Keeneland Horseracing
Keeneland Race Course is located in Lexington, Kentucky. Declared a National Historic Landmark, it has two tracks that feature thoroughbred racing. Keeneland Race Course runs two short race meetings a year, lasting about three weeks in the spring (April) and fall (October).
The spring meeting is highlighted by the Blue Grass Stakes, a popular prep race for the Kentucky Derby. The fall meeting on the other hand, is showcased by the Spinster Stakes which has served as a launching pad to success in the Breeders' Cup championship program.
The track boasts one of the richest traditions of any racetrack in America. Since its first meeting in the fall of 1936, Keeneland Race Course has attracted such famous racehorses as Johnstown, Whirlaway, Round Table, Northern Dancer, Forego, Alydar, Spectacular Bid, Alysheba, Bayakoa, and Lure.
Many well-known trainers have saddled horses at Keeneland Race Course, including Ben A. Jones, Henry Forrest, Harry Trotsek, W.C. "Woody" Stephens and D. Wayne Lucas.
Aside from live horseracing, it also offers thoroughbred sales and simulcasting. Keeneland Race Course conducts sales in January, April, July, September and November while simulcast wagering is offered year round.
Keeneland Horseracing Tracks
Keeneland Race Course has two tracks - a dirt and a turf course. The dirt track is a mile and a sixteenth oval while the turf course is a 7-furlong oval. The dirt track has been there since Keeneland Race Course's inaugural season in 1936; the turf course was added in 1985, making Keeneland Race Course the first racetrack in Kentucky to offer grass racing.
Keeneland Race Course offers dirt races at distances from 4½ furlongs to a mile and five-eighths, depending on where the starting gate is placed and whether the chutes are used. The chutes, which are extensions off the main track, allow races to be run which otherwise would have undesirable starting locations.
Most races on the dirt course end at the finish line in front of the grandstand. Races at a mile and a sixteenth, however, start and finish at the sixteenth pole, which is a sixteenth of a mile from the finish of the other dirt races. This finish line is located in front of the clubhouse.
Races over the turf course range from 5½ furlongs to a mile and five-eighths.
Dirt Track
| Distance | Horse | Age | Weight | Time | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 1/2 Furlongs | Drafted | 2 | 118 lbs | :50.45 | Apr 27, 2016 |
| 5 1/2 Furlongs | Amelia's Wild Ride | 4 | 120 lbs | 1:02.97 | Oct 3, 2015 |
| 6 Furlongs | Nashville | 3 | 118 lbs | 1:07.89 | Nov 7, 2020 |
| 6 1/2 Furlongs | Highly Motivated | 2 | 118 lbs | 1:14.99 | Nov 6, 2020 |
| 7 Furlongs | Gamine | 3 | 122 lbs | 1:20.20 | Nov 7, 2020 |
| About 7 Furlongs | Four Graces | 3 | 118 lbs | 1:24.90 | Jul 10, 2020 |
| 1 Mile | Knicks Go | 4 | 126 lbs | 1:33.85 | Nov 7, 2020 |
| 1 1/16 Miles | Knicks Go | 4 | 121 lbs | 1:40.79 | Oct 4, 2020 |
| 1 1/8 Miles | Noble Bird | 5 | 123 lbs | 1:47.75 | Oct 29, 2016 |
| 1 3/16 Miles | Rapscallion | 4 | 121 lbs | 1:55.56 | Oct 16, 2014 |
| 1 1/4 Miles | Authentic | 3 | 122 lbs | 1:59.60 | Nov 7, 2020 |
| 1 5/8 Miles | Rocketry | 6 | 122 lbs | 2:42.57 | Nov 6, 2020 |
Turf Course
| Distance | Horse | Age | Weight | Time | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 1/2 Furlongs | Leinster | 5 | 121 lbs | 1:00.86 | Jul 11, 2020 |
| 1 Mile | Uni (GB) | 5 | 124 lbs | 1:32.87 | Oct 5, 2019 |
| About 1 Mile | Chattahoochee War | 3 | 121 lbs | 1:35.28 | Apr 8, 2005 |
| 1 1/16 Miles | Rushing Fall | 5 | 118 lbs | 1:39.02 | Jul 11, 2020 |
| 1 1/8 Miles | Memories of Silver | 3 | 121 lbs | 1:45.81 | Oct 5, 1996 |
| About 1 1/8 Miles | On the Acorn (GB) | 4 | 118 lbs | 1:48.68 | Apr 9, 2005 |
| 1 3/16 Miles | Tuesday (IRE) | 3 | 120 lbs | 1:51.88 | Nov 5, 2022 |
| 1 1/2 Miles | Highway Robber | 4 | 122 lbs | 2:26.08 | Oct 11, 2024 |
All-Time Total Wins Leaders
| Rank | Jockey | Total Keeneland Wins |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pat Day | 918 |
| 2 | Julien Leparoux | 518 |
| 3 | Don Brumfield | 716 |
| 4 | Robby Albarado | 522 |
| 5 | John Velazquez | 291 |
| 6 | Corey Lanerie | 289 |
| 7 | Tyler Gaffalione | 274 |
| 8 | Luis Saez | 246 |
| 9 | Brian Hernandez Jr. | 240 |
| 10 | James Graham | 225 |
All-Time Stakes Wins Leaders
| Rank | Jockey | Keeneland Stakes Wins |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pat Day | 95 |
| 2 | John Velazquez | 73 |
| 3 | Julien Leparoux | 67 |
| 4 | Javier Castellano | 54 |
| 5 | Joel Rosario | 43 |
| 6 | Irad Ortiz Jr. | 36 |
| 7 | Florent Geroux | 34 |
| 8 | Tyler Gaffalione | 32 |
| 9 | Luis Saez | 32 |
| 10 | Jose Ortiz | 26 |
All-Time Stakes Wins Leaders (Owners)
| Rank | Owner / Racing Operation | Stakes Wins |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Claiborne Farm | 26 |
| 2 | William S. Farish | 23 |
| 3 | Calumet Farm | 20 |
| 4 | Augustin Stable | 19 |
| 5 | Juddmonte Farms | 18 |
| 6 | Kenneth L. & Sarah K. Ramsey | 15 |
| 7 | Overbrook Farm | 13 |
| — | Allen E. Paulson | 13 |
| 9 | Bwamazon Farm | 12 |
| — | John C. Oxley | 12 |
| — | Sam-Son Farm | 12 |
All-Time Total Wins Leaders (Trainers)
| Rank | Trainer | Total Keeneland Wins |
| 1 | G.R. "Rusty" Arnold II | 315 |
| 2 | Bill Mott | 314 |
| 3 | Wesley Ward | 300 |
| 4 | D. Wayne Lukas | 296 |
| 5 | Todd Pletcher | 293 |
| 6 | Kenny McPeek | 288 |
| 7 | Mike Maker | 257 |
| 8 | Brad Cox | 211 |
| 9 | Steve Asmussen | 187 |
| 10 | C.R. "Shug" McGaughey III | 173 |
All-Time Stakes Wins Leaders (Trainers)
| Rank | Trainer | Stakes Wins |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Todd Pletcher | 75 |
| 2 | Bill Mott | 53 |
| — | Chad Brown | 53 |
| 4 | D. Wayne Lukas | 52 |
| 5 | Brad Cox | 43 |
| 6 | H. Graham Motion | 40 |
| 7 | Kenny McPeek | 35 |
| 8 | Mark Casse | 34 |
| 9 | Wesley Ward | 32 |
| 10 | C.R. "Shug" McGaughey III | 28 |
Keeneland Race Course Milestones
1935
- Articles of incorporation were filed for Keeneland Association on April 17. Hal Price Headley was the first elected president of the Association.
- Keeneland Association purchased 147 1/2 acres of Fayette County sportsman J.O. "Jack" Keene's property on the Versailles Pike on August 29. The price was $130,000 in cash and $10,000 in preferred stock at par value.
1936
- More than 15,000 people attended an open house at the racetrack on October 11. The open house was held to introduce the public to the new totalizator, the first to be installed in Kentucky.
- Keeneland Race Course held its inaugural card on October 15. Paid attendance for the nine-day fall meeting (Oct. 15-24) totaled 25,337.
- During the Fall meeting, Keeneland Race Course enlarged and extended its grandstand, adding 1,542 seats and increasing the structure's capacity to 3,849.
- During the spring meeting the alpha-numeric message board located at ground level in front of the infield tote board was introduced.
- During the fall meeting, Keeneland Race Course became the first thoroughbred track in America to use the Visumatic Timer (which posted the various fractions and final clocking on the tote board).
1971
- The Blue Grass Stakes marked the first million-dollar day of wagering in Keeneland Race Course's history - $1,052,866.
1984
- Queen Elizabeth II attended the races at Keeneland Race Course on October 11 for the inaugural running of the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup.
1997
- Ending a longtime tradition of no public-address system, Keeneland Race Course uses an announcer to call the races for the first time during the spring meeting.
- Total wagering topped $100 million for the first time during the 16-day spring meeting.
2002
- Keeneland opened a brand-new, state-of-the-art facility for the Keeneland Library on "The Hill" near the sales grounds. That same year, the library was honored with a Special Eclipse Award for its monumental contributions to preserving the history of the thoroughbred industry.
2006
- Breaking from its traditional dirt surface, Keeneland underwent a massive track renovation over the summer to install a synthetic Polytrack surface on its main oval. The surface stayed in place for eight years, hosting iconic performances before the track transitioned back to state-of-the-art dirt in 2014.
- Keeneland became a global technology leader in racing by introducing the Trakus system, which utilized digital radio frequency tags inside the horses' saddle cloths to provide real-time tracking, accurate field positioning, and timing data to fans and broadcasters.
2011
- On April 1, Alice Headley Chandler, daughter of Keeneland's first president, Hal Price Headley, was named as an official Keeneland Director, paving the way for future leadership shifts. Over the decade, leadership structures evolved, culminating in Shannon Bishop Arvin taking office as Keeneland's first female President and CEO in January 2021.
2014
- Responding to shifting industry trends and preferences for the standard American racing surfaces, Keeneland removed the synthetic Polytrack and laid down a high-grade, traditional dirt surface in time for the Fall Meet.
2015
- Keeneland hosted the Breeders' Cup World Championships for the very first time on October 30–31. The event set a single-day attendance record of 50,155 on Saturday, anchored by Triple Crown legend American Pharoah winning the Breeders' Cup Classic in track-record time to complete horse racing's historic, first-ever "Grand Slam."
2020
- Amid the global COVID-19 pandemic, the Spring Meet was canceled for the first time in history, prompting a rare 5-day "Summer Meet" in July. Later that autumn, Keeneland hosted its second Breeders' Cup, running the historic event entirely without spectators. The flawless, quiet track surfaces allowed horses to set five separate track records over the two-day event (including Authentic's 1 1/4-mile mark).
2022
- The Breeders' Cup returned to Lexington for a third time on November 4–5, capped by Horse of the Year Flightline's spectacular performance in the Classic. The event generated a record-breaking global betting handle of $189.1 million over the two days.
2024–2025
- Keeneland broke ground on a massive, multi-million-dollar multi-year capital project designed to expand and redesign its historic Saddling Paddock. The project introduced a newly integrated viewing chalet, state-of-the-art hospitality suites, and enhanced fan experiences while preserving the signature stone-quarried architecture established by Jack Keene.