Spring Starts in Lexington, KY

Stella Parks Wins Prestigious Award from Food & Wine
Stella Parks, pastry chef at Lexington’s Table 310, has been named one of the Top Five Pastry Chefs in the Nation by the editors at Food & Wine! Stella is a 2002 graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and worked at Emmet’s and Holly Hill Inn before moving to Japan. After some time abroad, Stella decided to come back to her roots and has been the lead pastry chef at Table 310 creating whimsical desserts where every piece (even down to the sprinkles on top of cupcakes) are made from scratch. You can read Stella’s blog at www.bravetart.com and try her delectable creations at Table 310 in downtown Lexington.
2012 Spring Meet at Keeneland Race Course
Spring is just around the corner and so is the spring Keeneland Race Meet! Live Thoroughbred racing gets underway at Keeneland Race Course Friday, April 6^th and continues through Friday, April 27^th. Racing is scheduled Wednesday through Sunday with post time daily at 1:05 p.m. The gates open at 11:00 a.m. General admission is just $5! The annual Kentucky Derby prep race, the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes, is Saturday, April 14^th.In addition to a full line-up of graded stakes races throughout the meet, there are a variety of special events you won’t want to miss. Each Saturday morning, head out to the track for Breakfast with the Works. This family-friendly activity begins at 7 a.m. with breakfast served in the Equestrian Dining Room, paddock demonstrations at 8:45 a.m., and free handicapping session at 11:30 a.m. Still looking for the perfect Kentucky Derby hat? Visit the Christine Moore Hat Trunk Show Wednesday, April 11 at the Keeneland Gift Shop.For more information about the Keeneland Spring Meet, visit www.keeneland.com
World Class Dressage, Cross Country and Stadium Jumping
The excitement of the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, presented by Bridgestone, and the Ariat Kentucky Reining Cup return to the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY, April 26-29.This year’s Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event features selection trials to choose the U.S. Eventing team for the 2012 London Olympic Games. The nation’s best horses and riders will be competing in the hopes of earning places on the team for this summer’s Olympics.

This year’s Event also features the 15th Rolex USEF Four Star Championship for the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation Pinnacle Cup, and is part of the HSBC FEI ClassicsTM. Horses and riders from around the world will join their U.S. counterparts in competing for their share of $250,000 in prize money as well as a shot at the $350,000 Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing which is awarded to any rider who wins Rolex Kentucky, Mitsubishi Motors Badminton and Land Rover Burghley Four Star Events in succession. Former Rolex Kentucky champion William Fox-Pitt of Great Britain, who won his record sixth Burghley championship last fall, will be seeking to win a second leg of the Rolex Grand Slam at Kentucky in the hopes of joining Pippa Funnell of Great Britain, who won it in 2003, as the only rider to win the Rolex Grand Slam. Visit www.rk3de.org for more information.

For additional story ideas or images of Lexington, KY contact Niki Heichelbech atenh@visitlex.com or 859-244-7707