Keeneland
Keeneland Association, Inc. is an equine business based in Lexington, Kentucky. It includes two distinct divisions, the Keeneland Race Course, a Thoroughbred racing facility, and Keeneland Sales, a horse auction complex.[2][3][4] It is also known for its reference library.[5]
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Location | Lexington, Kentucky, United States |
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Coordinates | 38°2′44″N 84°36′38″W |
Owned by | Keeneland Association Inc. |
Date opened | 1936 |
Course type | Flat / Thoroughbred |
Notable races | Ashland Stakes (G1) Turf Mile Stakes (G1) Breeders' Futurity Stakes (G1) Blue Grass Stakes (G2) |
Keeneland | |
![]() A view of Keeneland's grandstand at dawn, taken from the last turn leading into the home stretch | |
Built | 1936 |
NRHP reference No. | 86003487[1] |
Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | September 4, 1986 |
Designated NHL | September 4, 1986 |
Official website |
In 2009, the Horseplayers Association of North America introduced a rating system for 65 Thoroughbred racetracks in North America. Keeneland was ranked #1 of the top ten tracks. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986.
History
Keeneland originated as a nonprofit racing–auction entity on 147 acres (0.59 km2) of farmland west of Lexington, which had been owned by Jack Keene, a driving force behind the building of the facility.[6] It has used proceeds from races and its auctions to further the thoroughbred industry as well as to contribute to the surrounding community.
![](../I/m/Keeneland_gate.jpg)
Keeneland Race Course has conducted live race meets in April and October since 1936. The 15-day spring meet is one of the richest in North America, with fifteen graded stakes races featuring the Blue Grass Stakes, a prep race for the Kentucky Derby.[7][8][9] The 17-day fall meet features seventeen graded stakes races, six of which are Grade One events used as Breeders' Cup preps.[10][11]
Keeneland takes pride in maintaining racing traditions; it was the last track in North America to broadcast race calls over its public-address system, not doing so until 1997. Most of the racing scenes of the 2003 movie Seabiscuit were shot at Keeneland, in part because of the track's "retro feel".[12] Keeneland was also used in the 2005 movie Dreamer[13] and the 2010 movie Secretariat for several key scenes, including the running of the Belmont Stakes where the horse completes the Triple Crown.[14]
Nonetheless, Keeneland has adopted several innovations. In 1984 in preparation for a visit by Queen Elizabeth II, it built a trackside Winner's Circle and created the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes. In 1985, it installed a turf course over which the Challenge Cup, as well as a number of other turf races, is now run.[15] It reshaped the main track and replaced the dirt surface with the proprietary Polytrack surface over the summer of 2006 in time for its fall race meeting.[16] The track was restored to a dirt racing surface during the summer of 2014.[17]
Keeneland was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986,[18] for its role in the growth of the horseracing sport and its revitalization in Lexington.[19]
Keeneland hosted the Breeders' Cup for the first time in 2015. The Breeders' Cup Classic was won by Triple Crown winner American Pharoah by six and a half lengths. He became the first to win the unofficial Grand Slam of horse racing; winning the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes and Breeders' Cup Classic. Many horse industry personnel were skeptical of Keeneland as a suitable venue because the track and town were too small to host such a large event. However it was a huge success and even had a Thoroughbred Daily News writer report "I was wrong...it was spectacular" and how he "couldn't be more impressed".[20] In August 2018 Keeneland was named as the host of the 2020 Breeders' Cup.[21]
Keeneland Sales
Keeneland is the world's largest Thoroughbred auction house, conducting three sales annually: The September Yearling Sale, November Breeding Stock Sale, and January Horses of All Ages Sale.[22] Horses sold at Keeneland sales include 82 horses that won 88 Breeders' Cup World Championship races; 19 Kentucky Derby winners; 21 Preakness winners; 18 Belmont winners; 11 recipients of the Eclipse Award as Horse of the Year; and five Epsom Derby winners. Graduates of Keeneland sales.[23] The Keeneland Team travels to over 25 countries and invests in over $700,000 annually towards international market development to deliver the world's deepest buying bench.[24] The auctions have sold horses to owners worldwide that have won large-scale races. Nine of the 14 highest ranked horses in the Kentucky Oakes were sold in sales through Keeneland.[25]
Layout
The track has a 1 1⁄16 miles (1,700 m) dirt oval and a seven and one-half furlong (0.875 miles (1,408 m)) turf oval. The turf course uses two configurations: the Keeneland Course setup has a temporary rail set 15 feet (4.6 m) out, while the Haggin Course has no temporary rail.[26]
TV personalities
- Mike Battaglia (1974–present)
- Katie Mikolay Gensler (2013–present)
Racing
Keeneland has two racing seasons: a Spring Meeting in April and a Fall Meeting in October. The following stakes races have been run at Keeneland, some with changing names and sponsorships over the years.
- Grade I races
- Alcibiades Stakes
- Ashland Stakes
- Breeders' Futurity Stakes
- First Lady Stakes
- Jenny Wiley Stakes
- Madison Stakes
- Maker's 46 Mile Stakes
- Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes
- Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes
- Spinster Stakes
- Grade II races
- Appalachian Stakes
- Blue Grass Stakes
- Elkhorn Stakes
- Fayette Stakes
- Jessamine Stakes
- Marathon Stakes
- Phoenix Stakes
- Raven Run Stakes
- Shakertown Stakes
- Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes
- Woodford Stakes
![](../I/m/Race_at_Keeneland.jpg)
- Grade III races
- Beaumont Stakes
- Ben Ali Stakes
- Bewitch Stakes
- Bourbon Stakes
- Franklin County Stakes
- Commonwealth Stakes
- Doubledogdare Stakes
- Dowager Stakes
- Lexington Stakes[27]
- Sycamore Stakes
- Transylvania Stakes presented by Keeneland Select
- Valley View Stakes
- Non-graded stakes races
- Bryan Station Stakes
- Giant's Causeway Stakes
References
- "NPS Focus". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. Retrieved July 1, 2010.
- "Keeneland Sales". Keeneland Association, Inc. 2019-06-28. Retrieved 2019-06-28.
- Keeneland Magazine - Blood-Horse Publications designation approved by Keeneland Association, Inc.
- "Keeneland Sales portal". Keeneland Association, Inc. 2019-06-28. Retrieved 2019-06-28.
- "The Keeneland Library: An uncommon collection | Topics: Keeneland | Thoroughbred Racing Commentary". Thoroughbred Racing Commentary. Retrieved 2016-08-01.
- "Keeneland History". keeneland.com.
- "Keeneland Spring Produces Strong Attendance, Wagering". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
- "Keeneland Spring Meet boasts increase in purses, 15 graded stakes races". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
- "Toyota Blue Grass Website". keeneland.com.
- "Keeneland Announces $5.325 Million Stakes Schedule". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
- "Breeders' Cup Challenge". breederscup.com.
- Copley, Rich. "Flashback: When 'Seabiscuit' filmed at Keeneland | Copious Notes". Copious Notes. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
- "Keeneland Part 1". WikiLex: A History Hub. Lexington History Museum. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
- "'Secretariat' is infused with Kentucky spirit, director says". kentucky. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
- "A Winner's Circle Fit for a Queen". keeneland.com. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
- "Rogers Beasley Keeneland Director of Racing". Bloodhorse.com. 2006-09-27. Archived from the original on 2009-04-19. Retrieved 2009-10-24.
- "Keeneland Dirt Track Debut". Courier-Journal.com. The Courier-Journal.
- "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- "NHL nomination for Keeneland". National Park Service. Retrieved 2020-01-15.
- One For the Ages by Barry Weisbord
- "Future Host Sites 2019-2021". Breeders' Cup. 17 August 2018.
- "About Keeneland Sales". keeneland.com. Keeneland Sales.
- "Keeneland Classic Winners". Keeneland.com. Keeneland.
- "Sales | Keeneland". www.keeneland.com. Retrieved 2018-04-19.
- "Keeneland Sales Alumni Capture Final Derby, Oaks Preps | Keeneland". www.keeneland.com. Retrieved 2018-04-19.
- "Keeneland Track Configuration". keeneland.com. Keeneland Racing.
- Blood Horse: 2011 Graded Stakes: 13 Fewer Than '10
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Keeneland. |