incredible races could be run during the BC, and everyone connected with racing should be trying to get that to happen instead of trying to get ALL horses into one race.

[cpitt84]

Originally Posted by NikeUnlimited

Am I the only one that wants to see Zenyatta and Rachel in the Ladies Classic instead? With Blind Luck, Unrivaled Belle, etc.

I dont want to see that, how boring!

[BluegrassProf]

Pretty gutsy of the BC folks committing Zenyatta to the Classic via their commercial spot (" Come see Zenyatta defend her championship in Louisville")...

[PaceAdvantage]

Originally Posted by cpitt84

I dont want to see that, how boring!

Well, I did predict this a while back, so I for one would not be bored to see this happen...

[bane]

I would recommend staying at The Executive Inn but I was told they just shut her down! Very sad great hotel that would take care of Thoroughbred and Saddlebred people very well!

Go downtown to The Galt House, another great hotel in the area!

If you want to there are a good amount of tours going on at that area down to Lexington, take them if you can! Everytime we had a tour come in we made sure to give them a better look at out Stallions than the normal tour (because we knew when they were coming).

If you are in Lexingotn for a day (only 45-60 mins away) visit The Horse Park.

[sandpit]

Originally Posted by bane

I would recommend staying at The Executive Inn but I was told they just shut her down! Very sad great hotel that would take care of Thoroughbred and Saddlebred people very well!

Go downtown to The Galt House, another great hotel in the area!

If you want to there are a good amount of tours going on at that area down to Lexington, take them if you can! Everytime we had a tour come in we made sure to give them a better look at out Stallions than the normal tour (because we knew when they were coming).

If you are in Lexingotn for a day (only 45-60 mins away) visit The Horse Park.

The Executive Inn was actually a pair of hotels, the EI and EI West across the street from each other and a stone's throw from the airport. The EI was torn down a couple of years ago, by the EI West is still there, it is now a Crowne Plaza. Still a nice place.

Galt House is nice, right on the river. It has a rotating restaurant at the top of it.

[bane]

Originally Posted by sandpit

The Executive Inn was actually a pair of hotels, the EI and EI West across the street from each other and a stone's throw from the airport. The EI was torn down a couple of years ago, by the EI West is still there, it is now a Crowne Plaza. Still a nice place.

Galt House is nice, right on the river. It has a rotating restaurant at the top of it.

I never stayed at the EI West or whatever it's called now. I loved the EI though, loved it!

I have stayed at the Galt House and I did eat at that resturant, great view over the Ohio River.

[LRL Racing]

Anything on Phillips Lane is pretty close to the track. There is a Holiday Inn Express on Farmington Lane which is good. Easy access to I264 to 64E and on to your farm visits in Lexington.

[SmartyLane]

Thank You everybody for the replies.