All-time total and average daily attendance records were set during
Keeneland’s 2006 spring meet, which ended Friday.
Attendance for the 15-day meet totaled 244,145, surpassing the previous
record of 235,220 set during last year’s 16-day spring meet. The average daily
attendance came to 16,276, while the previous record average of 15,522 came
during the 2004 15-day spring meet.
The total attendance included a single-day attendance record for a Friday of
23,882 set on April 14. The previous single-day Friday attendance record came on
April 9, 2004. Only twice during this meet did attendance fall below
10,000.
The final day of the meet decided top trainer and jockey honors.
Nick Zito captured his fifth Keeneland training title with 12 wins.
Among those were victories in the Commonwealth Breeders’ Cup S. (G2), courtesy
of Sun King (Charismatic), and the Ben Ali S. (G3), won by Wanderin Boy (Seeking
the Gold) on the penultimate day of the meet. Todd Pletcher was second in the
trainers’ race with 11 wins.
Apprentice Julien Leparoux and Rafael Bejarano tied for leading jockey honors
with 17 wins apiece. In the process, Leparoux became the first apprentice jockey
to win a riding title at Keeneland. Earlie Fires, who won the Keeneland
riding title in 1966, began the meet as an apprentice but had lost that status
before it ended. Bejarano adds this title to ones from the 2004 and 2005
Keeneland fall meets. Shaun Bridgmohan came in second by riding 15 winners.
Ken and Sarah Ramsey were honored as the meet’s leading owners with six wins,
while Overbrook Farm was second with five victories.