FRANKLIN — He resides in Nashville, but regulars at the Franklin horse track would hardly call John Wade a stranger. After all, he has been making weekly trips to the clubhouse for 18 years.

Many afternoons find Wade lounging in the refurbished restaurant at Kentucky Downs. Wade grabs a meal, chats with friends, watches the race on one of the restaurant’s TVs and makes his wager.

“I lose, but it’s just a very enjoyable experience,” he said. “I’m retired now, and I don’t play golf. So this is my only hobby.”

An updated restaurant (with a full-time chef and new flat-screen TVs) is one change owners have made in the past year, and more are in store for this year’s six-day live racing event.

“We’re making the clubhouse look better,” executive director Debbie Reid said. “We’re also making the track look better and make the live races more fun.”

Opening day is Sept. 13, and owners expect between 3,000 and 5,000 attendees. This year, live racing will take place on Saturdays, Mondays and Tuesdays. The first race starts at 1 p.m. on Saturday, and other races begin at 1:30 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday. There’s no charge for admission or parking fees, and Kentucky Downs officials are working to make the area more fan-friendly, Reid said.

One group Kentucky Downs officials are focused on is the college crowd - a group that is usually absent from the track. To that end, the track is giving away a $1,000 scholarship to a Western Kentucky University student after each of the seven races on opening day. Students may register at the track, and officials will draw for the scholarship. Winners must be present to claim their prize, Reid said.

This year’s races will also feature a designated “party zone” for WKU students.

“There’s not a lot of awareness of how much fun it can be to watch the horses and come out to the live event,” Reid said. “We’re wanting them to come out and enjoy the track.”

And fans will get a better view this year. Officials plan to place a Jumbotron screen in the infield, so fans can see the entire race and watch their favorite horse cross the finish line. But if fans want to divide their time between the tents and the clubhouse, they will have an easier commute this year courtesy of a new shuttle service.

“I made lots of walks out there last year, and it was hot,” Reid said.

And, whether they stay in the fields or at the clubhouse, fans will be able to watch a different kind of race this year - the steeplechase. This will be the first time in nearly two decades that Kentucky Downs has held the event, in which horses jump fences and ditches.

Officials have also polished the track, as well as areas outside it. Workers painted the barns and other buildings and fixed up the winner’s circle. Parking was expanded, and a paddock area was added to let fans see the horses before the race.

Before opening day, Kentucky Downs is bustling with activity. Employees are planting flowers, sprucing up the clubhouse, setting up tents and getting ready for the biggest six days of the year at the track.

“There’s a lot that goes into that a lot of people take for granted,” general manager Jon Goodman II said. “And it’s over before you know it, and it’s sad.”

Kentucky Downs employs about 60 part-time workers year-round, but officials hire between 150 to 175 to work the 46 live races. During the six-day event, fans from across the country bet about $8 million on the Kentucky Downs races, managing partner Ray Reid said.

But, after the live races, the Kentucky Downs faithful return to the clubhouse.

About 1,100 to 1,200 people come to the clubhouse each week. On a Wednesday afternoon, horse racing fans scatter throughout the clubhouse, eating, drinking, chatting, betting, cheering for the televised races and pouring over racing guides.

Since they invested in the track more than a year ago, Ray and Debbie Reid and other officials have renovated the clubhouse.

“It had a forgotten air to it when we bought it,” Debbie Reid said. “So we’re trying to breath new life into it.”

Along with the restaurant renovations, the clubhouse now features a new sports bar, a gift shop and full-service bars.

“I think a lot of people appreciate it,” Goodman “They like it that people are paying attention and improving something that’s close to them and part of their routine.”