Keeneland Celebrates 80th Anniversary with 2016 Fall Meet

Keeneland’s 2016 Fall Meet, which opens Friday, marks the track’s 80th anniversary.

The story of Keeneland began in the early 1930s with the closure of the Kentucky Association track near downtown Lexington and the end of Thoroughbred racing in the city.

A group of prominent Central Kentucky Thoroughbred breeders who wanted to return Thoroughbred racing to Lexington got to work. In 1935, articles of incorporation were filed for the Keeneland Association, which had a goal, outlined the original prospectus, to “create a model race track to perpetuate and improve the sport and to provide a course that is intended to serve as a symbol of the fine traditions of Thoroughbred racing.”

The Keeneland Association set out to find a location for the new track. On Aug. 29, 1935, the group bought 147½ acres of Keeneland Stud from John Oliver “Jack” Keene on which he had begun construction of a private training center. The acreage included a 1 1/16-mile track and a nearly completed stone building adaptable for a Clubhouse.

After furious preparation, Keeneland opened Oct. 15, 1936.

To celebrate this milestone anniversary, Barn Notes throughout the Fall Meet will look back at memorable races and track highlights from Keeneland’s rich 80-year history.

Here are a few highlights from Oct. 3:

2008: Opening day of the 17-day Fall Meet, when Keeneland becomes the first North American track to provide live race coverage and limited simulcasts in high-definition format. … Champion Forever Together uses her 1½-length victory in the First Lady (G1) (the $400,000 race to be run Saturday) as a springboard to success at Santa Anita in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1).

2014: Opening day of the 17-day Fall Meet, which marks debut of the innovative dirt surface installed on the main track over the summer.

2015: Morton Fink’s Wise Dan, the 2012-2013 Horse of the Year, parades on the day of the Shadwell Turf Mile (G1). He ran in the race four times, winning in 2012 and 2014, finishing third in 2013 and fourth in 2011. The 2014 victory marked the final race for Wise Dan, who won 23 races from 31 starts and earned $7,552,920. He was based at Keeneland throughout his career with trainer Charlie LoPresti. Wise Dan won a record seven Keeneland stakes.

2015: Robert E. Masterson’s Tepin crushes the field to win the First Lady (G1) by seven lengths and four weeks later defeats males in the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) at Keeneland. Tepin is voted champion turf female of 2015. Winner of Keeneland’s Coolmore Jenny Wiley (G1) during the 2016 Spring Meet, she is scheduled to defend her title Saturday in the First Lady.

KATHY RITVO TO MAKE KEENELAND TRAINING DEBUT: Best known for winning the 2013 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) with Mucho Macho Man, trainer Kathy Ritvo will race at Keeneland for the first time. Among the five horses she has here is recent Gulfstream Park allowance winner Diamond Earring.

“We thought we would take a chance here,” Ritvo said shortly after dismounting from her black-and-white lead pony Oreo. “I came here for the (Keeneland September Yearling) sale and we decided to run some horses at the meet. Mr. and Mrs. (Dean and Patti) Reeves (who owned Mucho Macho Man) have always wanted to race their horses here. It is a nice opportunity.”

This year, Ritvo has raced at Gulfstream, Saratoga and Churchill. She is excited about making her Keeneland debut.

“It’s beautiful here – great weather, great racing,” said Ritvo, who plans to visit Mucho Macho Man at Adena Springs near Paris, Ky., while she is at Keeneland. “It should be fun.”

CHRIS DAVIS TO LAUNCH TRAINING CAREER AT KEENELAND: Keeneland’s 2016 Fall Meet will mark the training debut for 27-year-old Chris Davis. The son of Chicago-based trainer Liane Davis and Arlington assistant starter Hershell Davis and a former assistant to trainers Pat Byrne, Mike Stidham and Phil D’Amato, Davis plans to claim a few horses at Keeneland and start Town and Country Racing’s My Year Is a Day (FR) in the Buffalo Trace Franklin County (G3) on Oct. 14 while he develops his operation.

“I love Keeneland. This will be my 13th meet here,” said Davis, who began walking hots at eight and galloping horses at 16. “I love racing here, the competition. Everyone wants to win a race at Keeneland because of the prestige and history.”

For D’Amato, Davis sent out Obviously (IRE) to win the Poker (G3) at Belmont Park in June. He said the support of D’Amato and Town and Country, whose Stopchargingmaria won the 2015 Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) at Keeneland, encouraged him to go out on his own.

“(Town and Country) has given me a good opportunity,” Davis said. “I had horses for them for Phil at Churchill. They all ran pretty well.”

My Year Is a Day, a stakes winner in France in 2014, is a 4-year-old daughter of King’s Best. She is coming off a seventh-place finish in the Kentucky Downs Ladies Sprint on Sept. 10.

“She’s training well,” Davis said. “We’ve got to give it a shot to get her some black type. She’s missed getting black type in some nice stakes in California. Hopefully, we’ll get a good post, and she can come running late.”

WORK TAB: Multiple stakes winner Cinco Charlie worked a half-mile in :49 for trainer Steve Asmussen in preparation for Friday’s Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix (G2).

Also working before the break over a fast track for Asmussen was Ellis Park Juvenile winner Lookin At Lee who covered a half-mile in :50 in advance of an expected start in Saturday’s Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (G1).

PROBABLE FIELDS FOR FALL STARS STAKES

$400,000 DARLEY ALCIBIADES (G1) (Entries taken Tuesday, race Friday) – Benner Island (Brad Cox), Caroline Test (Ben Colebrook), Cold Hearted Pearl (William Helmbrecht), Daddys Lil Darling (Kenny McPeek), Diadura (Mike Stidham), For Honor (George Weaver), Fun (Ian Wilkes), I’mluckysgirl (James Spicer), Lady Hansen (Mike Maker).

$250,000 STOLL KEENON OGDEN PHOENIX (G2) (Entries taken Tuesday, race Friday) – Always Sunshine (Ned Allard), A.P. Indian (Arnaud Delacour), Cinco Charlie (Steve Asmussen), Favorite Tale (Guadalupe Preciado), Jazzy Times (Bob Baffert), Limousine Liberal (Ben Colebrook), Loose On the Town (Brian Lynch), Requite (George Weaver), The Great War (Wesley Ward), W.B. Smudge (Matt Kordenbrock).

$1,000,000 SHADWELL TURF MILE (G1) (Entries taken Wednesday, race Saturday) – Grand Arch (Brian Lynch), Heart to Heart (Brian Lynch), Hootenanny (Wesley Ward), Ironicus (Shug McGaughey), Kasaqui (ARG) (Ignacio Correas IV), Mondialiste (IRE) (David O’Meara), Pleuven (FR) (Phil Sims), Ring Weekend (Graham Motion), Tourist (Bill Mott), Tower of Texas (Roger Attfield), What a View (Kenny Black).

$500,000 CLAIBORNE BREEDERS’ FUTURITY (G1) (Entries taken Wednesday, race Saturday) – Bitumen (Eddie Kenneally), Blame Will (D. Wayne Lukas), Classic Empire (Mark Casse), Gunnevera (Antonio Sano), Honor Thy Father (Kenny McPeek), Lookin At Lee (Steve Asmussen), Perro Rojo (Nick Zito), Singing Bullet (Dale Romans), Tiz Trevor (Jason Cook), Wild Shot (Rusty Arnold).

$400,000 FIRST LADY (G1) (Entries taken Wednesday, race Saturday) – Cash Control (Brad Cox), Celestine (Bill Mott), Miss Temple City (Graham Motion), Nancy From Nairobi (GB) (John Sadler), Nemoralia (Jeremy Noseda), Now Or Never (IRE) (Michael O’Callaghan), Onus (Shug McGaughey), Secret Someone (Mike Stidham), She’s Not Here (Vicki Oliver), Tepin (Mark Casse).

$200,000 THOROUGHBRED CLUB OF AMERICA (G2) (Entries taken Wednesday, race Saturday) – Bendable (Richard Mandella), Birdatthewire (Dale Romans), Fioretti (Anthony Hamilton Jr.), Lucy N Ethel (Tom Amoss), Luminance (Bob Baffert), Sarah Sis (Ingrid Mason), Spelling Again (Brad Cox), Stonetastic (Kelly Breen).

$150,000 WOODFORD (G3) PRESENTED BY KEENELAND SELECT (Entries taken Wednesday, race Saturday) –Almasty (Brad Cox), Alsvid (Chris Hartman), Big Rock (Christophe Clement), Bucchero (Tim Glyshaw), Front Pocket Money (Steve Asmussen), Holding Gold (Mark Casse), Mongol Bull (Brad Rainwater), Mongolian Saturday (Enebish Ganbat), Shogood (Scott Becker), Undrafted (Wesley Ward).

$500,000 JUDDMONTE SPINSTER (G1) (Entries taken Thursday, race Sunday) – Engaginglee (Dale Romans), Genre (Todd Pletcher), I’m a Chatterbox (Larry Jones), Innovative Idea (Eoin Harty), Paid Up Subscriber (Al Stall Jr.).

$250,000 DIXIANA BOURBON (G3) (Entries taken Thursday, race Sunday) – All Right (Kellyn Gorder), Ancient Warfare (Mark Casse), Con Te Partiro (Wesley Ward), Holiday Bonus (Graham Motion), Hot Dad (Mike Maker), It’s Your Nickel (Kenny McPeek), Keep Quiet (FR) (Mark Casse), Parlor (Eddie Kenneally), Prados Way (Steve Asmussen), Real Creel (Steve Asmussen), Royal by Nature (IRE) (Brad Cox), Wellabled (Larry Rivelli).

FALL STARS WEEKEND SPECIAL EVENTS

Friday, Oct. 7 – Opening day of the Fall Meet

Official Keeneland Tour. Available Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays in October at 8:30 a.m. ET. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets ($8 per person; 12 and younger free).

The Hill. The popular free tailgate area, available Fridays and Saturdays, is located adjacent to the Keene Barn & Entertainment Center (accessible via Gate 4) and features food trucks, a jumbo TV screen to capture all the racing and college football action, wagering facilities, The Keeneland Shop kiosk and complimentary shuttles to the track. On Saturdays, fans can enjoy live Bluegrass music from noon-4 p.m. BETologists also will be available to answer fans’ questions.

Craft Beer Tent. The tent on the North Terrace patio offers a special selection that includes Keeneland Fall Ale, produced by Country Boy, along with Ethereal Brewing Common Ale, SweetWater 420, Kentucky Ale College Heights, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, New Belgium Fat Tire, Stella, Country Boy Cougar Bait, Shock Bait and Breckenridge Vanilla Porter Nitro.

Friday Pick 4 Presented by TVG. A $200,000-guaranteed pool will be offered on Races 6-9.

Saturday, Oct. 8

Sunrise Trackside, sponsored by LEX18 and Dunkin’ Donuts, offers activities for people of all ages beginning at 7 a.m. ET: Breakfast With the Works, a Southern-style breakfast (until 8:30 a.m.) while horses train on the main track; children’s activities in the Kids Club Corner (7-9 a.m.); guided walking tours departing from the welcome stand near the Paddock (8-10:30 a.m.); demonstration by the Maker’s Mark Secretariat Center in the Paddock (9 a.m.); trackside handicapping seminar with expert handicapper Katie Gensler (11:30 a.m.); and Q&A session with a jockey in the Walking Ring (12:05 p.m.).

The Hill. The popular free tailgate area, available Fridays and Saturdays, is located adjacent to the Keene Barn & Entertainment Center (accessible via Gate 4) and features food trucks, a jumbo TV screen to capture all the racing and college football action, wagering facilities, The Keeneland Shop kiosk and complimentary shuttles to the track. On Saturdays, fans can enjoy live Bluegrass music from noon-4 p.m. BETologists also will be available to answer fans’ questions.

Craft Beer Tent. The tent on the North Terrace patio offers a special selection that includes Keeneland Fall Ale, produced by Country Boy, along with Ethereal Brewing Common Ale, SweetWater 420, Kentucky Ale College Heights, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, New Belgium Fat Tire, Stella Artois, Country Boy Cougar Bait, Shock Bait and Breckenridge Vanilla Porter Nitro.

$250,000 All Stakes Pick 4 presented by TVG challenges patrons to handicap the Thoroughbred Club of America (G2), First Lady (G1), Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (G1) and Shadwell Turf Mile (G1). 

Sunday, Oct. 9

Jockey Autograph Signing. Meet retired and active jockeys from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. adjacent to the Paddock for an autograph signing. Racing Hall of Famer Pat Day and Triple Crown winner Jean Cruguet will be joined by Kaye Bell, James Bruin, Kaoru Chatfield-Tsuchiya, P.J. Cooksey, Tony D’Amico, Mike Manganello, Herb McCauley, Larry Melancon, John Oldham and Suzie Picou-Oldham. Proceeds benefit the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund.

Source: Keeneland