Keeneland Concludes Spring Meet, Produces $192 Million in Total Wagering

[Wandering Eyes]

Keeneland concluded its 2025 Spring Meet on Friday following 15 days of racing that produced total wagering of $192 million. The Spring Meet was slated to begin Friday, Apr. 4, but severe storms and flooding rainfall forced Keeneland officials to take the unprecedented step of rescheduling the opening two days, resulting in the GI Central Bank Ashland and the GI Toyota Blue Grass moving to Monday, Apr. 7 and Tuesday, Apr. 8, respectively.

“The success of this Spring Meet is a salute to the power of teamwork, and we are grateful to all who helped as we navigated the weather-related challenges of opening weekend,” Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said. “Moving our two biggest race days–opening Friday and Saturday–to Monday and Tuesday, when we typically don't race, wasn't easy, but it was the right decision to keep our horses and community safe. I am proud of the resiliency of our Keeneland team, and we offer a huge thanks for the support of our horsemen, sponsors and fans.”

All-sources wagering (not including whole card simulcasting at Keeneland) for the 15-day Spring Meet of $192,676,486 was down 11.92% from last spring's 16-day meet total of $218,741,501.

During the Spring Meet, Keeneland offered a season-record $9.4 million for 19 stakes. Purses were increased for 16 of those stakes, led by the $250,000 boost to the $1.25-million Toyota Blue Grass and $150,000 increase to the $750,000 Central Bank Ashland. Average daily purses were a Keeneland record $1,327,434.

“The strong support of our horsemen is what makes Keeneland racing so special,” Keeneland Vice President of Racing Gatewood Bell said. “Owners, trainers and jockeys always bring their 'A' game to Keeneland. They love to test their skills and their horses against the best of the best, which creates a tremendous product for our fans and handicappers.”

Flavien Prat won five races during the final two days of the meet to push his total to 20 and secure his first Keeneland leading rider title. The race for leading trainer by Brad Cox, Wesley Ward and Brendan Walsh also went down to the wire, with Walsh and Cox each notching a win on closing day to share the title with 10 wins apiece. Brad Kelley's Calumet Farm won five races, including two stakes, to be the Spring Meet's leading owner.

The post Keeneland Concludes Spring Meet, Produces $192 Million in Total Wagering appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

View the full article