Keeneland's fall meet offers 22 stakes worth $10.7 million
Before Keeneland hosts the Breeders’ Cup for the fourth time, the track will celebrate its 90th birthday with a 17-day fall meet from Oct. 2 to 24, featuring 22 stakes worth $10.7 million.
The track, which was developed on property owned by John Oliver “Jack” Keene, opened Oct. 15, 1936, for nine days of racing that drew fanfare from Lexington and beyond.
During the fall meet, 12 stakes will be run on the turf and 10 stakes will be on the dirt. The Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund is contributing $2,575,000 to their purses, pending approval from the Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corp.
The fall meet will begin with the signature three-day Fall Stars weekend, featuring 11 stakes worth $6.35 million. Eight of those races are win-and-you’re-in events, part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series, which award the winners automatic starting positions and free entry to the Oct. 30-31 world championships at Keeneland.
Three win-and-you’re-in events will be run Friday, Oct. 2: the Grade 1 Alcibiades (Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies), the Phoenix (G2, Sprint) and the Jessamine (G2, Juvenile Fillies Turf).
Saturday, Oct. 3 features five stakes, including these win-and-you’re-in races: the Turf Mile (G1, Mile), the Breeders’ Futurity (G1, Juvenile) and the Thoroughbred Club of America (G2, Filly and Mare Sprint). The distance of the TCA has been increased from six furlongs to 6 1/2 furlongs.
Also being run on opening Saturday are the First Lady (G1) and the Woodford (G2).
Sunday of Fall Stars weekend has two win-and-you’re-in races: the Spinster (G1, Distaff) and the Bourbon (G2, Juvenile Turf). The day’s third stakes is the Indian Summer (G3), which has been upgraded from a listed race and offers a $50,000 purse increase.
Stakes action for the second weekend of the fall meet kicks off with the Sycamore (G2) on Friday, Oct. 9. The next day features the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1), an internationally recognized invitational for 3-year-old fillies racing 1 1/8 miles on the turf. The Franklin (G2) will be run Sunday, Oct. 11.
Third week stakes are the Raven Run (G2) and the Perryville (G3) on Saturday, Oct. 17, and the Dowager (G3) on Sunday, Oct. 18.
Stakes action the final week of the fall meet begins Friday, Oct. 23, with the Valley View (G2) and the listed Myrtlewood.
The three stakes on closing day on Saturday, Oct. 24, are the Bryan Station (G2) on the turf along with two races on the dirt, the Fayette (G2), which was upgraded from a Grade 3 race last year, and the Bowman Mill.
Keeneland fall meet stakes schedule, Oct. 2-24
| Date | Stakes | KTDF contribution** | Division | Distance |
| Oct. 2 | $650,000 Alcibiades (G1)* | $150,000 | 2YO fillies | 1 1/16 miles |
| Oct. 2 | $400,000 Phoenix (G2)* | $100,000 | 3YOs & up | 6 furlongs |
| Oct. 2 | $400,000 Jessamine (G2) | $100,000 | 2YO fillies | 1 1/16 miles (T) |
| Oct. 3 | $1.25 million Turf mile (G1)* | $250,000 | 3YOs & up | 1 mile (T) |
| Oct. 3 | $650,000 Breeders’ Futurity (G1)* | $150,000 | 2YOs | 1 1/16 miles |
| Oct. 3 | $800,000 First Lady (G1) | $150,000 | 3YOs & up, F&M | 1 mile (T) |
| Oct. 3 | $400,000 Thoroughbred Club of America (G2)* | $100,000 | 3YOs & up, F&M | 6 1/2 furlongs |
| Oct. 3 | $400,000 Woodford (G2) | $100,000 | 3YOs & up | 5 1/2 furlongs (T) |
| Oct. 4 | $650,000 Spinster (G1)* | $150,000 | 3YOs & up, F&M | 1 1/8 miles |
| Oct. 4 | $400,000 Bourbon (G2)* | $100,000 | 2YOs | 1 1/16 miles (T) |
| Oct. 4 | $350,000 Indian Summer (G3) | $100,000 | 2YOs | 5 1/2 furlongs (T) |
| Oct. 9 | $400,000 Sycamore (G2) | $100,000 | 3YOs & up | 1 1/2 miles (T) |
| Oct. 10 | $750,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) | $150,000 | 3YO fillies (invitation only) | 1 1/8 miles (T) |
| Oct. 11 | $400,000 Franklin (G2) | $100,000 | 3YOs & up, F&M | 5 1/2 furlongs (T) |
| Oct. 17 | $400,000 Raven Run (G2) | $100,000 | 3YO fillies | 7 furlongs |
| Oct. 17 | $350,000 Perryville (G3) | $100,000 | 3YOs | 7 furlongs |
| Oct. 18 | $350,000 Dowager (G3) | $100,000 | 3YOs & up, F&M | 1 1/2 miles (T) |
| Oct. 23 | $400,000 Valley View (G2) | $100,000 | 3YO fillies | 1 mile (T) |
| Oct. 23 | $300,000 Myrtlewood (L) | $100,000 | 2YO fillies | 6 furlongs |
| Oct. 24 | $400,000 Bryan Station (G2) | $100,000 | 3YOs | 1 mile (T) |
| Oct. 24 | $350,000 Fayette (G2) | $100,000 | 3YOs & up | 1 1/8 miles |
| Oct. 25 | $250,000 Bowman Mill | $75,000 | 2YOs | 6 furlongs |
*Breeders’ Cup Challenge stakes.
**Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund. All KTDF purse allotments are subject to approval of the Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation.