Despite weather, weekend track draws large crowd

Casey Stechishin, left, and Chris Rosenbaum both watch as the horses they bet on lose the fourth race on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009 at Keeneland. Stechishin and Rosenbaum, both students from EKU, drove in to experience Keeneland for their first time. This is my first time at Keeneland, Rosenbaum said. And this is my fourth loss.

Casey Stechishin, left, and Chris Rosenbaum both watch as the horses they bet on lose the fourth race on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009 at Keeneland. Stechishin and Rosenbaum, both students from EKU, drove in to experience Keeneland for their first time. “This is my first time at Keeneland,” Rosenbaum said. “And this is my fourth loss.”

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Tailgating before Keeneland’s races is a tradition for students, Lexington locals and out-of-state visitors alike. UK alumnus Kyle Hettinger called the tradition the “best of Kentucky.”

Hettinger, who earned his degree in arts and political science will soon move to Taiwan, and chose to spend his last weekend in the country at Keeneland.

“Keeneland tailgating is absolutely beautiful,” Hettinger said. “It’s everything I think Kentucky symbolizes.”

Across the almost 1,000-acre Keeneland complex, a majority of empty vehicles in neat rows lined the property. Surrounding every few cars, however, groups of people could be found sitting in open trunks, playing cornhole and standing amidst numerous cases of alcohol scattered in the grass.

Most of these vehicles’ speakers blared the UK versus South Carolina football game, and when UK scored a touchdown, cheers resounded from the parking areas and joined those from within the grandstands, where the game was broadcast on one of the Jumbotron screens.

Tailgating outside the race track usually involves drinking, but underage drinking is harder to spot, said Keeneland security guard John Cartner.

“When we have to break up fights, that is when we find out their ages,” Cartner said.

Keeneland security said six arrests were made Friday and two of those arrests were due to underage drinking.

Stacy Trenkamp, a first year graduate student in merchandising and textiles, has been tailgating for years. Trenkamp said conflicts are rare, but underage drinking happens at Keeneland.

However, communications senior Matt Burunoff, who took off work on Saturday to attend the opening races, said tailgating at Keeneland is an event he and his friends never miss.

“(Tailgating) is a huge deal, a great deal,” he said.

Casey Stechishin, left, and Chris Rosenbaum both watch as the horses they bet on lose the fourth race on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009 at Keeneland. Stechishin and Rosenbaum, both students from EKU, drove in to experience Keeneland for their first time. “This is my first time at Keeneland,” Rosenbaum said. “And this is my fourth loss.”