There are all kinds of stories at the racetrack. It will be hard to top this one.
Wednesday at Keeneland in Kentucky was the track's sixth annual Make-A-Wish Day.
The barn notes the track produces reported that a man walked up to the foundation's donation table after the race card was complete.
The man said he was from Marietta, Ga., and asked two Make-A-Wish workers to walk with him to the betting windows to cash a "big" ticket
"He said, ‘I don't want anything from this,' tapped our shoulders and vanished," Make-A-Wish's Jessica Cary said. "He didn't want anything for it. (The teller) was like, ‘Do you know how much this ticket is worth?' When she told us, our mouths just dropped."
How about $26,000?
"Make-A-Wish Day at Keeneland is about the Thoroughbred industry rallying around these kids," Make-A-Wish Marketing Communications Coordinator Emily Denholm said. "To have such a phenomenal gift like this is just inspiring. It speaks volumes to the courage of our kids, the power of their stories and the power of the wish. This gift is really going to help us grant more wishes. It's really, really generous to have someone walk up and literally grant several wishes."
Keeneland and local Thoroughbred farms and organizations teamed with Make-A-Wish to grant nine children wishes and give them a VIP experience at the track, including presentation of trophies in the winner's circle. The partnership continues to help sick children see their dreams become reality.
