The Keeneland Fall Meet concluded Saturday with a slight increase in
attendance and a slight decrease in on-track wagering and all sources handle.
Attendance for the 17-day meet totaled 232,429, up 2.1 percent compared to
last year’s 227,620. The daily average attendance was 13,672 compared to 13,389
in 2004.
On-track handle, including imported simulcasts, totaled $26,712,317, down 2.5
percent from $27,397,956 a year ago. Wagering on races at Keeneland was
actually up, while wagering on incoming simulcasts was down from 2004.
All sources handle, including incoming simulcasts at Keeneland, totaled
$124,922,163, down 0.7 percent compared to $125,776,943 last year. The daily
average handle from all sources was $7,348,363 compared to $7,398,644 last fall.
The historic Lexington, Kentucky, track withheld its signal from more than 10
sites — the majority of them offshore. And, for the first time, betting from
Canada was commingled into Keeneland’s wagering pools.
Keeneland distributed $10,428,070 in purse money for a per-day average of
$613,416. The meet featured an average of 9.14 starters per race compared to
8.97 a year ago.
Rafael Bejarano, who skipped the final day of the meet to ride in the
Breeders’ Cup at Belmont Park, rode 30 winners to lead the jockey standings and
earn his second consecutive fall title. Bejarano won four stakes races,
including the Shadwell Turf Mile S. (G1) with HOST (Chi) (Hussonet) and the
Queen Elizabeth II Invitational Challenge Cup S. (G1) with SWEET TALKER (Stormin Fever).
Robby Albarado finished second with 16 victories followed by Shaun Bridgmohan
with 14, and James Graham and John McKee both won eight to finish tied for third.
Nick Zito captured the training crown with nine wins, one more than Steve
Asmussen. Zito and Asmussen tied for the title last fall. Neil Howard and Bob
Holthus finished in a dead-heat for third with six wins apiece.
William Farish and partners won five races, including two stakes, to finish
as the leading owner in races won.