LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 6, 2012) – The Kentucky Horse Park will welcome 900 first-graders to the park April 10 at 10:15 a.m. to watch a re-enactment of the famous 1938 Seabiscuit – War Admiral match race in the Pimlico Special. Live Thoroughbreds, period costumes, music from the era, antique cars, and real jockeys – including Hall of Fame jockey Chris McCarron – will add to the experience.
The event will be the highlight of a reading program created by the Kentucky Horse Park Literacy Program. The students have been participating in the program since earlier this year when a live horse from the Kentucky Horse Park delivered Seabiscuit books to area schools. When the students received their books, they also got to try on real jockey silks and goggles, put their heads through photo boards and pretended to be jockeys on the home stretch.
Now that they have read the book, the first-graders from 15 schools in Fayette, Magoffin, Scott, and Woodford counties will be rewarded with an interactive experience at the park that will be based on the true story of Seabiscuit. The students will also have the opportunity to enjoy the rest of the Kentucky Horse Park after the show.