Keeneland was one of the first tracks to incorporate the use of Polytrack, an artificial racing surface, for its main track. There is also a turf course. Also, four times each year sales auctions are held at Keeneland. Buyers from all over the world attend these sales and many horses that pass through the sales ring at Keeneland go on to accomplish great things on the track. The first race at Keeneland was contested in 1936 and the first auction was held in 1938.
During the spring meet the Grade 1 Toyota Blue Grass serves as one of the final prep races for the Kentucky Derby. For fillies, the Grade 1 Ashland serves as a prep for the Kentucky Oaks. Since the incorporation of Polytrack the Blue Grass does not attract as many of the top Derby contenders as it once did. In its heyday the race was won by some of the all-time greats including Northern Dancer, Alydar, Riva Ridge, and Spectacular Bid. Likewise, some great fillies have captured the Ashland including Go For Wand, Silverbulletday, and Take Charge Lady.
In the fall many trainers use the generous schedule of turf stakes to prep for the Breeders’ Cup. This year the horses won’t have to travel to compete in the World Championships. The 2015 Breeders’ Cup will be hosted at the Keeneland track and is expected to feature Triple Crown winner American Pharoah in the Classic.
Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas has amassed an astounding 280 wins at the Keeneland meets. Fellow Hall of Famer Bill Mott is close behind with 249 wins. In addition, Lukas has compiled a respectable 50 stakes victories. Another trainer to watch, especially in the spring meet, is Wesley Ward. Ward does very well with two-year-old first time starters.
Pat Day, the legendary Hall of Fame rider, won 918 races at Keeneland during his career making him the most successful jockey to don silks at the track. Day won a record 22 riding titles at Keeneland. Behind Day is Robby Albarado with 444 wins. Many riders who began their careers in Louisiana, such as Corey Lanerie, have carved out a successful place in the Keeneland jockey colony. In 2012, jockey Julien Leparoux won six races in a single day at Keeneland to tie the record held by Craig Perret and Randy Romero. Hope you enjoyed your visit to EzHorseBetting.com take a minute to also check our Bovada racebook review, Twinspires review or even our Betamerica review as they are all great choice if you are in the United States. 5Dimes review for folks anywhere!
Graded stakes run at Keeneland:
Grade 1
Alcibiades Stakes
Ashland Stakes
Blue Grass Stakes
Breeders’ Futurity Stakes
First Lady Stakes
Maker’s Mark Mile Stakes
Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes
Royal Chase for the Sport of Kings
Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes
Spinster Stakes
Vinery Madison Stakes
Grade 2
Beaumont Stakes
Commonwealth Stakes
Elkhorn Stakes
Fayette Stakes
Raven Run Stakes
Jenny Wiley Stakes
Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes
Grade 3
Appalachian Stakes
Ben Ali Stakes
Bewitch Stakes
Bourbon Stakes
Bryan Station Stakes
Doubledogdare Stakes
Lexington Stakes
Perryville Stakes
Phoenix Stakes
Shakertown Stakes
Sycamore Stakes
Transylvania Stakes
Valley View Stakes
Woodford Stakes
Handicapping Keeneland: Specific Patterns Worth Knowing
Keeneland’s two annual meets — the April spring meet and the October fall meet — each have their own distinctive handicapping characteristics that reward track-specific knowledge. The spring meet, which serves as a key preparation venue for Kentucky Derby contenders, features fields that often include horses specifically pointed at the meet’s major stakes races. Identifying which horses have been aimed at Keeneland’s Grade 1 events — versus those filling out the field — provides a useful motivation filter that the form lines alone cannot supply.
The fall meet, coming after the summer racing season, tends to feature horses returning from summer campaigns in varying states of freshness and condition. The turf course at Keeneland is particularly renowned — one of the finest grass tracks in North America — and European horses sometimes appear in the major fall turf events, having travelled specifically to compete at the grade level available. Keeneland’s compact oval with its relatively short stretch rewards horses that can maintain momentum through the turns rather than those needing a long run home to produce their best finishing effort. Understanding these track-specific characteristics allows bettors to assess each race with greater precision than generic form analysis provides. For more on Kentucky racing, our articles on horse racing tracks in Kentucky and why horse betting is better in Kentucky provide comprehensive coverage. And our guide to understanding track bias covers how to read Keeneland’s specific surface patterns.
