I’m no horse racing connoisseur. But I’ve watched the Kentucky Derby for years. In the past few months, I was finally able to make it out to Keeneland in the fall and Churchill Downs in the early summer. Here are my thoughts about the two.

Keeneland:

-Located outside Lexington, which is better than the Downs’ Louisville, though I may be biased.
-Great view of the entire track from the seats. Churchill Downs’ track seemed gigantic, and you couldn’t tell what was happening on the far side of the track during the race.
-Helpful tutorial offered before the racing started about how to pick horses and place bets.

Churchill Downs:

-Obviously more famous. More grandiose, with towering spires.
-Better options for seating. We had five people and were able to get a little 6 person box that kept us from climbing over other people when we went to bet.

I made money at Keeneland. I lost quite a bit of money at Churchill Downs. On an unrelated note, I liked Keeneland better.