The Fall Meet at Keeneland is back. Here’s what you need to know for horse racing’s return.

An annual Central Kentucky tradition has arrived on the calendar once again.

Friday is the opening day of the 2024 Fall Meet at Keeneland, which will feature 17 days of horse racing at the famed track. This year’s Fall Meet will run from Friday through Oct. 26, with no racing on Mondays or Tuesdays.

First post will be 1 p.m. each day, with Keeneland gates opening at 11 a.m.

This year’s Fall Meet is offering a track record of $9.85 million for 22 stakes races, which includes Kentucky Derby qualifying races, Kentucky Oaks qualifying races and, more pressingly, qualifying races for next month’s Breeders’ Cup, which will be held at Del Mar in California.

With on-track horse racing set to return to Keeneland, here’s what you need to know ahead of this year’s Fall Meet.

Fall Meet opening weekend includes Breeders’ Cup, Derby, Oaks races

As always, the Fall Meet begins with a blockbuster weekend of races billed as Fall Stars Weekend.

Running from Friday through Sunday, Fall Stars Weekend will offer $5.8 million in purses across 11 stakes races, 10 of which are graded.

This includes eight stakes races that are part of the Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In Challenge Series.

Winners of these races earn an automatic starting spot and fees-paid entry into a corresponding race at the Breeders’ Cup, which will be run at Del Mar on Nov. 1 and Nov. 2.

The Fall Stars Weekend races at Keeneland that are part of the Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In Challenge Series are:

▪ Friday: Darley Alcibiades (Grade 1), Jessamine (Grade 2) and Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix (Grade 2).

The $600,000 Darley Alcibiades will go off at 5:16 p.m. and will travel 1 1/16 miles on the dirt track. The winner earns a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.

Additionally, the Darley Alcibiades is a Kentucky Oaks prep race. The top-five finishers in the race will be awarded Kentucky Oaks qualifying points on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale. None of the eight horses that ran in last year’s edition of the Darley Alcibiades made the 14-horse starting gate for this year’s Kentucky Oaks. However, keep an eye out this year for Immersive, the 2-1 morning-line favorite who is unbeaten in two starts for trainer Brad Cox

The $350,000 Jessamine will go off at 4:44 p.m. and will travel 1 1/16 miles on the turf course. The winner earns a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.

The $350,000 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix will go off at 4:12 p.m. and will travel 6 furlongs on the dirt track. The winner earns a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.

▪ Saturday: Coolmore Turf Mile (Grade 1), Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (Grade 1) and Thoroughbred Club of America (Grade 2).

The $1.25 million Coolmore Turf Mile will go off at 5:48 p.m. and will travel 1 mile on the turf course. The winner earns a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Mile. With a purse of $1.25 million, the Coolmore Turf Mile is the richest race in Keeneland’s history. Carl Spackler, a 4-year-old Chad Brown trainee who has won six of his nine career starts, is the 2-1 morning-line favorite.

The $600,000 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity will go off at 5:16 p.m. and will travel 1 1/16 miles on the dirt track. The winner earns a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Ferocious, trained by Gustavo Delgado, is 8-5 on the morning line.

Additionally, the Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity is a Kentucky Derby prep race. The top-five finishers in the race will be awarded Kentucky Derby qualifying points on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale. Two horses from last year’s Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity field — West Saratoga and Just Steel — went on to run in the Kentucky Derby, although neither horse finished in the money in either race.

The $350,000 Thoroughbred Club of America will go off at 4:12 p.m. and will travel 6 furlongs on the dirt track. The winner earns a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint.

All three of Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup qualifying races will be shown on NBC.

▪ Sunday: Juddmonte Spinster (Grade 1) and Castle & Key Bourbon (Grade 2).

The $600,000 Juddmonte Spinster will go off at 5:16 p.m. and will travel 1 1/8 miles on the dirt track. The winner earns a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff. Idiomatic, a 5-year-old trained by Cox, is the likely favorite in the field of six, having won 11 of 16 career starts, including last year’s Juddmonte Spinster and Breeders’ Cup Distaff.

The $350,000 Castle & Key Bourbon will go off at 5:48 p.m. and will travel 1 1/16 miles on turf course. The winner earns a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.

Both of these Sunday races will be shown on CNBC.

Keeneland’s Fall Meet also features other stakes races

In addition to those Breeders’ Cup qualifying races, Keeneland’s Fall Meet will feature 14 other stakes races. Those races are:

Saturday: $750,000 First Lady (Grade 1) and $350,000 Woodford (Grade 2).

Sunday: $250,000 Indian Summer (Listed).

Oct. 11: $300,000 Sycamore (Grade 3).

Oct. 12: $750,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (Grade 1).

Oct. 13: $350,000 Franklin (Grade 2).

Oct. 19: $350,000 Lexus Raven Run (Grade 2) and $300,000 Perryville (Grade 3).

Oct. 20: $300,000 Rood & Riddle Dowager (Grade 3).

Oct. 25: $350,000 Bank of America Valley View (Grade 2) and $200,000 Myrtlewood.

Oct. 26: $600,000 Bryan Station (Grade 3), $350,000 Hagyard Fayette (Grade 2) and $200,000 Bowman Mill.

Construction project continues at Keeneland

This year’s Fall Meet will be held during a time of growth for Keeneland, as the track continues progress on the largest construction project since the facility opened 88 years ago.

The construction project began in January, and centers around a new three-level Paddock Building that will run the length of Keeneland’s Paddock and Walking Ring. The project is scheduled to be completed in September 2025.

When the project is completed, Keeneland plans to offer several ticketed experiences to the public utilizing the new building, including sit-down dining, new bar concepts and a panoramic rooftop. Keeneland expects the new building to offer about 1,400 more tickets for the public on race days. The new Paddock Building will also include a new East Gate entrance and a new jockeys quarters.

Keeneland’s racing and sales operations will continue at full capacity while construction is ongoing.

This is the first major construction project at Keeneland since the Keeneland Library was built in 2002. The nearly $100 million expansion project also has plans in development for an on-site visitors center at Keeneland.

Keeneland horse safety update

During the 2024 Spring Meet at Keeneland, one horse death occurred as the result of a racing incident.

One horse also died as the result of a racing incident during the 2023 Fall Meet at the Lexington track.

In total, there were four horse deaths from racing incidents at Keeneland in 2023, which represented the most at the Lexington track since nine died following racing incidents in 2019.

Those four horse deaths at Keeneland last year came from 2,736 total starters, according to the Equine Injury Database, a national listing of horse racing injuries started by The Jockey Club in July 2008. This equates to 1.46 horse deaths per 1,000 starters.

2024 Kentucky Derby winner at Keeneland

Mystik Dan, winner of this year’s Kentucky Derby was on his way to Keeneland this week to continue training for his first start since finishing eighth in the Belmont Stakes on June 8.

Mystik Dan has been tuning up at trainer Kenny McPeek’s Magdalena Farm about 12 miles northeast of Keeneland.

“No race plans” McPeek said. “Not making any race plans yet — too early. He’ll be at Keeneland for the month to get him going. He has been galloping at Magdalena and doing fine. It was time to bring him to Keeneland.”

Mystik Dan has compiled a 9-3-2-1 record and a $4,161,360 bankroll that includes a runner-up finish in the Preakness Stakes.

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