Keeneland Applies to Run Summer Meet July 8-12

Keeneland has submitted a request to the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission’s Race Dates Committee for a five-day summer meet of spectatorless racing from July 8-12, the Lexington track announced May 22. The summer dates accommodate a portion of the 16-day spring meet that Keeneland was forced to cancel due to the COVID-19 outbreak. 

Keeneland will also share return-to-racing protocols with Gov. Andy Beshear's office and local health officials for their approval. To ensure the safety of staff, horsemen, and others on the track's grounds, Keeneland will mirror strict protocols in place at Churchill Downs.  

"We are excited about the return of racing to Keeneland and know this will be welcome news for our horsemen, fans, and the Central Kentucky community," Keeneland president and CEO Bill Thomason said. "This purse money represents significant income for horsemen, and while the races will be spectator-free, the Keeneland team is hard at work on creative ways to involve fans watching at home and to enhance our simulcast product for handicappers."

Keeneland plans to host full cards of nine to 10 races each day. Ten graded stakes that traditionally run during the track's spring meet highlight the summer meet schedule, among them the $600,000 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G2) and $400,000 Central Bank Ashland Stakes (G1), preps for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) and Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1), respectively; the $350,000 Coolmore Jenny Wiley Stakes (G1T); the $300,000 Maker’s Mark Mile Stakes (G1T); and the $250,000 Madison Stakes (G1). 

"These stakes races are important targets on the racing calendar for owners and breeders alike, and we are very happy to have the opportunity to conduct them," said Bob Elliston, Keeneland's vice president of racing and sales. "The purses of some stakes, as well as maiden special weight and allowance races, are reduced from planned 2020 spring meet levels. Keeneland is unique in that during the course of a race meet, we put every bit of revenue we generate—from wagering, dining, concessions, gate, seating, and sponsorships—back into purse money. The summer meet purse projections are based on current association cash and Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund." 

The Lexington track had been in negotiations with Ellis Park, which traditionally runs summer dates in the state, to accommodate the request for an abbreviated meet.

Keeneland is not the first Kentucky track to pick up race dates from Ellis Park this summer. It follows Churchill Downs, which reached an agreement with Ellis Park and Kentucky Downs to run a postponed Derby week of racing from Sept. 1-5. Churchill's new dates now culminate with the Sept. 4 Kentucky Oaks and Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby.

Provided Keeneland has the backing of Ellis Park for its summer dates, the KHRC is all but certain to approve the date request. In March, the commission unanimously approved the request by Churchill Downs to run in September.

Keeneland had initially intended to run 18 stakes worth a season-record $4.8 million during its spring meet, which was scheduled for April 2-26 before the pandemic.

Along with other tracks resuming operations amid COVID-19, Keeneland reduced purses due to the different wagering environment across the country. With most simulcast centers closed, tracks are largely reliant on advance deposit wagering platforms for wagering.

The Blue Grass, for example, had originally been scheduled to have a $1 million purse.

Churchill Downs announced this month that the Blue Grass and Ashland provide qualifying points toward the Derby and Oaks on a 100-40-20-10 basis to the races’ top four finishers.

The Beaumont Stakes Presented by Keeneland Select (G3), another summer race contested at seven furlongs and 184 feet, will provide Oaks qualifying points on a 20-8-4-2 scale.

Keeneland, more so than most tracks, relies heavily on its on-track handle and stakes sponsorships to fund its purses. Last spring, the track's average attendance was 15,159 over a 16-day meet. A total of 34,775 fans attended the 2019 Blue Grass.