LEXINGTON, Ky. – Big money changed hands on the expansive Keeneland grounds during the track’s September yearling sale. More big money, for horsemen and patrons, will be on offer as the bucolic track opens its 17-day fall meet Friday, running through Oct. 25.
Keeneland is unique in its position in the Thoroughbred industry as a racetrack, sale company, and philanthropic organization. Keeneland, which grossed more than $500 million at its September sale for the first time ever, will keep the energy going with the most lucrative meet in its history. It also will unveil the first phase of some $93 million in capital improvements to the paddock area.
The gates open each day of the meet at 11 a.m., with first post at 1 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays are dark.
“Keeneland’s fall meet is a joyous celebration of Thoroughbred racing’s most cherished traditions, brought to life by the people, the moments, and the legacy that connect us season after season,” Keeneland president Shannon Arvin said in a press release. “We’re thrilled to unveil the enhancements we’ve made to elevate the race-day experience, bringing fans closer than ever to the excitement and pageantry of our sport. With the richest purses in Keeneland history and the 40th anniversary of our iconic turf course, this fall meet is set to be a landmark celebration.”
There will be 22 stakes worth a total of $10.85 million during the fall meet. Exactly half of those, including all but one of the meet’s Grade 1s, will be contested over the first three days of the meet in a front-loaded schedule that provides ideal timing for Breeders’ Cup preps.
Eight of the 11 stakes on Fall Stars weekend are Breeders’ Cup Challenge races, offering Win and You’re In berths into corresponding races on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 at Del Mar. Races holding that status include the meet’s richest race, the Grade 1, $1.25 million Coolmore Turf Mile on Saturday. Another of the meet’s marquee events comes 24 hours later, as reigning Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna is expected for the Grade 1, $650,000 Spinster Stakes on Sunday.
Several of the stakes will be linked in special wagers. On Saturday, an all-stakes pick four and pick five will be offered, concluding with the Turf Mile. That race also will fall in the Keeneland Turf Pick Three, a popular $3 wager linking the final three turf races each day.
Keeneland will debut a new on-site show-bet bonus this fall. Show wagers placed at Keeneland or its simulcast facility at the Red Mile harness track will be subject to a 10 percent takeout versus a 16 percent offtrack takeout, meaning on-site patrons will receive a higher payout for a winning wager.
“The show-bet bonus is a great way to reward horseplayers who wager at the track,” said Jim Goodman, Keeneland’s director of wagering development. “The bonus should be popular with patrons who like show parlays and with big players.”
Keeneland also will unveil the initial phase of its new paddock and the guest and administrative buildings nearby. Construction began in January 2024 and is the largest project undertaken by Keeneland since it opened nearly 90 years ago. It’s also the first major construction project at the track since the Keeneland Library was built in 2002.
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The new paddock has repositioned saddling stalls along the east wall, allowing for improved visibility for patrons. It also seeks to increase the safety of horses and horsemen with better spacing and room to maneuver.
New jockey quarters have been constructed beneath the paddock building. The former walking ring, adjacent to the paddock, will now become a winner’s circle for stakes trophy presentations, formerly held on the turf course.
The new building alongside the paddock and presentation area, a three-story structure that blends well with Keeneland’s existing buildings, will eventually offer ticketed experiences like sit-down dining, new bar concepts, and a rooftop experience, with approximately 1,400 additional tickets for race-day fans. Keeneland, which will host the Breeders’ Cup for the fourth time in 2026, previously erected temporary seating and dining facilities in this area to accommodate an added influx of fans.
The buildings also will be used as an expanded hospitality area during Keeneland’s sales. Throughout the recent record September sale, Tony Lacy, Keeneland’s vice president of sales operations, made references to the synergy between new owners being attracted to racing, the strong sales results, and the subsequent need to provide those owners with stellar customer service and race-day experiences.
“As an organization, we’re taking this and putting this right back into the industry in reinvestment,” Lacy said. “The strength of this market creates security for the next stage. Obviously, we’re spending a lot of money on infrastructure improvements, for new race fans, for partnerships, for owners, so they have a better experience. When you go to an NBA stadium or an NFL stadium, they’re getting refreshed every 15 to 20 years, because that’s what the public and fans want and expect. So we’re trying to respond to that.”
In keeping with its other mission as a philanthropic organization, Keeneland will present community events such as Make-A-Wish Day (Oct. 9); College Scholarship Day (Oct. 10); a jockey autograph signing (Oct. 11) benefiting the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund; Keeneland Kids Club Day (Oct. 12); Heroes Day (Oct. 19), honoring members of the military, first responders, and health care workers; and Teacher Appreciation Day (Oct. 25).
In a well-attended community event, Keeneland also celebrates Big Blue Day on Oct. 17, which is homecoming weekend at the University of Kentucky. The free tailgating area is sure to be full that day – and most others.
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