Keeneland offers up 16 stakes for spring meet

Evening Jewel parlayed a gutsy Ashland win into a nose second in the Kentucky Oaks (EquiSport Photos) Sixteen stakes worth $3.425 million, anchored by the Blue Grass S. (G1) and Ashland S. (G1), are scheduled for Keeneland’s 2011 spring race meet, the official start of the track’s 75th anniversary celebration. Keeneland will once again offer average daily purses of more than $600,000 for the 15-day meet, to be held April 8-29, ranking it as one of North America’s richest racing programs. Fifteen of the 16 stakes are graded, while half will be contested on the turf. At least one stakes race will be held on 11 of the 15 spring race days, which features racing Wednesday through Sunday except Easter Sunday, April 24. Headlining the meet will be four Grade 1 events — the Blue Grass and Ashland, premier preps for the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Kentucky Oaks (G1), respectively; the Madison S. (G1) for older fillies and mares at seven furlongs on the main track; and the Maker’s Mark Mile (G1) for older horses on the turf.

“The racing world converges on Keeneland in the spring because they know this is
where the best jockeys, trainers and horses will be, and they want to compete at
the highest level,” Director of Racing W.B. Rogers Beasley said.

Three-year-old fillies and colts with classic aspirations will be showcased in
the $400,000 Ashland at 1 1/16 miles on opening Saturday, April 9,
and the $750,000 Blue Grass at 1 1/8 miles on April 16.
Thirty-one fillies have used the Ashland as a springboard to victory in the
Oaks. Last year’s Ashland winner, Evening Jewel (Northern Afleet), narrowly missed the garland of
lilies, losing the Oaks by only a nose to eventual champion three-year-old filly Blind Luck
(Pollard’s Vision).

Blue Grass Day will feature a strong undercard highlighted by the $200,000 Jenny
Wiley (G2) for older fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on the turf; the
Commonwealth (G2) for three-year-olds and up at seven furlongs; and the
$100,000 Shakertown (G3) for three-year-olds and up going 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf. The
Commonwealth will carry a purse of $175,000, which reflects a loss of $75,000 in
Breeders’ Cup funding.

An additional Kentucky Derby prep, the $200,000 Lexington S. (G3), for
three-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles, will be run April 23, one week after the Blue Grass.
The Lexington was previously a Grade 2 stakes worth $300,000.

In another change this spring, the purse for the closing day Elkhorn S. (G2) has been lowered from $200,000 to
$150,000.

For the complete stakes schedule, please visit
keeneland.com.