Keeneland Expands Fall Meet Stakes Schedule
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Keeneland will offer 23 stakes worth a total of $5,975,000 in purses during its 2015 fall meet, to be held Oct. 2-24, and the three-day celebration Oct. 29-31 surrounding the $26 million Breeders' Cup World Championships.
Sixteen stakes, including six grade I events highlighted by the $1 million Shadwell Turf Mile, worth a combined $5,075,000 are slated for the 17-day fall meet, which opens with the Fall Stars Weekend Oct. 2-4. Eight stakes are "Win and You're In" events, part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge series of automatic qualifying races for the World Championships.
As the host site for the 2015 Breeders' Cup, Keeneland has carded an additional seven stakes worth a combined $900,000; one to be held Oct. 29 and three scheduled for each of the Breeders' Cup undercards Oct. 30-31.
The stakes are a mix of new and familiar names: the $100,000 Lafayette Presented by Keeneland Select, a listed stakes for 3-year-olds and up at seven furlongs Oct. 29, a Thursday; $200,000 Hagyard Fayette (gr. II), for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles, which moves in 2015 from its traditional fall meet closing-day spot to Oct. 30 and is joined by the $200,000 Marathon Stakes (gr. II), for 3-year-olds and up at 1 3/4 miles, and the $100,000 Bryan Station, a listed stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles on the turf.
On Oct. 31, Breeders' Cup Saturday, Keeneland will run the $100,000 Fort Springs, a listed stakes for 3-year-old fillies; $100,000 Juvenile Dirt Sprint for 2-year-olds; and $100,000 Perryville, a listed stakes for 3-year-olds.
"This fall will be one of the most memorable racing seasons in Keeneland history," Keeneland vice president of racing Rogers Beasley said in a release. "The competition will be superb; the top trainers and jockeys will be on hand as the anticipation builds all month toward the first-ever Breeders' Cup at Keeneland. It will be an exciting time for fans, horsemen, and the entire Central Kentucky community."
Keeneland's signature Fall Stars Weekend kicks off the meet with nine graded stakes worth a combined $3.7 million. Five of those races are grade I events.
Opening day features the $400,000 Darley Alcibiades (gr. I), for 2-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles. The Oct. 3 card includes the Shadwell Turf Mile, for 3-year-olds and up; $500,000 Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (gr. I) for 2-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles; and $400,000 First Lady (gr. IT), for fillies and mares at a mile on turf. Racing Oct. 4 is led by the $500,000 Juddmonte Spinster (gr. I) for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles.
A sixth grade I stakes, the $500,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Presented by Lane's End, an internationally renowned invitational for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles on the turf, will be held Oct. 10.
The fall meet also reflects two changes to the stakes program. Purses for the Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix (gr. III) Oct. 2 and Thoroughbred Club of America (gr. II) Oct. 3 have increased from $200,000 to $250,000 each. Additionally, the $150,000 Pin Oak Valley View (gr. IIIT), a 1 1/16-mile race on turf for 3-year-old fillies, has been moved to closing day, Oct. 24, for 2015.
Seven Breeders' Cup Challenge stakes will be run Fall Stars Weekend: the Darley Alcibiades (a Challenge race for the Juvenile Fillies, gr. I) and Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix (Sprint, gr. I) Oct. 2; Shadwell Turf Mile (Mile, gr. IT), Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (Sentient Jet Juvenile, gr. I) and Thoroughbred Club of America (Filly & Mare Sprint, gr. I) Oct. 3; and Juddmonte Spinster (Longines Distaff, gr. I) and Dixiana Bourbon (gr. IIIT) (Juvenile Turf, gr. IT) Oct. 4.
NBC will broadcast live from Keeneland with two "Breeders' Cup Challenge Win and You're In Series" programs Oct. 3 (5-6 p.m. EDT) featuring the Claiborne Breeders' Futurity and Shadwell Turf Mile, and Oct. 4 (5-6 p.m.) with the Juddmonte Spinster and the Dixiana Bourbon Stakes.
The eighth Breeders' Cup Challenge race is the Oct. 7 JPMorgan Chase Jessamine (gr. IIIT), which awards the winner a berth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (gr. IT).
The winners of 40 Breeders' Cup races have made their final start before the World Championships during Keeneland's fall meet, most notably in the Thoroughbred Cub of America, Spinster, Shadwell Turf Mile, Alcibiades, and Breeders' Futurity. Last year horses that prepped at Keeneland in October won three Breeders' Cup races and were 2014 divisional champions: Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT) winner Dayatthespa, winner of the First Lady; 14 Hands Winery Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) winner Take Charge Brandi, who ran in the Darley Alcibiades; and Sprint (gr. I) winner Work All Week, winner of the Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix.
Keeneland 2015 Fall Stakes Schedule: Oct. 2-24
|
Date |
Stakes |
Division |
Distance |
|
Oct. 2 |
$400,000 Darley Alcibiades (G1)* |
2YO Fillies |
1 1/16 Miles |
|
Oct. 2 |
$250,000 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix (G3)* |
3YOs & Up |
6 Furlongs |
|
Oct. 3 |
$1 Million Shadwell Turf Mile (G1)* |
3YOs & Up |
1 Mile (T) |
|
Oct. 3 |
$500,000 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (G1)* |
2YOs |
1 1/16 Miles |
|
Oct. 3 |
$400,000 First Lady (G1) |
3YOs & Up, F&M |
1 Mile (T) |
|
Oct. 3 |
$250,000 Thoroughbred Club |
3YOs & Up, F&M |
6 Furlongs |
|
Oct. 3 |
$150,000 Woodford (G3) Presented by Keeneland Select |
3YOs & Up |
5½ Furlongs (T) |
|
Oct. 4 |
$500,000 Juddmonte Spinster (G1)* |
3YOs & Up, F&M |
1 1/8 Miles |
|
Oct. 4 |
$250,000 Dixiana Bourbon (G3)* |
2YOs |
1 1/16 Miles (T) |
|
Oct. 7 |
$150,000 JPMorgan Chase Jessamine (G3)* |
2YO Fillies |
1 1/16 Miles (T) |
|
Oct. 9 |
$100,000 Buffalo Trace Franklin County (L) |
3YOs & Up, F&M |
5½ Furlongs (T) |
|
Oct. 10 |
$500,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) Presented by Lane’s End |
3YO Fillies |
1 1/8 Miles (T) |
|
Oct. 15 |
$100,000 Sycamore (G3) |
3YOs & Up |
1½ Miles (T) |
|
Oct. 17 |
$250,000 Lexus Raven Run (G2) |
3YO Fillies |
7 Furlongs |
|
Oct. 18 |
$125,000 Rood & Riddle Dowager (G3) |
3YOs & Up, F&M |
1½ Miles (T) |
|
Oct. 24 |
$150,000 Pin Oak Valley View (G3) |
3YO Fillies |
1 1/16 Miles (T) |
*Denotes Breeders’ Cup Challenge stakes
Keeneland Stakes Schedule: Breeders’ Cup Weekend, Oct. 29-31
|
Date |
Stakes |
Division |
Distance |
|
Oct. 29 |
$100,000 Lafayette (L) Presented by Keeneland Select |
3YOs & Up |
7 Furlongs |
|
Oct. 30 |
$200,000 Hagyard Fayette (G2) |
3YOs & Up |
1 1/8 Miles |
|
Oct. 30 |
$100,000 Bryan Station (L) |
3YOs |
1 1/8 Miles (T) |
|
Oct. 30 |
$200,000 Marathon (G2) |
3YOs & Up |
1 3/4 Miles |
|
Oct. 31 |
$100,000 Fort Springs (L) |
3YO Fillies |
6 Furlongs |
|
Oct. 31 |
$100,000 Juvenile Dirt Sprint (L) |
2YOs |
6 Furlongs |
|
Oct. 31 |
$100,000 Perryville (L) |
3YOs |
6 Furlongs |