Red Mile
- Aaron S. Terry
- 7 hours ago
- 4 min read
Photos by Aaron S. Terry, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.43
Red Mile 1200 Red Mile Rd Lexington, KY 40504
Year Opened: 1875
Red Mile Racing
Red Mile is a massive casino in Lexington, Kentucky with multiple restaurants and bars inside the casino proper. Besides the casino, however, the facility also boasts a full harness racing horse track; the grandstand is located on the upper level of the building, so head upstairs if you want to see the ponies. The grandstand includes betting machines, live cashiers, a gift shop, and two restaurants of its own.
Food & Beverage 4
The food scene at Red Mile is top notch. Ignoring the restaurants inside the casino, the grandstand has three concessions stands of its own – two in the main space and one in a more upscale section.
In the main area you can get things like hot dogs, ice cream, and beer, including $3 specials for all three of these during Sunday racing. Or you can visit Wagers Burgers and Brews, which offers a larger menu of burgers, Philly cheesesteaks, chicken sandwiches (including grilled, fried, or chicken salad), BLTs, gyros, and grilled cheese, among others. The prices at Wagers are a little higher but the quality is better, so you are getting what you pay for.
Atmosphere 3
Red Mile is a nice facility, with a covered outdoor grandstand, bench seating on the apron, or tables with chairs inside where you can watch the racing through floor-to-ceiling windows. There are plenty of live cashiers you can bet with, or plenty of betting machines if you prefer that route.
Note that some of the betting machines are for standardbred horses (harness racers), while others are for thoroughbred horses (ridden by jockeys). Like most racing facilities, at Red Mile patrons can watch and bet on live racing at other tracks, but the betting systems for harness vs. thoroughbred racing are separate.
Neighborhood 4
There are plenty of things to do in Lexington, including visiting another well-known equine-themed attraction in the city, Kentucky Horse Park. However, you are also close to the University of Kentucky’s campus, including Rupp Arena, and there is also a vibrant distillery district (Bourbon of course is the name of the game in Kentucky).
Red Mile is within 2 miles of downtown Lexington, so you can find plenty of restaurants, hotels, and things to see and do in the area around the racetrack. Red Mile itself is not a huge attraction, so you will be able to find cheap lodging at nice hotels throughout the racing season here (although it may get a little harder during Wildcat football home games).
Fans 3
There aren’t many fans at a typical race day here, especially Sundays, but you will see many more during bigger events. You will likely see a lot of families in attendance, including young kids, as well as groups of friends just hanging out enjoying themselves.
As at any horse racing track, the most noise occurs at the end of a race, when fans cheer on their favorite (or complain bitterly about the one that got beaten to the pole at the last second).
Access 3
Red Mile is about five miles off I-75; you can use exit 115 just at the point where southbound I-75 merges with eastbound I-64. It will not quite look like you are near the city center, given how much land area the casino and racetrack take up, but you are not far from most of what Lexington has to offer, as mentioned above.
Once you get to the casino, you can park for free right in front of the casino – the tricky part is weaving your way through the casino itself to find the grandstand for the track. There isn’t very good signage, and the stairwell up to the second level, even though it is very wide and bright red, is a bit hidden. Note there is a separate sports book inside the casino around the bar, where you will see TVs and betting machines, but that is not in the same location as the entrance to the track and grandstand.
Once you get up to the second level, however, there is plenty of room in the grandstand on most race days, with only the busiest race days having lines to bet or get concessions (although Wagers Burgers and Brews had a long line even on the not-so-busy Sunday when I most recently visited Red Mile).
Return on Investment 3
There is no cost to get in and no cost to park, and the two regular concession stands (not Wagers Burgers and Brews) are on the low end in terms of pricing. The facility is not as nice as some horse tracks I have been to, but the colors are vibrant and there is even live music from a stage on the apron. I would recommend a visit if you’re in the area, although Scioto Downs in Columbus has a better facility for harness racing in this writer’s opinion.
Extras 3
There are painted horses around town if you feel like a scavenger hunt of sorts, for example at the gas station outside the main entrance or inside the casino itself. Also, if you want to try a local soda, stop at a gas station or grocery store in Kentucky and look for Ale-8-One. Famed for its namesake ginger ale citrus brew, the company also recently brought back Roxa Cola, which is worth trying if you can find it (it has limited distribution).
