Red Mile Raceway
Red Mile Raceway is one of the oldest and most respected harness racing tracks in the United States. It is located in Lexington, Kentucky. horseracing has been an important part of Lexington since the city's earliest days andremains one of the city's most beloved traditions.
Red Mile Raceway takes its name from the clay soil of its track. It has a Spring Meet that usually starts from late April to June; a brief Fall Meet that is typically held in September; and a Grand Circuit Meet that is normally held in September and October.
Red Mile Raceway's signature event is the Kentucky Futurity, a stakes race for three-year old trotters. It has been held annually at the track since 1893. It is the third jewel in US harness racing's trotting Triple Crown. The two other big races are the Hambletonian (held at Meadowlands) and the Yonkers Trot (held at Yonkers Raceway).
Due to Red Mile Raceway's prominent stature in harness racing, it also regularly hosts important stakes events each year. Among these are:
- The Nadia Lobell
- The John Simpson Stakes
- All Divisions of The Kentucky Sires Stakes
- Kentucky Sired Summer Championships
- Lexington Breeders Classics
- Bluegrass Stakes
- International Stallion
- The Tattersalls Pace
Red Mile Raceway Facts
- Track Opened: September 28, 1875
- Speed Rating: 1:58
- Length of Homestretch: 850 feet
- Width of Homestretch: 115 feet
- Starters Behind the Gate: 9
- Hubrail: No
- "Open" Stretch: No
- Grandstand Capacity: 6,000
- Clubhouse Capacity: 500
- Parking Capacity: 3,000
- Record Handle: $1,347,472 (on September 27, 2002)
- Attendance: 24,082 (on May 30, 1988)
Red Mile Pacers Track Records
| Division | Horse | Time | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2YO Colt | Karl | 1:51.2 | 2023 |
| 2YO Filly | Allegiant | 1:52.2 | 2023 |
| 2YO Gelding | Local Honey | 1:53.1 | 2023 |
| 3YO Colt | King Of The North | 1:50.3 | 2022 |
| 3YO Filly | Jiggy Jog S | 1:50.0 | 2022 |
| 3YO Gelding | Rebuff | 1:49.4 | 2022 |
| Older Stallion | Periculum | 1:49.3 | 2024 |
| Older Mare | Atlanta | 1:49.0 | 2021 |
| Older Gelding | Cuatro De Julio | 1:51.0 | 2022 |
Red Mile Trotters Track Records
| Division | Horse | Time | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2YO Colt | Karl | 1:51.2 | September 29, 2023 |
| 2YO Filly | Allegiant | 1:52.2 | September 30, 2023 |
| 2YO Gelding | Local Honey | 1:53.1 | September 29, 2023 |
| 3YO Colt | King Of The North | 1:50.3 | October 9, 2022 |
| 3YO Filly | Jiggy Jog S | 1:50.0 | October 9, 2022 |
| 3YO Gelding | Rebuff | 1:49.4 | October 9, 2022 |
| Older Stallion | Periculum | 1:49.3 | October 5, 2025 |
| Older Mare | Atlanta | 1:49.0 | October 10, 2021 |
| Older Gelding | Cuatro De Julio | 1:51.0 | October 9, 2022 |
History of Red Mile Raceway
1875 - The track opened on September 28
1893 - The Kentucky Futurity, Red Mile Raceway's signature event, was first held. The winner of this auspicious race was Oro Wilkes.
1927 - The Hambletonian was held at Red Mile Raceway since it was rained-out at the designated track in Syracuse, New York.
1929 - Another rain-out at Syracuse forced the Hambletonian to once again be held at Red Mile Raceway.
1977 - On September 22, Governor Skipper, driven by John Chapman, set the world record for pacing on a half-mile track (1:56.1) en route to winning the Little Brown Jug in straight heats at the Delaware County Fairgrounds in Ohio.
2000 - The Tattersalls and Red Mile facilities in Lexington, Kentucky were sold to five standard bred breeders dedicated to the revitalization of the racetrack and sales pavilion. A major renovation, nicknamed "Red Mile Renaissance" began and will be ongoing for the next few years.
2015 – The Red Mile entered a lucrative new era with the grand opening of its multi-million-dollar Historical Horse Racing (HHR) gaming facility. Developed as a landmark joint venture with neighboring Thoroughbred icon Keeneland, this vital expansion permanently secured live racing purses and the track's long-term financial future.
2016 – History was made on the red clay when the legendary pacer Always B Miki, driven by David Miller, stopped the clock at a staggering 1:46.0 in the Allerage Farms Open Pace. This blistering performance shattered the existing standardbred world record, cementing The Red Mile's legacy as home to the fastest mile race ever driven.
2022 – One of the most electrifying single afternoons in harness racing history took place during the autumn Grand Circuit meet. The historic racing strip reached absolute peak conditioning, allowing elite horses to shatter five separate divisional track records on a single race card.
2025 – The record books for aged racing stock were completely rewritten during the Kentucky Futurity undercard. Periculum lowered the older trotting stallion standard to 1:49.3, while reigning Horse of the Year Twin B Joe Fresh dominated the older pacing mare division with a new track record of 1:47.3.