Keeneland facts for kids
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| Location | Lexington, Kentucky, United States |
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| Coordinates | 38°2′44″N 84°36′38″W / 38.04556°N 84.61056°W |
| Owned by | Keeneland Association Inc. |
| Date opened | 1936 |
| Course type | Flat / Thoroughbred |
| Notable races | Ashland Stakes (G1) Turf Mile Stakes (G1) Breeders' Futurity Stakes (G1) Blue Grass Stakes (G2) |
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Keeneland
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A view of Keeneland's grandstand at dawn, taken from the last turn leading into the home stretch
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| Built | 1936 |
| NRHP reference No. | 86003487 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | September 4, 1986 |
| Designated NHL | September 4, 1986 |
Keeneland is a famous place in Lexington, Kentucky, all about horses! It has two main parts: the Keeneland Race Course, where exciting horse races happen, and Keeneland Sales, where horses are bought and sold. It also has a special library about horses.
In 2009, horse fans voted Keeneland the #1 racetrack in North America. It's even a special historic place, recognized as a National Historic Landmark since 1986.
Contents
The Story of Keeneland
Keeneland started in 1936 on 147 acres (0.59 km2) of land. It was created to be a non-profit place for horse racing and auctions. The money it makes from races and sales helps the horse industry grow. It also helps the local community around Lexington.
Keeneland Race Course has horse races every April and October. The Spring meeting in April lasts for 15 days. It's one of the biggest race events in North America. It includes the Blue Grass Stakes, a race that helps horses get ready for the famous Kentucky Derby. The Fall meeting in October lasts for 17 days. It features many important races, some of which are used to prepare for the Breeders' Cup.
Keeneland loves to keep old racing traditions alive. For a long time, it was the only track in North America that didn't announce races over a loudspeaker! They finally started doing that in 1997. Because of its old-fashioned feel, Keeneland was used to film parts of the movie Seabiscuit in 2003. It was also featured in the movies Dreamer (2005) and Secretariat (2010).
Even though it loves traditions, Keeneland has also added new things. In 1984, they built a special Winner's Circle for a visit from Queen Elizabeth II. They also created the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes race. In 1985, they added a grass track for some races. In 2006, they changed the main dirt track to a special surface called Polytrack. But in 2014, they changed it back to a dirt track.
In 2015, Keeneland hosted the Breeders' Cup for the first time. This is a very big horse racing event! The main race, the Breeders' Cup Classic, was won by American Pharoah. He was a Triple Crown winner and became the first horse to win the "Grand Slam" of horse racing. This means he won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes, and the Breeders' Cup Classic. Many people thought Keeneland was too small to host such a big event. But it was a huge success! Keeneland was chosen to host the Breeders' Cup again in 2020.
Buying and Selling Horses
Keeneland is the biggest place in the world for selling Thoroughbred horses at auction. They have three big sales every year:
- The September Yearling Sale (for horses one year old)
- The November Breeding Stock Sale (for horses used for breeding)
- The January Horses of All Ages Sale (for horses of any age)
Many famous horses have been sold at Keeneland. This includes 82 horses that won 88 Breeders' Cup races. Also, 19 Kentucky Derby winners, 21 Preakness winners, and 18 Belmont winners were sold here! Keeneland works hard to bring buyers from all over the world to its auctions.
Track Layout
The race track has two main parts:
- A dirt oval track that is 1+1⁄16 miles (1,700 m) long.
- A grass (turf) oval track that is seven and a half furlongs (0.875 miles (1,408 m)) long.
The grass track can be set up in two ways. One way has a temporary rail set 15 feet (4.6 m) out. The other way has no temporary rail.
Keeneland's Special Honor
Since 1968, Keeneland has given a special honor called the "Mark of Distinction." This honor celebrates people who have helped Keeneland and the Thoroughbred horse industry. People who receive this honor get a special button. This button has the colors of their racing or farm silks (the special colors worn by jockeys). Members of the Keeneland Club wear these buttons during the Spring and Fall race meetings.
Exciting Races at Keeneland
Keeneland has two main racing seasons: the Spring Meeting in April and the Fall Meeting in October. Many exciting stakes races are held here. Some of these races have changed names over the years.
- Grade I races
- Alcibiades Stakes
- Ashland Stakes
- Breeders' Futurity Stakes
- First Lady Stakes
- Jenny Wiley Stakes
- Madison Stakes
- Maker's 46 Mile Stakes
- Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes
- Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes
- Spinster Stakes
- Grade II races
- Appalachian Stakes
- Blue Grass Stakes
- Elkhorn Stakes
- Fayette Stakes
- Jessamine Stakes
- Marathon Stakes
- Phoenix Stakes
- Raven Run Stakes
- Shakertown Stakes
- Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes
- Woodford Stakes
- Grade III races
- Beaumont Stakes
- Ben Ali Stakes
- Bewitch Stakes
- Bourbon Stakes
- Franklin County Stakes
- Commonwealth Stakes
- Doubledogdare Stakes
- Dowager Stakes
- Lexington Stakes
- Sycamore Stakes
- Transylvania Stakes
- Valley View Stakes
- Non-graded stakes races
- Bryan Station Stakes
- Giant's Causeway Stakes
Images for kids
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A view of Keeneland's grandstand at dawn
