Every year Toyota, a major employer in our area, hosts the Toyota Stake during the two weeks of races at Keeneland in the spring. Claude, as Mayor of Sadieville, receives an invitation for us to attend. We enjoy this opportunity to watch the horses run those races.
This year it was a rainy day. We were very grateful to be in the Lexington Room above Keeneland's race track. It was also a bit colder than usual for this time of the year. I looked out the window at the open seating below us and marveled at those wrapped in blankets to watch the horses run. That is really no different that football fans sitting out in the snow to watch the sport they love.
We had wonderful tablemates this year. Vice Mayor of Lexington, Linda Gorton and her hubby Charlie were our tablemates. This was my first time to meet her. Claude has attended meetings and met her briefly before. She is a lovely, outgoing lady, warm and friendly. Charlie was delightful also and was more reserved and quiet. They actually reminded me a bit of Claude and I. Claude is by nature shy (some might not know that is his real personality). He, quite often, has an 'economy' with his use of words. So we fit quite nicely with these two good people.
We each get a program book with the horses, their stats and information, and instructions on how to bet. I read the information and pick my choices but never place a bet. That, it turns out, is a good thing. I clearly would NEVER win.
But I do enjoy studying that information and watching the horses run. My favorite view is of the track while watching the huge monitors out there of the horses running. You can actually look up and see the horses or you can watch the monitor to see them as well. One of the monitors has a cartoon like image that shows colored squares of where the horses are in the race. It is actually easier for me to tell where my horse is on that diagram as those squares move forward and back on the monitor.
Claude and I learned that we could pick a horse that starts well but didn't finish well at all, usually in the final couple of places. We seemed to do that consistently, even when there were only 5 horses in one race. Good thing we aren't the betting types.
It was a fun afternoon and we thank Toyota for providing us the very nice opportunity to meet new people and get to know them better and to enjoy the beauty of those well-bred horses running their races
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