Tag: Keeneland

Before the Breeders' Cup Dirt Dozen program was announced, Obligatory (5) captured the first race of the new incentive-based program: the Derby City Distaff. (Image: Coady Photography)

Breeders’ Cup Digs In, Creates Dirt Dozen Incentive Program

Further trying to incentivize participation in its dirt races, the Breeders’ Cup announced a participation bonus for connections of dirt horses – the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Dozen. The 12-race program encompasses existing graded stakes races scheduled from now through October at six US tracks. The Dirt Dozen awards bonuses for […]

The Breeders' Cup Challenge Series offers 82 races in 11 countries. Each race presents the winner a spot in one of 14 races at the Nov. 4-5 Breeders' Cup World Championships at Keenelland. (Image: Breeders' Cup)

Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series Brings New Twist to US Races

The Breeders’ Cup announced its 2022 list of Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series races, known as the “Win and You’re In” events. The premise is simple: win one of these 82 races in 11 countries and you have a starting spot in one of the 14 Breeders’ Cup races. That brings […]

Champion 3-Year-Old Malathaat and John Velazquez made her 2022 debut with this resounding victory in the Grade 3 Doubledogdare at Keeneland. That was one of the highlights of a record Spring Meet at Keeneland. (Image: Keeneland/Coady Photography)

Keeneland Brings Home Record Spring Meet Handle Across the Board

Keeneland enjoyed its third consecutive year of record Spring Meet handle, bringing in an all-sources handle of $219,284,979 for its just-concluded Spring Meet. That handle was the largest total in the Kentucky track’s history. The more than $219 million from the 15-day meet that ended Friday represented a 33.16% increase […]

Coming out of her victory in the Giant's Causeway Stakes earlier this month, Wesley Ward's Campanelle is one of the top American horses set to invade Royal Ascot in June. (Image: Keeneland/Coady Photography)

Ward’s Decorated Duo Lead an American Invasion of Royal Ascot

Wesley Ward’s decorated duo of Golden Pal and Campanelle headline a 16-horse American contingent of nominees for this year’s Royal Ascot Group 1 races. A customary presence at the mid-June meet, Ward is one of four American trainers nominating horses to one of the eight Group 1 races. Graham Motion, […]

Champion Mighty Heart's last victory came in November's Grade 2 Autumn Stakes at Woodbine. The two-Time Canadian Horse of the Year opens his 5-year-old season Saturday in the Grade 3 Ben Ali at Keeneland. (Image: Woodbine/Michael Burns Photo)

Canadian Champion Mighty Heart Back for More at Keeneland

Saturday’s Grade 3 Ben Ali at Keeneland will feature a champion horse who didn’t show up at February’s Eclipse Awards. Instead, Mighty Heart showed up once again at last week’s Sovereign Awards in Canada. Did he ever. The popular one-eyed horse carted off his second consecutive Sovereign for Horse of […]

Slow Down Andy (4), seen here beating Bye Bye Bobby to win March's Grade 3 Sunland Park Derby, bowed out of the May 7 Kentucky Derby after spiking a fever. (Image: Coady Photography)

Due to Untimely Fever, Slow Down Andy Stops Short of Kentucky Derby

Slow Down Andy, trainer Doug O’Neill’s top Kentucky Derby prospect, spiked a fever in his Keeneland stall and will miss the Derby, O’Neill confirmed to OG News. “Andy got a cold, he’ll be fine, just won’t be ready for the Derby,” O’Neill said via text to OG News. A two-time […]

Campanelle works out before her 4-year-old debut awaits in Saturday's Giant's Causeway Stakes at Keeneland. That is the opening leg to this week's Cross Country Pick 5. (Image: Coady Photography)

Salty Kentucky Derby Prep, Ascot Winner Head Cross Country Pick 5

The last stop on the 2022 Kentucky Derby trail and a Royal Ascot winner making her season debut headline this week’s New York Racing Association Cross Country Pick 5 wager. This week’s Cross Country Pick 5 features races from Keeneland and Aqueduct. Two of the five races are stakes events. That […]

Smooth Like Strait won the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile for his only 2021 victory. He is the favorite for Friday's Grade 1 Maker's Mark Mile at Keeneland. (Image: Benoit Photo)

Smooth Like Strait Makes His Way East for Maker’s Mark Mile

Smooth Like Strait ventured outside his California barn once last year: for the Grade 1 Turf Classic on the Kentucky Derby undercard. He ventures forth again for Friday’s Grade 1 Maker’s Mark Mile at Keeneland, the featured race on that track’s Good Friday card. And according to his trainer, Mike […]

Golden Pal and Irad Ortiz Jr. won their sixth race in seven starts Saturday, blowing away the Grade 2 Shakertown by nearly five lengths. The two-time Breeders' Cup champion will run next at Royal Ascot in June. (Image: Keeneland/Coady)

Golden Pal Blazes His Way Past Rivals, Will Return to Royal Ascot

Golden Pal first broke into the public conscience nearly two years ago when he finished second in the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes at a near-empty Royal Ascot. You could be forgiven for not noticing, considering not even Queen Elizabeth II made a Royal Ascot appearance. You’ll probably notice when Golden […]

Nest and Irad Ortiz Jr. enjoyed an 8 1/4-length romp in Saturday's Grade 1 Ashland Oaks at Keeneland. The 3-year-old will attempt to give Todd Pletcher his second consecutive Kentucky Oaks victory and fifth overall. (Image: Keeneland/Coady Photography)

Colt Mo Donegal, Filly Nest Give Pletcher 1-2 Derby/Oaks Punch

As training days go, Todd Pletcher would take a lot more weekends like this. Days where he puts out a potential Kentucky Derby winner and a potential Kentucky Oaks winner. The Hall of Fame trainer’s Derby contender? Mo Donegal, who provided Pletcher with his record-tying seventh Wood Memorial title and […]

Smile Happy is the 9/5 favorite in a 12-horse Blue Grass Stakes field. He has two wins and a second in three races. (Image: Coady Photography)

Smile Happy, Zandon Set Themselves Apart in Blue Grass Stakes

Keeneland’s stop on the Kentucky Derby trail, the Blue Grass Stakes, headlines opening weekend at the Lexington, KY. track. But this edition of Saturday’s 1 1/8-mile Derby prep does so with a renewed prestige boost. Grade 1 status. The Blue Grass regained that status this year, putting it with the Santa Anita Derby, […]

Golden Pal, seen here winning his second Breeders' Cup title in as many years, is one of Wesley Ward's top hopes for a stakes title on Keeneland's opening weekend. (Image: Coolmore Stud)

Wesley Ward Rides Herd Over Another Strong Keeneland Crop

Keeneland’s 15-day Spring Meet begins on Friday, offering a loaded weekend featuring 10 stakes worth $4.55 million. But this being Keeneland in the spring, many eyes are focused on just one stable. That would be Wesley Ward’s, he of the three consecutive Keeneland Spring Meet training titles. Ward comes into […]

Malathaat (5) outdueled Pass the Champagne to win last year's Ashland. That key Kentucky Oaks prep moves to opening day on Keeneland's 2022 Spring Meet stakes schedule. (Image: Keeneland Photo)

Keeneland Lays Out Record $7.7 Million in Spring Meet Stakes Purses

Fueled by purse increases to two of its flagship 3-year-old races, Keeneland is putting a record $7.7 million in purses into the 19 stakes races on its just-announced 2022 Spring Meet card. The Lexington, Kentucky track announced increases to all stakes purses for the April 8-29 meet. Prominent among those […]

Gamine won her second-to-last race: the Grade 1 Ballerina Stakes at Saratoga. It was her ninth win in 11 career races and fifth Grade 1 triumph. She was retired Tuesday. (Image: Coglianese Photos/Susie Raisher)

Champion Sprinter Gamine Retired Mere Days Into Her 5-Year-Old Season

Gamine, the incomparable sprinter who is among the fastest runners this century, was retired Monday, according to a release from her owner, Pandora jewelry baron Michael Lund Petersen. Through a representative, Petersen announced the now-5-year-old mare will reside at Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm in Kentucky. With a 9-0-1 record and […]

Independence Hall (right), held off Code of Honor in the Keeneland slop to win Saturday's Grade 2 Fayette. This final stakes race of Keeneland's Fall Meet helped the track bring in a record handle. (Image: Coady Photography)

Bettors Give Keeneland an 85th Anniversary Gift: Record Meet Handle

Keeneland threw itself an 85th anniversary party and horseplayers responded with a wagering gift: a record $181 million in all-sources handle for its just-concluded Fall Meet. The 17-day Fall Meet, which ran from Oct. 8-30, brought an all-sources handle of $181,009,626. That destroyed the previous mark of $164,680,229, set during […]

Code of Honor breezed to victory in the Grade 3 Philip Iselin at Monmouth. Can he find the boad again in his final race: Saturday's Fayette Stakes at Keeneland? (Image: Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO)

Code of Honor Rides Into Retirement After Saturday’s Fayette Stakes

The Grade 2 Fayette Stakes brings a host of recognizable names to its Keeneland starting gate Saturday for the featured event on Keeneland’s Fall Meet final day. None more recognizable than the horse running his final career race: Code of Honor. The 5-year-old owns two Grade 1 wins: both as […]

This battle of geldings went to Two Emmys (back), who nipped Domestic Spending in the final Mr. D Stakes at Arlington Park. Two Emmys won't go off near his 27/1 price in Friday's Grade 3 Sycamore at Keeneland. (Image: Coady Photography)

After 27/1 Shocker, What Can Two Emmys Bring to the Keeneland Stage?

When Two Emmys won August’s Mr. D Stakes at Arlington Park at 27/1, Hugh Robertson was the trainer of record. When Two Emmys leaves the Keeneland starting gate for Friday’s Grade 3 Sycamore Stakes, where he’s the 3/1 morning-line favorite, Mac Robertson will be the trainer of record. What’s going […]

In May, Empress Josephine won the 1,000 Guineas at 14/1. She comes back a week after running another Grade 1 as the 3/1 favorite in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup. (Image: RacingFotos.com)

What Break? Empress Josephine Back, Searching for First US Grade 1

When it comes to his Irish-bred filly Empress Josephine, the concept of “load management” is a foreign one to Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien. It’s apparently also a foreign concept to Keeneland’s morning-line author, who made Empress Josephine the 3/1 favorite for Saturday’s Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup. This, […]