Quote:
Originally Posted by JDank34
I know this is nothing new to you or most on DT, but instead of the greed giant that is Kee charging $10 to park, $5 to enter, .....
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First of all, the $10 is only for valet parking; the closest-in lots are now $5 instead of free, but the largest amount of parking area is still free, with shuttle buses to get you closer to the grandstand. See
http://www.keeneland.com/racing/list...irections.aspx
Keeneland is more than a racetrack for Lexington folks; it is a social ritual. Young people come out to have a good time, not bet on the horses, but they do a bit of that, too. The grandstands are crowded, so it doesn't look like the higher price has cut into attendance (up from $3.50).
Oh, and you do know that the Keeneland Association is a non-profit, right? Anything left over after operating expenses and servicing debt goes to charity; Keeneland has given millions to charities in the Central Kentucky area over the years. It was formed by local breeders after the old Kentucky Association track downtown closed (and later became a housing project) so that the center of the breeding industry would still have a showcase for its products. And the sales part of the business has always subsidized the racing to a certain extent. Maybe since sales commissions have been down over the last couple of years, the association decided that the racing side needed to pay more of its way.