Keeneland will offer 19 stakes races worth $4.225 million during its 2006 Spring
Meet, which begins April 7 in Lexington, Kentucky. The 15-day meeting continues
through April 28 with no racing on Mondays, Tuesdays or Easter Sunday (April
16).
Two Grade 1 events that serve as stepping stones toward the spring classics
— the $750,000 Blue Grass S. on April 15 and the $500,000 Ashland S. on April 8
— highlight the stakes schedule. Many top three-year-olds have used the
nine-furlong Blue Grass as their final stop on the road to the Kentucky Derby
(G1). Similarly, many sophomore fillies have utilized the 8 1/2-furlong Ashland
as their final prep for the Kentucky Oaks (G1).
Another important Kentucky Derby prep, the 8 1/2-furlong, $325,000 Lexington
S. (G2) on April 22, will be decided just two weeks before the historic “Run for
the Roses” at Churchill Downs.
Two stakes races for fillies and mares — the $200,000 Madison S. on April 12
and the $200,000 Jenny Wiley S. on April 15 — have been elevated to Grade 2
status for 2006. The Madison will be run at seven furlongs on the main track
while the Jenny Wiley will be decided at 8 1/2 furlongs on the turf.
Other highlights include the $250,000 Beaumont S. (G2) for three-year-old
fillies at the Beard Course distance of seven furlongs and 184 feet on April 13;
the $250,000 Maker’s Mark Mile S. (G2) for four-year-olds and up at one mile on
the turf on April 14; and the $400,000 Commonwealth Breeders’ Cup S. (G2) for
three-year-olds and up at seven furlongs on April 15.
There will be at least one stakes race on each day of the meeting. Nine
stakes will be run over the main track, nine on the turf, and one — the
$150,000 Royal Chase for the Sport of Kings S. (NSA-G1) on April 21 — over
hurdles. Fourteen of the 19 stakes are graded races.
“We continually strive to offer our horsemen rich and varied racing
opportunities,” Keeneland Director of Racing Rogers Beasley said. “We hope by
doing so, we provide our patrons with the most competitive racing program
possible.”