Keeneland Spring Meet

Keeneland Hospitality announced a number of new offerings in its stable of unique experiences available to the public through its Keeneland Crafted brand along with expanded enhancements for corporate and private events designed to meet the goals of clients. Keeneland Hospitality, under its Keeneland Crafted banner, will offer both new and returning ticketed events for the public May through August. These curated events include: A Taste of Keeneland Tour (May-July). Guests will embark on a behind-the-scenes racing tour with a signature race-day cocktail and participate in a mock betting challenge....

Keeneland will offer free digital race-day programs for download for its Spring Meet, which begins Apr. 7, in an initiative to increase access to data for horseplayers and fans. "Keeneland believes that access to data is an important step in both educating and engaging our fans," Keeneland Vice President of Racing Gatewood Bell said. "We piloted a digital program during the pandemic that was incredibly well received when fans tuned into our racing product from afar." Complimentary race-day programs, which feature past performances from Equibase, will be available for download...

Keeneland's $1-million GI Toyota Blue Grass Apr. 8 has attracted 141 nominees led by Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's champion Forte (Violence) and recent GII Risen Star S. winner Angel of Empire (Classic Empire). Click here for the list of the Toyota Blue Grass nominees; click here for their past performances. "As Keeneland's signature race, the Toyota Blue Grass is the crown jewel in our Spring Meet stakes program," Keeneland Vice President of Racing Gatewood Bell said. "It's exciting to see so many of the nation's top sophomores and...

Keeneland will award a season record $8.05 million for 19 stakes to be run during its 2023 Spring Meet, which will cover 15 days from Apr. 7-28. Two focal points on the schedule will be the 99th running of the $1 million GI Toyota Blue Grass and 86th running of the $600,000 GI Central Bank Ashland, both major targets of the nation's top 3-year-olds. Keeneland has increased the purses of two Grade I stakes for older females--the GI Madison and the GI Jenny Wiley--by $100,000 apiece to $600,000 and has...

Keeneland closed its 2022 Spring Meet Friday with all-sources handle in excess of $219 million to establish an all-time meet wagering record for the track, and a third consecutive season of record handle. The Lexington oval offered record average daily purses of $1.147 million, attracting an average of 9.1 starters per race. "This Spring Meet was unmatched in many measures, most of all the fact that everyone seemed to revel in the energy of having fans back in full force on race days," said Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin....

Keeneland has cataloged 73 horses for its April Horses of Racing Age Sale, to be held Friday, Apr. 29 following the races on closing day of the Spring Meet. The sale, which will begin at approximately 6:30 p.m. ET and be livestreamed on Keeneland.com, will be conducted as an integrated event, with live auctioneers at Keeneland and with horses presented for sale both physically at Keeneland and at off-site locations. Keeneland also will provide online and phone bidding for buyers who wish to participate remotely. "We're really excited about hosting...

Keeneland is inviting people who are interested in working at the track during the 2022 Spring Meet from Apr. 8-29 to apply for available positions in one of three ways: Attend the Job Fair Mar. 19, stop by the Hiring Center during March or apply online. Keeneland is looking to fill more than 2,000 positions for the Spring Meet in Concessions, Culinary, Dining, Guest Services, Parking, Retail, Security, Track Kitchen and other areas. On-site interviews for all positions will be conducted at the Job Fair and at the Hiring Center....

Tickets for the 2022 Keeneland spring meet, to be held Apr. 8-29, will go on sale to the public beginning at 9 a.m. ET, Tuesday, Feb. 15. Similar to last year, all general admission, grandstand and dining tickets must be pre-purchased online through Keeneland's official online ticket office at tickets.Keeneland.com or on the Keeneland Race Day app. Also on sale beginning Feb. 15 are dining and general admission tickets for Kentucky Derby Day at Keeneland Saturday, May 7. The 15-day spring meet offers racing Wednesdays through Sundays. Keeneland will be...

Keeneland will hold the April Horses of Racing Age Sale Friday, Apr. 29, following the last race on the closing day of the Spring Meet. The 10-race card will have an adjusted first post of 12:30 p.m. from the traditional 1 p.m., with the final race of the closing card scheduled for approximately 5:09 p.m. The sale will follow at 6:30 p.m. "Keeneland is excited for this opportunity to bridge racing and sales and capitalize on the energy of the Spring Meet," said Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy....

Keeneland has announced a revamped stakes schedule for its 15-day 2022 Spring Meet, which will be held from Apr. 8-29. A total of 19 stakes will be run, and all have received purse increases for a total of $7.7 million in total stakes purses. Among notable changes are that the Apr. 9 GII Toyota Blue Grass S., Keeneland's main GI Kentucky Derby prep, will once again offer a $1-million purse (it was $800,000 last year); and the $600,000 GI Central Bank Ashland ($400,000 in 2021) will be contested on opening...

Keeneland and UK HealthCare have entered into a partnership in which UK HealthCare will become the track's "Official First Aid Provider" of first aid and emergency medical services to racing participants, fans and staff during race meets. UK HealthCare will staff and equip Keeneland's state-of-the-art First Aid center, and their trauma personnel will support the emergency response vehicles stationed on track during the race day. Through this partnership, the EMS care available to jockeys, participants and patrons at Keeneland will be an extension of the Level 1 trauma service received...

Having last tasted victory in the GI Shoemaker Mile last May, Peter Brant's Raging Bull (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}) exploded from off the pace to comfortably best 8-1 chance Ride a Comet (Candy Ride {Arg}) in Friday's GI Maker's Mark Mile at Keeneland. Settled in a rail-hugging fifth behind Get Smokin (Get Stormy) through opening fractions of :22.47 and :45.65, the 7-2 chance made a big move to get into contention approaching the quarter pole, swung out three wide to take control at the head of the lane and drove...