LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — With the Spring Meet at Keeneland underway and the Kentucky Derby less than two weeks away, there is a lot of talk surrounding horse racing in the Bluegrass state right now.
While most people talk about the horses, Keeneland is focusing on the jockeys. In particular, the jockeys' health.
Keeneland is the first race track in the country to implement a nutrition program tailored to jockeys.
Marc Therrien, Keeneland's hospitality director who is also known as Chef Marc, is helping to implement the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority's new nutrition program.
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"This is what fuels them to race," Therrien said. "We want to be able to offer them healthy choices that are delicious, seasonal, and readily available - a nice hot meal."
Because jockeys need to make weight, what they eat is almost a science. The program features a menu that breaks food items and meals down by calories, so jockeys can maintain their weight in the healthiest way possible.
"We weigh everything. We make sure it's made fresh. If we're going to make a vinaigrette, apple cider vinegar is the base of that, and then what oil are we using, how do we emulsify that, how does it go on, how much do you get?" Therrien said, detailing the jockeys' diet. "We have to make sure that calorie count is accurate, so if we're making a dressing we need to make it from scratch. We need to understand every ingredient that goes into that, then we add that all up and it becomes a meal, and they have to trust we are doing that."
The program started this year. Keeneland representatives say they are open to any racetrack contacting them to share their secrets and recipes for success.
