Keeneland reinstalls paddock chalet to expand hospitality options

The Saddling Paddock Chalet, a temporary structure overlooking the paddock from the parking lot side of the grandstand, has been reinstalled at Keeneland and will be in place for the next three years during the September sale, the fall meet, and the November sale, Bob Elliston, the track’s vice president of racing, said on Friday, opening day at the track. That will include the 2020 Breeders’ Cup.

The paddock chalet was first installed for the 2015 Breeders’ Cup, among a number of temporary structures erected at Keeneland to expand the number of patrons that could be admitted for the event. Elliston said that the track decided to re-erect the paddock chalet due to its strong reception during the Breeders’ Cup and the fact that the structure can also be employed for the September and November sales, when the Keeneland grounds are packed for weeks at a time, often with deep-pocketed guests.

The upstairs part of the structure can serve 450 customers for lunch or dinner, Elliston said, at $60 for the buffet every day but Saturday, when the price is $70. That section directly overlooks the wall separating the grandstand from the parking lot, providing customers with a clean, elevated look at the horses in the saddling ring and Keeneland’s limestone façade.

“The sight lines are just terrific,” Elliston said.