Chairman Letter
June 4, 2010
Dear Friends of Keeneland Concours,
Well, we are just shy of 60 days out for our 7th annual Keeneland Concours!
Those of you who were fortunate enough to get to the inaugural “Bella Italia” event were treated to wonderful weather and a great spectacle of “all things Italian.” That sold-out event was sponsored by Maserati of Cincinnati and has already been determined to be our official kick-off event for next year. Maserati, Ferrari, and Alfa cars, along with a Ducati were on hand for a grand evening at CastlePost. Good food, good people, and a great setting had most of the guests there until 11:00pm. A highlight of the evening was a “throttle touting” between one Maserati Corsa and a Ferrari 16M—sweet music to anyone’s ears! We were all entertained with operatic vocals from Manuel Costello, Mark Karno, and Jason Brown with piano accompaniment from Nan McSwain. As I mentioned, this event sold out—so next year, make your reservations early!
This year, we are again raffling a Porsche, a Keeneland green Boxster (ok—it doesn’t REALLY say that in the Porsche catalog—but it is very, very close!). One lucky individual out of 1000 tickets we are selling will drive this car off the ramp after Saturday’s award ceremony—so buy a few—these are great odds for a great cause! Thanks to our friends over at Blue Grass MOTORSPORT in Louisville for this great prize!
Our Venetian Masquerade Gala this year will be another inspired event. Seems like we can’t wait to see how the 4th floor of Keeneland will be transformed into the streets and canals of Venice. Last year’s Q-Lab was very cool. This romantic evening will be filled with entertainment, Italian fashion, fine dining, and dancing. Remember, this event sold out three weeks before the event last year, so order early to guarantee a spot.
Day of show promises to be (a worn out phrase, but in this case, it’s true)—THE BEST ONE YET! Some fantastic automobiles will be here for your viewing pleasure PLUS some world class wooden boats and an expanded motorcycle class. I am also told that the value of the 10 bikes this year approaches ONE MILLION DOLLARS! Come vote for the people’s choice. I personally have called on every person I know to ensure that we have the same weather as last year (75-degrees and beautiful). In lieu of NOT having the same weather, please come out in your comfy clothes anyway. There are plenty of trees, shade in the Keene Barn (or even in the air conditioned inside where the silent auction is), and plenty of places to sit and enjoy some time with old and new friends. We will have plenty of food vendors as well.
Another sold out event last year was the Hangar Bash and this year should be no different. We will be taking over DGY Hangar at Bluegrass Field (just before you get to the Aviation Museum on the left). This event is sponsored by Blue Grass MOTORSPORT and will have the tarmac open to PORSCHES and the hangar full of good cheer and great people. YES, we will have another fashion show so hurry and get your tickets.
Our tour this year will feature another 75-mile trip through the beautiful Bluegrass and a dressage exhibition at lunch in honor of the WEG Games. Always a favorite, and yes, you guessed right—it sells out early.
It takes a lot of people every year to put this event on. Some people work all year. Our goal is to produce something bigger than one person’s single effort. I believe we are accomplishing this. As you know, our beneficiary is Kentucky Children’s Hospital. It’s hard to imagine a better cause that touches so many lives in such a positive way.
I appreciate you taking a moment to catch up. I hope to see you on the field July 17th with a big smile on your face.
All the best,
Tom and Connie Jones