Shannon Arvin | Horse Racing Free Tips

Record Stakes Schedule for Keeneland Fall Meet

Keeneland, which is celebrating its 85th anniversary this year, will offer a record $6-million in stakes purses and expanded 22-race stakes schedule at its upcoming fall meet. The meet, which covers 17 days of racing from Oct. 8-30, will open with the signature Fall Stars Weekend, feature 10 Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” races, offer two new $150,000 stakes for 2-year-olds and reposition several stakes to create a total of six race cards with multiple stakes.

“The Keeneland Fall Meet is incredibly important, and 85 years of racing at Keeneland is a testament to the uncommon vision of our founders, who tirelessly worked to create an entity that would take a leadership role in the global Thoroughbred industry and in the Central Kentucky community,” Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said. “This summer, as we look forward to welcoming back fans and the superstars who will compete here, we feel the anticipation building for the Fall Meet and we look forward to celebrating the anniversary.”

All existing stakes for the 2021 Fall Meet have been restored to 2019 purse levels except for the GIII Rood & Riddle Dowager S., which received a boost from $125,000 to $150,000, and the GI Keeneland Turf Mile and GII Bourbon S., which remain at 2020 levels of $750,000 and $200,000, respectively.

“After thoughtful review by our racing team and input from horsemen, we made adjustments to our fall stakes program that will further elevate the quality of racing throughout the meet,” Keeneland Vice President of Racing Gatewood Bell said. “We feel the lucrative purse money and expanded racing opportunities, including two new stakes for 2-year-olds, now in place will broaden Keeneland's appeal to horsemen and fans alike.”

During Fall Stars Weekend, nine stakes are included in the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series Presented by America's Best Racing. Each winner receives an automatic starting position and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Nov. 5-6 World Championships at Del Mar:

$400,000 GI Darley Alcibiades (GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies) and $250,000 GII Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix (GI Sprint) Friday, Oct. 8;
$750,000 GI Keeneland Turf Mile (GI FanDuel Mile), $500,000 GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (GI TVG Juvenile), $400,000 GI First Lady Presented by UK HealthCare (GI Maker's Mark F/M Turf) and $250,000 GII Thoroughbred Club of America (GI F/M Sprint) Saturday, Oct. 9; and
$500,000 GI Juddmonte Spinster (GI Distaff), $200,000 GII Bourbon (GI Juvenile Turf) and $200,000 listed Indian Summer (GII Juvenile Turf Sprint) Sunday, Oct. 10.

The fifth stakes on Fall Stars Saturday, Oct. 9, is the $200,000 GII Woodford S. Presented by TVG.

On Wednesday, Oct. 13, Keeneland will present its 10th Breeders' Cup Challenge race, the $200,000 GII JPMorgan Chase Jessamine S. (GI Juvenile Fillies Turf).

The Fall Meet's sixth Grade I stakes is the $500,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Presented by Dixiana, an invitational turf race for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles, to be run Saturday, Oct. 16.

For the season, Keeneland has shifted the dates of several stakes. The first is the $150,000 GIII Sycamore S., a 1 1/2-mile turf event for 3-year-olds and up, which has been moved from Thursday to Friday, Oct. 22.

To enhance the final days of the Fall Meet, Keeneland has introduced two new $150,000 juvenile stakes, the Myrtlewood S. and Bowman Mill S.; revived the Perryville S. and Bryan Station S., both fixtures for 3-year-olds, and scheduled the GIII Valley View S. and GII Hagyard Fayette S. to create multiple stakes cards:

Joining the $250,000 GII Lexus Raven Run S. Saturday, Oct 23 is the $150,000 Perryville, a 7-furlong race for 3-year-olds.

The $150,000 Valley View S.will be run Friday, Oct. 29 alongside the new $150,000 Myrtlewood for 2-year-old fillies at 6 furlongs.

The $200,000 Hagyard Fayette, for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles, resumes its traditional role as the Fall Meet's closing-day feature. Joining the Hagyard Fayette Saturday, Oct. 30 are the $150,000 Bryan Station for 3-year-olds at one mile on the turf and the new $150,000 Bowman Mill for 2-year-olds at six furlongs.

The post Record Stakes Schedule for Keeneland Fall Meet appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Keeneland Celebrates Summer With Breakfast At The Track

Keeneland today announced a number of activities to be hosted at the iconic race track this summer, led by Breakfast at the Track, a new Keeneland Crafted event for the public to be held Saturday, June 19 and Saturday, July 10 from 8-10:30 a.m. ET.

An outdoor event, Breakfast at the Track will allow guests to experience the beauty of Thoroughbreds working over Keeneland's main track while enjoying an array of unique breakfast offerings created by Keeneland Hospitality, highlighted by Buckles Mini Carrot Cake Jacks and a Doughnut Hole Bar for children, as well as a Breakfast Burrito, Everything Bagel Sandwich and more. This family-friendly outing also features pony rides for kids, Paddock Demonstrations from equine partners and interactive equine-themed experiences for all ages.

Tickets for both the June and July Breakfast at the Track events go on sale today at tickets.Keeneland.com. Tickets are $20 for adults and $12 for children and include admission and unlimited breakfast options. Tickets must be purchased in advance of the event.

“Keeneland is excited to open our gates and welcome the community back to the track,” Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said. “This will be a fantastic summer as we reconnect with family, friends and those special places in our lives. Breakfast at the Track is a fitting way for Keeneland to show its appreciation for our fans and to thank them for their continued support and enthusiasm, particularly during this past year.”

In addition to Breakfast at the Track, the Keeneland Crafted event lineup includes a Belt Making Workshop presented by Keeneland Mercantile to be held Wednesday, June 30 from 6:30-8 p.m.

Guests will enjoy hors d'oeuvres and bourbon cocktails while artisans from Kentucky's fine leather craftsmen Clayton & Crume explain the techniques of creating authentic handmade leather belts – from cutting the strap to beveling, burnishing edges and securing solid brass hardware. Each guest will receive a handcrafted leather belt.

Tickets are $108 per person and go on sale Friday, June 4 at 10 a.m. at keenelandmercantile.com.

A National Historic Landmark, Keeneland is open to the public with a number of ways for visitors to enjoy the track's timeless beauty any day this summer.

Fans can watch horses train over the main track every morning from 6-10 a.m. or take a self-guided walking tour of the grounds (maps and information may be found here).

Keeneland also conducts daily official guided walking tours of the Grandstand, Paddock and Stable Area during which visitors can learn about the history of Keeneland, get a trackside view of morning workouts and soak in the sights and sounds of the sport. More information on tours and ticketing is available at keeneland.com/tours. Guests are encouraged to book tours in advance as tickets sell out quickly.

Other aspects of Keeneland that are again open to the public:

· The Keeneland Shop – Browse the exclusive line of Keeneland-branded merchandise, equine gifts, home goods, bar ware and luxury apparel. The Keeneland Shop is located near the track's South Gate entrance. Store hours are Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m; closed Sundays.

· Track Kitchen – Situated among the barns in Keeneland's stable area, the Track Kitchen has been featured in Southern Living magazine as one of the best places in Kentucky to have breakfast. You don't have to be a horseman to enjoy the home-style favorites, including plate lunches, sandwiches, soups and salads. Hours are Monday-Friday, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 6-11 a.m. Dine in or carry out available.

· Keeneland Library – Established in 1938, the Keeneland Library is a public research/reference library that is one of the world's largest repositories of information related to the Thoroughbred. Visitors can trace Keeneland's history by examining the Library's scrapbooks, browse displays of racing artifacts and collectibles and view a portion of Keeneland's equine art collection. Hours are Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The safety of Keeneland's guests, horsemen and employees remains the top priority. Keeneland follows the health and safety guidance of the CDC and state and local health officials to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Increased sanitation measures continue to be deployed across the grounds. Capacities for some events are reduced to allow social distancing and masks are required for those not fully vaccinated while indoors.

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Exaggerator Colt Tops Keeneland April Horses of Racing Age Sale

Crew Dragon (Exaggerator), a stakes-placed 3-year-old (hip 50) topped the Keeneland April Horses of Racing Age Sale Monday in Lexington when selling for $310,000 to the bid of bloodstock agent David Ingordo. The colt, consigned by Lane's End, was one of 37 horses to sell during the auction for a gross of $2,440,000. The average was $65,946 and the median was $45,000. Ten horses reached six figures during the auction.

“We are very happy with the results,” said Keeneland's Director of Sales Operations Geoffrey Russell. “We started the sale as part of the 2019 2-year-olds in training sale and it started out on a very good note. We sold two very nice horses out of it. Unfortunately, COVID came last year and debunked us. We are now trying to get it back up and started again and give an opportunity to people who raced here during the spring to come back and sell some of the horses as they go on to different parts of the country for the rest of the year. I think it's a good start back and hopefully it will continue.”

Keeneland offered sellers the opportunity to have their horses on-site or to offer their horses through the digital sales ring without having to ship to Lexington. While only two horses were offered virtually, Russell said he thinks the option will grow in popularity.

“Our goal was to try to expand the sale,” Russell said. “We want the buyers to be able to keep the dates at the racetrack, we don't want them to lose those dates or take the papers out of racing offices or bring horses from California to Lexington and then send them back. As the market goes on, I think people will be more comfortable doing that and we should see it more often.”

The April catalogue was completely online and provided buyers with the most up-to-date information available.

“We were excited to start the digital catalogue,” said Keeneland president and CEO Shannon Arvin. “That let us be much more flexible and let entries come later than we would typically see if we had a paper catalogue. We were able to provide a lot more information to buyers that you can't do with a paper catalogue.”

Of the 37 horses who sold Monday, 13 were purchased via internet bids for a total of $415,000.

Ingordo purchased Higher Power (Medaglia d'Oro) for $250,000 at the 2019 April Horses of Racing Age sale and the bay went on to win that year's GI Pacific Classic for regular clients Hronis Racing and trainer John Sadler. Ingordo made Monday's highest bid when going to $310,000 to secure Crew Dragon on behalf of what he called his “usual suspects in California.”

Crew Dragon was purchased by Kinsman Stable for $110,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. A maiden winner at Gulfstream in January, the chestnut was second in the Mar. 6 Columbia S. at Tampa Bay Downs and was most recently third in a Keeneland allowance Apr. 23.

“Keeneland did a great job putting this sale together,” Ingordo said. “The timing of it is good–right before the summer meets. I have been impressed with the trade and the quality of horses. The way they put the catalog together quickly was impressive. I hope they continue to build on this.”

California owners Holly and David Wilson purchased three lots at the April sale, going to $140,000 to acquire Tampa maiden winner The Right Stuff (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) (hip 32), who was consigned by Eaton Sales on behalf of Stonestreet Stables; and to $120,000 to obtain Secret Potion (Into Mischief) (hip 20), who has made five starts for the partnership of Peter Brant, Robert LaPenta and Woodford Racing, from the Lane's End consignment. The Wilsons also purchased Sam Houston maiden winner Holland (Into Mischief) (hip 61) from WinStar Racing.

The Wilsons purchased four horses at last week's OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, but David Wilson said he has been able to find value at the horses of racing age sales.

“I've owned Thoroughbreds for 25 years,” Wilson said. “I have had the most success buying horses who are lightly raced and somebody has said, 'I've got 20 of these, let's cull the bottom 10%.' And that works for me. I have a lot less exposure that way. I just spent $1 million last week at the OBS sale on four horses and one of them might not even make it to the races. But these three already have. That's my theory.”

Of the latest trio to join his racing stable, Wilson said, “I got a couple of really nice horses and a cheap one, I got an Into Mischief for kind of cheap. So I am excited. They were in the low-to-average range that I had estimated for the three horses. They weren't bargains, but they weren't at the top of the list either. I had two or three others picked out, but they went way over what I was thinking.”

The Wilsons campaigned 2000 GI Hollywood Gold Cup winner Early Pioneer (Rahy), who had been a $62,500 claim. The couple races mostly in California and Wilson agreed Del Mar's Ship and Win bonus did provide some incentive to buy at the April sale.

“We are hoping that they are capable of shipping and winning [at Del Mar],” Wilson said. “So yes. That has some factor in buying there.”

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$310,000 Crew Dragon Tops Keeneland April Horses Of Racing Age Sale

D.M.I. paid $310,000 for Crew Dragon, a 3-year-old stakes-placed, winning colt by Exaggerator, to record the highest price of today's Keeneland April Horses of Racing Age Sale.

Lane's End, agent, consigned Crew Dragon, who is out of the Malibu Moon mare Go Go Dana.

For the one-day sale, 37 horses grossed $2.44 million, for an average of $65,946 and a median of $45,000. Thirteen of those horses sold on the internet for a total of $415,000.

“We are happy with how well the sale was received,” Keeneland director of sales operations Geoffrey Russell said. “We wanted to give people who raced here an opportunity to sell some of their horses before they go to other parts of the country.”

The April Sale featured an enhanced digital catalog on Keeneland.com that included pedigrees, Equibase past performances and race videos, Daily Racing Form past performances, and Ragozin and Thoro-Graph figures. Consignors were able to upload photographs and walking videos.

“The digital catalog allowed us to be more flexible and accept entries later than we typically can with a paper catalog,” Keeneland president and CEO Shannon Arvin said. “We are able to provide a lot more updated information that you cannot do with a paper catalog.”

Bloodstock agent David Ingordo signed the ticket for Crew Dragon on behalf of clients in California. D.M.I. led all buyers with the purchase.

“Keeneland did a great job putting this sale together,” Ingordo said. “The timing of it is good: right before the summer meets. I have been impressed with the trade and the quality of horses. The way they put the catalog together quickly was impressive. I hope they continue to build on this.

“(Keeneland) did a really good job of providing credible videos and information for potential buyers to see remotely,” Ingordo added. “If there is a good thing that came out of COVID for the horse business, it is the speed of producing quality videos. We weren't doing that before. I had to do amateurish videos with my phone and (now) the videos are professional. Most of my clients (did not attend the sale because they) are training horses or running businesses. They appreciate that videos are provided.”

The sale's leading consignor was ELiTE, agent, which sold eight horses for $803,000. Topping ELiTE's consignment were the second- and third-highest priced offerings, Brooke Marie at $210,000 and Secret Time (GER) at $170,000.

Castleton Lyons acquired Brooke Marie, a 5-year-old daughter of Lemon Drop Kid who won a Keeneland allowance race on April 17. She is out of the Giant's Causeway mare Mamasez and from the family of Grade 1 winner Marylebone and Grade 2 winner Alpha Kitten. Brooke Marie has three wins in 11 starts with earnings of $180,430.

Secret Time, a 4-year-old daughter of Camacho who was Group 3-placed in France, sold to Thorne-Spedale Family, John Fahey, agent. Secret Time is out of Song of Time, by Kheleyf.

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