Keeneland handle falls after rescheduled opening-weekend stakes
Keeneland concluded its 2025 spring meet on Friday following 15 days of spectacular Thoroughbred racing that produced total wagering of $192 million and featured a calendar of special events to benefit the community.
The spring meet was slated to begin April 4, but severe storms and flooding rainfall in the Bluegrass region forced Keeneland officials to take the unprecedented step of rescheduling the opening two days, resulting in the Ashland (G1) and the Blue Grass (G1) moving to April 7 and April 8, respectively.
“The success of this spring meet is a salute to the power of teamwork, and we are grateful to all who helped as we navigated the weather-related challenges of opening weekend,” Keeneland president and CEO Shannon Arvin said. “Moving our two biggest race days – opening Friday and Saturday – to Monday and Tuesday, when we typically don’t race, wasn’t easy, but it was the right decision to keep our horses and community safe. I am proud of the resiliency of our Keeneland team, and we offer a huge thanks for the support of our horsemen, sponsors and fans.”
All-sources wagering, not including whole-card simulcasting at Keeneland, for the 15-day spring meet of $192,676,486 was down 11.92% from last spring’s 16-day meet total of $218,741,501.
Spring meet handle was significantly impacted by the rescheduled opening because the Ashland and the Blue Grass race days are among the biggest of the year at Keeneland. All-sources wagering on Ashland day was $11,465,100 versus $18,174,298 in 2024, while wagering on Blue Grass Day was $20,330,175 versus $29,261,347 last year, a combined difference of $15.7 million.
On-track handle totaled $13,290,263, a decrease of 16.05% compared to $15,831,087 last year.