Keeneland's 2016 Spring Meet at a glance – The Courier-Journal
Dates: Starting Friday, April 8, regular racing days are Wednesday-Sunday with the meet set to close on Friday, April 29. The meet measures 16 days in all.
Post times: 1:05 p.m. except for Saturday, April 9, and Saturday, April 16 when first post is 12:35 p.m. Gates open at 11 a.m.
General admission: $5. Children 12 and under get in free.
Parking: Free, with shuttles available on the grounds.
Tailgating: The Hill, adjacent to the Keene Barn & Entertainment Center, will on Fridays and Saturdays feature food trucks, a TV screen, wagering terminals, programs, a shop and shuttles to the track.
Online: Keeneland.com; @keenelandracing on Twitter for real-time news, paddock picks and updates; Facebook.com/Keeneland; @keeneland on Instagram and Keenelandracing on Snapchat.
TV: TVG. Also, NBC Sports Network for Saturday’s Blue Grass Stakes.
Purses: Stakes total $4.225 million, led by the $1 million Toyota Blue Grass Stakes. Coolmore sponsorship bumped the Grade I Jenny Wiley to $350,000, and the Grade II Shakertown is now worth $200,000.
Special wagers: Each Friday, TVG presents a Pick 4 with a $200,000 guarantee for the final four races. With Keeneland’s 19 percent Pick 4 takeout, the track will also conduct what it has billed the Big Apple/Bluegrass Pick 4 Wager on Saturday, April 9. Races include the Bay Shore and Wood Memorial at Aqueduct and Madison and Blue Grass in Lexington. An all-stakes Pick 4 (Races 7-10) and Pick 5 (Races 6-10) feature $300,000 guarantees are set for Saturday as well.
2015 Spring Meet leaders: Ken and Sarah Ramsey (owners, 11 wins); Todd Pletcher (trainer, 10 wins) and Javier Castellano (jockey, 21 wins).
Scholarship day: Admission is free Friday, April 8, with student ID. Registration is open at the North Terrace for 10 separate $1,000 scholarships. A $10,000 scholarship from connections of champion horse Runhappy will be given away before Race 8.
Other events: Sunrise Trackside returns at 7 a.m. on Saturdays with breakfast available and live commentary as horses train on the main track. … Jockeys will sign autographs from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Sunday, April 10, adjacent to the paddock. … The Maker’s Mark commemorative bottle signing is set for Friday, April 15 to benefit the University of Kentucky. … Emerson Drive and Sundy Best will play a free concert at The Hill after the final race on Friday, April 29.
KEENELAND SPRING STAKES SCHEDULE
April 8
Grade III, $100,000 Transylvania (3yo, 1 1/16m on turf)
April 9
Grade I, $1 million Toyota Blue Grass (3yo, 1 1/8m)
Grade I, $500,000 Central Bank Ashland (3yo, f, 1 1/16m)
Grade I, $300,000 Madison (4yo and up, f&m, 7f)
Grade II, $200,000 Shakertown (3yo and up, 5 1/2f on turf)
Grade III, $250,000 Commonwealth (4yo and up, 7f)
April 14
Grade III, $125,000 Appalachian (3yo, f, 1m on turf)
April 15
Grade I, $300,000 Maker’s 46 Mile (4yo and up, 1m on turf)
April 16
Grade I, $350,000 Coolmore Jenny Wiley (4yo and up, f&m, 1 1/16m on turf)
Grade III, $200,000 Ben Ali (4yo and up, 1 1/8m)
Grade III, $150,000 Lexington (3yo, 1 1/16m)
$100,000 Giant’s Causeway (4yo and up, f&m, 5 1/2f on turf)
April 17
Grade III, $150,000 Adena Springs Beaumont (3yo, f, 7f and 184 feet)
April 22
Grade III, $100,000 Hilliard Lyons Doubledogdare (4yo, f&m, 1 1/16m)
April 23
Grade II, $250,000 Dixiana Elkhorn (4yo and up, 1 1/2m on turf)
April 29
Grade III, $150,000 Bewitch (4yo and up, f&m, 1 1/2m on turf)
