# Keeneland Marks 90 Years with $10.7M Fall Meet Stakes Schedule **Published:** 2026-06-17T16:14:45.000Z **Source:** [Keeneland](https://www.keeneland.com/media/news/keeneland-turns-90-fall-meet-stakes-schedule-worth-107-million) **AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) **Canonical:** https://feeds.lexingtonky.news/article/keeneland-marks-90-years-with-10-7m-fall-meet-stakes-schedule LEXINGTON, Ky. — Keeneland Race Course will celebrate its 90th anniversary this fall with a 17-day meet running Oct. 2-24 that features 22 stakes races worth $10.7 million, [the track announced](https://www.keeneland.com/media/news/keeneland-turns-90-fall-meet-stakes-schedule-worth-107-million). The race schedule precedes the Breeders' Cup World Championships on Oct. 30-31, the fourth time Keeneland has hosted the prestigious event. Keeneland opened on Oct. 15, 1936, with an opening day attendance of approximately 8,000. A group of horsemen led by Hal Price Headley and Maj. Louie A. Beard purchased 147½ acres of Jack Keene's Keeneland Stud in August 1935 to transform the property into a race track. The Fall Stars Weekend, Oct. 2-4, opens the meet with 11 stakes worth $6.35 million. Eight of those races are Breeders' Cup Challenge Series "Win and You're In" events, offering winners automatic starting positions and free entry to the world championships. The marquee race Friday, Oct. 2 is the $650,000 Darley Alcibiades (G1), a race for juvenile fillies. Second weekend highlights include the $750,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) Presented by Dixiana on Oct. 10, an invitational for 3-year-old fillies contested at 1 1/8 miles on the turf. The final week concludes with 3 stakes on Oct. 24, including the $400,000 Bryan Station (G2), the $350,000 Hagyard Fayette (G2) — upgraded this year from Grade 3 status — and the $250,000 Bowman Mill. The Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund is contributing $2,575,000 to the purses, pending approval from the Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation. The 2026 Breeders' Cup World Championships will feature 14 Grade 1 races worth more than $34 million in purses and awards, marking Keeneland's fourth hosting of the event. Public ticket sales for the Fall Meet begin Tuesday, Aug. 18 at 9 a.m. ET at [tickets.keeneland.com](https://tickets.keeneland.com/). ## Sources - [Keeneland](https://www.keeneland.com/media/news/keeneland-turns-90-fall-meet-stakes-schedule-worth-107-million) - [Keeneland opening day details and attendance](https://www.keeneland.com/media/friday-marks-keenelands-85th-birthday) - [2026 Breeders' Cup World Championships information](https://www.keeneland.com/media/news/tickets-sale-2026-breeders-cup-world-championships-keeneland) --- This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Keeneland, enriched with 3 web searches. The original source is available at https://www.keeneland.com/media/news/keeneland-turns-90-fall-meet-stakes-schedule-worth-107-million.