A Tradition of Top Quality Horse Racing in Kentucky!

Keeneland racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racecourse and sales complex in Lexington, Kentucky.

Keeneland racecourse has two tracks that feature thoroughbred racing. The first is a 1 1/16 th mile Polytrack oval and the other is 7½ furlong turf oval. The Polytrack surface at Keeneland racecourse was installed between the 2006 April and October meetings.

Keeneland racecourse holds two short race meetings a year. The spring meet is usually held in April and contains several preparatory races for the Kentucky Derby. The most notable of these events is the Blue Grass Stakes. The fall meet is usually held in October and contains several preparatory races for the Breeders Cup World Thoroughbred Championships.

Among the major stakes events held at Keeneland racecourse are:

• Turf Mile Stakes
• Ashland Stakes
• Appalachian Stakes
• Buffalo Trace Franklin County
• Central Bank Transylvania Stakes (Gr. 3)
• Clark County Stakes
• Commonwealth Breeders' Cup Stakes (Gr. 2)
• Darley Alcibiades Stakes (Gr. 1)
• Stravinsky Stakes
• Fayette Stakes (Gr. 3)
• First Lady Stakes (Gr. II)
• Forerunner Stakes
• Jessamine County Stakes
• Lafayette Stakes (Gr. 3)
• Palisades Stakes

Among the famous horses that have run at Keeneland racecourse are the following:

• Johnstown
• Whirlaway
• Northern Dancer
• Forego
• Alydar
• Spectacular Bid
• Alysheba

Keeneland Racecourse History

• In 1935, Keeneland was founded in 1935 as a nonprofit racing/auction entity on 147 acres of farmland west of Lexington, which had been owned by Jack Keene.

• In 1936, live horse racing started at Keeneland racecourse.

• In October 1984, Queen Elizabeth II attended racing at Keeneland racecourse to witness the inaugural Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup.

• In 1985, a turf track was added at Keeneland racecourse.

• In 1997, Keeneland racecourse broadcasted race calls over the public address system, becoming the last North American Racecourse to do so.

• In 2002, many scenes for the movie 'Seabiscuit' were filmed at Keeneland racecourse.

• In 2006, the Polytrack surface replaced the original dirt track at Keeneland racecourse.

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