The Keeneland fall meet, which opens Friday Oct. 5, signals the official start of the fall season in the Bluegrass. The 17-day race meet runs through Saturday, Oct. 27 and is packed with stakes action and activities for everyone.
The meet boasts 17 stakes races and purses totaling $4.5 million. The Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile, which will run this Saturday and is part of the Fall Stars Weekend, will offer an increased purse of $750,000. That ties it with the $750,000 Grade 1 Toyota Bluegrass Stakes as the second richest race in the state outside of the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks.
The Shadwell Turf Mile is one of six Grade 1 stakes races Keeneland will run during its meet. The others being the Darley-Alcibiades for two-year-old fillies that will run on Friday; the Dixiana Breeders’ Futurity for two-year olds and the First Lady for fillies and mares three-years old and up, both of which will be run on Saturday, the Juddmonte Spinster for fillies and mares three-years old and up which will be run on Sunday, and the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup for three-year old fillies that will be run Oct. 13.
With 17 stakes races and nine of those being part of the Breeders’ Cup Win & You’re In Challenge series; you can expect the fall meet to attract some of the country’s best horses, trainers, jockeys and owners.