Keeneland Association, Inc. is an equine business based in

Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is a city in Kentucky, United States that is the county seat of Fayette County. By population, it is the second-largest city in Kentucky and 57th-largest city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 28th-largest ...

. It includes two distinct divisions: the Keeneland Race Course, a Thoroughbred racing facility, and Keeneland Sales, a horse auction complex. It is also known for its reference

library A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vi ...

. 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 The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artist ...

and designated a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

in 1986.

History

Keeneland originated as a nonprofit racing–auction entity on of farmland west of Lexington, which had been owned by the son of

James R. Keene James Robert Keene (February 8, 1838 - January 3, 1913) was a Wall Street stockbroker and a major thoroughbred race horse owner and breeder. Biography He was born in London, England in 1838. He was fourteen years of age when his family imm ...

, Jack Keene, a driving force behind the building of the facility. It has used proceeds from races and its auctions to further the thoroughbred industry as well as to contribute to the surrounding community. Keeneland gate

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. The 17-day fall meet features seventeen graded stakes races, six of which are Grade One events used as Breeders' Cup preps. 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". Keeneland was also used in the 2005 movie '' Dreamer'' and the 2010 movie '' Secretariat'' for several key scenes, including the running of the Belmont Stakes where the horse completes the Triple Crown. 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. 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. The track was restored to a dirt racing surface during the summer of 2014. Keeneland was designated a

in 1986, for its role in the growth of the horseracing sport and its revitalization in Lexington. 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 The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held on Armed Forces Day which is also the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs ...

, 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". In August 2018 Keeneland was named as the host of the

2020 Breeders' Cup The 2020 Breeders' Cup World Championships was the 37th edition of the premier event of the North American thoroughbred horse racing year. The 14 races, all but one of which were Grade I, took place on November 6 and 7 at Keeneland racetrack in Le ...

. In 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, Keeneland cancelled their Spring meeting which was to be held from 2 April 2020 to 24 April 2020 and moved their meet to a shortened five day period from 8 July 2020 to 12 July 2020. Five stakes race were not scheduled:

Bewitch Stakes The Bewitch Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares four-year-olds and older over a distance of miles on the turf held annually in April at Keeneland Race Course, Lexington, Kentucky during the spring meeting ...

, Ben Ali Stakes, Commonwealth Stakes, Doubledogdare Stakes and Lexington Stakes. The Breeders' Cup was won by Authentic, which had won the Kentucky Derby.

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. 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. 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. The auctions have sold horses to owners worldwide that have won large-scale races. Nine of the 14 highest ranked horses in the Kentucky Oaks were sold in sales through Keeneland.

Layout

The track has a dirt oval and a seven and one-half furlong () turf oval. The turf course uses two configurations: the Keeneland Course setup has a temporary rail set out, while the Haggin Course has no temporary rail.

TV personalities

Mike Battaglia Mike Battaglia is an American horse racing analyst, race caller and television broadcaster. He is most closely associated with Churchill Downs, the Kentucky Derby and as the on-air talent for Keeneland Racecourse with Katie Gensler. Battaglia ...

(1974–present) * Katie Mikolay Gensler (2013–present)

Keeneland Mark of Distinction

Since 1968 Keeneland has honored the contributions of individuals to both Keeneland itself and the Thoroughbred industry with the Mark of Distinction. Receipents of the honor are given a button that bears the colors of their racing or farm silks. Each spring and fall, members of the Keeneland Club wear the button.

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 1 : * Alcibiades Stakes * Ashland Stakes * Blue Grass Stakes * Breeders' Futurity Stakes *

First Lady Stakes The First Lady Stakes is a Grade I American thoroughbred horse race for fillies & mares, age three and older over a distance of one mile on the turf held annually in October at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky during the fall meeting. ...

* Jenny Wiley Stakes * Keeneland Turf Mile Stakes * Madison Stakes * Maker's 46 Mile Stakes * Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes * Spinster Stakes Grade 2 : * Appalachian Stakes * Elkhorn Stakes * Fayette Stakes *

Jessamine Stakes The Jessamine Stakes is a Grade II American thoroughbred horse race for two-year-old filles over a distance of miles on the turf held annually in early October at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky during the fall meeting. History ...

Marathon Stakes The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes, is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds and up, and contested on dirt at usually at a distance of miles. The race has a purse of US$350,000. It is run as part of the underca ...

* Phoenix Stakes *

Raven Run Stakes The Raven Run Stakes is a Grade II American thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies over a distance of seven furlongs on the dirt held annually in October at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky during the fall meeting. History ...

* Shakertown Stakes * Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes * Woodford Stakes Grade 3 : *

Beaumont Stakes The Beaumont Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies over a distance of 7 furlongs and 184 feet on the dirt held annually in early April at Keeneland Race Course, Lexington, Kentucky during the spring ...

* Ben Ali Stakes *

* Bourbon Stakes *

Bryan Station Stakes The Bryan Station Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds over a distance of one mile on the turf held annually in October at Keeneland Race Course, Lexington, Kentucky during the autumn meeting. It currently of ...

Franklin County Stakes The Franklin Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares that are three years old or older, over a distance of furlongs on the turf held annually in October at Keeneland Race Course, Lexington, Kentucky during the ...

* Commonwealth Stakes * Doubledogdare Stakes * Dowager Stakes * Lexington Stakes * Sycamore Stakes * Transylvania Stakes *

Valley View Stakes The Valley View Stakes is a Grade III American thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies over a distance of miles on the turf held annually in October at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky during the fall meeting. History Th ...

;Non-graded stakes races * Giant's Causeway Stakes Race at Keeneland

References

External links

Official site

Classic Race winners sold at Keeneland Auction

{{Authority control Kentucky culture National Register of Historic Places in Lexington, Kentucky National Historic Landmarks in Kentucky Event venues on the National Register of Historic Places in Kentucky 1936 establishments in Kentucky Sports venues on the National Register of Historic Places