From Stu Johnson, Kentucky Public RadioThe just completed fall meet at Keeneland saw the largest number of race fans ever. Over its 17 days, just over 250,000 spectators visited the Lexington track, breaking a record set five years ago.Keeneland spokeswoman Julie Balog says the among of money gambled was up nine percent.“When you have big full fields like we did from a wagering standpoint, bettors look at that and they gravitate toward wagering on those types of races because the payoffs are so good. From an attendance standpoint, I think the fact that it was our 75th anniversary certainly raised the profile in many people’s minds.”Although there were some dreary days during the fall meet, Balog says most of the rainy weather came on weekdays, with the highly popular weekends clear and dry.
Rick Howlett was midday host and the host of LPM's weekly talk show, "In Conversation." He was with LPM from 2001-2023 and held many different titles, including Morning Edition host, Assignment Editor and Interim News Director. He died in August 2023. Read a remembrance of Rick here.