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Tauck's Guests Win Big at Kentucky Derby

Largest Private Group In Derby History Gets An Inside Look At Horse Racing’s Biggest Event

NORWALK, CT (May 9, 2005)  Although history will record Giacomo as the surprise victor in this past weekend’s Kentucky Derby, the real winners were the 500 Tauck World Discovery guests who enjoyed a luxury five-day experience in Kentucky that culminated with the “Run For The Roses” on Saturday.  

June Knight traveled with her sister to the Tauck event, returning to the Derby for the first time in a decade.  The Richmond, Virginia resident had a wonderful experience, just as she’d anticipated she would.  “I always enjoy myself when I travel with Tauck,” explained Knight, “and this was my 19th Tauck trip.”  Knight particularly enjoyed the Derby itself, and a visit to the famed Calumet Farm earlier in the week.  “The people there treated us very, very nicely and took extra time out of their day to show us around. I also enjoyed seeing Secretariat’s grave – Secretariat being a Virginia horse.”

The Tauck group, the largest private group to ever attend the Derby, was treated to a lavish, exclusive experience on race day, beginning with a gourmet breakfast complete with traditional mint juleps and mimosas, before traveling to Churchill Downs.  Once there, guests enjoyed Tauck’s private, air-conditioned hospitality marquee that included an evolving array of fine Kentuckian cuisine, an open bar, a private mutual window, and closed-circuit television coverage of the day’s events.  The highlight was watching the 131st running of the Kentucky Derby from Tauck's specially reserved seating along Churchill Downs' famed “First Turn,” the preferred location for viewing the race.

The event kicked off Wednesday evening at the Griffin Gate Marriott Resort, the award-winning luxury property in Lexington that hosted Tauck’s guests for their four-night stay.  Following a welcome reception and dinner, guests enjoyed entertainment provided by Kentucky humorist and storyteller Carl Hurley.

Thursday offered an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at Kentucky’s fabled Bluegrass Country, beginning with a visit to the Lexington mansion that in 1853 inspired Stephen Foster to compose “My Old Kentucky Home,” now the state’s official song.  Then it was on to the Maker’s Mark distillery, the oldest operating bourbon distillery in the U.S., for a guided tour, tasting, and traditional barbecue lunch on the distillery’s lovely manicured grounds.

That evening guests experienced a private guided tour of Keeneland, one of Kentucky's most prestigious thoroughbred racing courses, followed by a cocktail reception on the club house lawn.  Guests then viewed a demonstration by one of North America's most sought-after horse trainers, Chris Irwin, followed by dinner and a performance by award-winning country music star John Michael Montgomery.

On Friday guests traveled to one of the Blue Grass region’s celebrated horse farms, where they learned about the breeding and training of Kentucky’s acclaimed thoroughbred horses during a private visit and tour.  After a Southern-style picnic lunch, guests received a behind-the-scenes tour of the Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill living history museum.  Then it was off to the Kentucky Horse Park where guests attended a private reception and dinner, saw the “Parade of Breeds,” enjoyed entertainment from a bluegrass band and a local dance troupe of traditional “cloggers, ” and received wagering tips from a handicapping expert for the following day’s Kentucky Derby.



Email Tauck's marketing communications manager, Tom Armstrong, for more information or to schedule an interview.




Write to us at:

Tauck World Discovery
10 Norden Place
Norwalk, CT 06855
P.O. Box 5020
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