LEXINGTON, Ky. — Fans of both bourbon and horse racing aren't hard to find in Kentucky. A partnership between Maker's Mark, the official bourbon of the Breeders' Cup, and Keeneland has created a new item just up their alley.
Later this week, a new limited-edition Maker's Mark bottle will go on sale with proceeds supporting the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF). The all-white bottles, which will be officially released Oct. 30, feature the Breeders' Cup 2020 logo, a green wax Keeneland medallion, and a green and gold Keeneland strip stamp over purple wax sealing the bottle.
“On behalf of the men and women that the PDJF serves, we are grateful for the support of Keeneland and Maker's Mark for making the PDJF the charity beneficiary of the sales of these bottles commemorating the Breeders’ Cup World Championships,” said PDJF President Nancy LaSala.
The bottle commemorates the return of the Breeders' Cup, which will run Nov. 6-7, to Keeneland.
“Keeneland served the very first cases of Maker’s Mark ever sold,” said Maker's Mark Managing Director Rob Samuels, whose grandparents founded the brand. “With that in mind, we wanted to commemorate the return of the Breeders’ Cup to Keeneland and felt that supporting the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund was the perfect way to celebrate our long partnership.”
This isn't Maker's Mark and Keeneland's first partnership this year. The duo released a different commemorative bottle in July before Keeneland's Summer Meet. The bottles featured the Maker's Mark Mile, a Grade 1 turf race. The proceeds from those bottles also went to PDJF.
“This gorgeous Maker’s Mark bottle is a wonderful way for our fans to celebrate the Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland and to benefit the important work of the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund,” said Keeneland President and CEO Bill Thomason. “We especially thank our partner, Maker’s Mark, for their decades-long support of Keeneland and Thoroughbred racing.”