Before Keeneland hosts the Breeders' Cup World Championships for the fourth time, the track will celebrate its 90th birthday with a 17-day fall meet from Oct. 2-24 featuring 22 stakes worth $10.7 million. The track, which was developed on property owned by John Oliver "Jack" Keene, opened Oct. 15, 1936, for nine days of racing that drew tremendous fanfare from Lexington and beyond. Today, Keeneland is an international leader in Thoroughbred racing and sales.
"This is a special year for Keeneland," said Keeneland vice president of racing Gatewood Bell. "Celebrating our 90th anniversary gives us an opportunity to reflect on the rich history of this place while also looking ahead to hosting the Breeders' Cup World Championships for the fourth time. With Fall Stars Weekend and a strong stakes schedule throughout the meet, fans can expect to see some of the best racing anywhere in the sport."
Over the course of the fall meet, 12 stakes will be run on the turf and 10 stakes will be on the dirt. The Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund is contributing $2,575,000 to their purses, pending approval from the Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation.
The Fall Meet will begin with the signature three-day Fall Stars Weekend, featuring 11 stakes worth $6.35 million. Eight of those races are part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series "Win and You're In" events that award the winners automatic starting positions and free entry to the Oct. 30-31 World Championships at Keeneland.
Three Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In events will be run Oct. 2: the $650,000 Alcibiades Stakes (G1) (Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, G1), the $400,000 Phoenix Stakes (G2) (Breeders' Cup Sprint, G1), and the $400,000 Jessamine Stakes (G2T) (Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, G1T).
Oct. 3 features five stakes, including these Challenge Series races: the $1.25 million Turf Mile Stakes (G1T) (Breeders' Cup Mile, G1T), the $650,000 Breeders' Futurity (G1) (Breeders' Cup Juvenile, G1), and the $400,000 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes (G2) (Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, G1). The distance of the TCA has been increased from 6 furlongs to 6 1/2 furlongs.
Also being run on opening Saturday are the $800,000 First Lady Stakes (G1T) and the $400,000 Woodford Stakes (G2T).
Fall Stars Weekend Oct. 4 has two Win and You're In races: the $650,000 Spinster Stakes (G1) (Breeders' Cup Distaff, G1) and the $400,000 Bourbon Stakes (G2T) (Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, G1T). The day's third stakes is the $350,000 Indian Summer Stakes (G3T), which has been upgraded from a listed race and offers a $50,000 purse increase.
Stakes action for the second weekend of the fall meet kicks off with the $400,000 Sycamore Stakes (G2T) Oct. 9. The next day features the $750,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes (G1T), an internationally recognized invitational for 3-year-old fillies racing 1 1/8 miles on the turf. The $400,000 Franklin Stakes (G2T) will be run Oct. 11.
Third-week stakes are the $400,000 Raven Run Stakes (G2) and the $350,000 Perryville Stakes (G3) Oct. 17 and the $350,000 Dowager Stakes (G3T) Oct. 18.
Stakes action on the final week of the fall meet begins Oct. 23 with the $400,000 Valley View Stakes (G2T) and the $300,000 Myrtlewood Stakes.
The three stakes on closing day, Oct. 24, are the $400,000 Bryan Station Stakes (G2T) on the turf along with two races on the dirt: the $350,000 Fayette Stakes (G2)—upgraded this year from a grade 3 race last year—and the $250,000 Bowman Mill Stakes.
Public ticket sales for the fall meet will begin at 9 a.m. ET Aug. 18. For more information, visit tickets.keeneland.com.
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
