It is finally Kentucky Derby week! As most of you racing fans do, I spend my time, Always Dreaming (a current contender’s name) of a new Triple Crown winner. I watch the Kentucky Derby leaderboard, race by race, to see which 20 horses will get a chance at the Run for the Roses, the first jewel of the crown, the KY Derby! I have the great fortune that 3 of the prep races take place on my home track, Keeneland in Lexington, KY. Keeneland’s Spring meet wrapped on Friday and what a meet it was.
Keeneland declared the meet a success and I would wholeheartedly agree. By the numbers, the 15 days of live racing that took place between April 7th and 28th showed favorable results. I was present for exactly 1/3rd of the meet. There were an average of 8.6 horses starting each race. The weather was mostly fantastic, so much so that no races were taken off of the turf.
Versus 2016 the following were all improvements:
- Average Daily All-Sources Handle: Over $9 million dollars
- Average Daily Attendance: Over 16 thousand
- Average Daily On-Track Wagering: Over $1 million dollars
- Average Daily Purses: Over $700,000 – making Keeneland one of the country’s highest purse tracks
The meet was packed with graded stakes, quality Thoroughbreds, a deep selection of local to Hall of Fame jockeys, home based to leading and Eclipse Award winning trainers and owners from around the world.
Standout connections from the meet have been identified. The jockey with the most wins at the 2017 Keeneland Spring meet was Joel Rosario! He won 17 races, see list by horse, date and race type:
- Lido: 4/8-maiden
- Holding Gold: 4/8-G2 Shakertown Stakes
- Awesome Slew: 4/8-G3 Commonwealth Stakes
- Projected: 4/9- allowance
- Grand Jete: 4/13-allowance
- Jokasa: 4/14-claiming
- Sheplaysthefield: 4/15-maiden
- Tasteful: 4/15-maiden
- Take Your Guns: 4/15-maiden
- Conquest Babayaga: 4/20-allowance
- Undrafted: 4/21-allowance
- Aquamarine: 4/22-allowance
- Enchantera: 4/22-claiming
- Meantime: 4/22-maiden
- Royal Asset: 4/26-claiming
- Nootka Sound: 4/27-maiden
- Mercy Ann: 4/28-maiden
The top trainer was Wesley Ward with 11 wins:
- Kirby’s Penny: 4/7-claiming
- Fairyland: 4/7-maiden
- Happy Like a Fool: 4/9-maiden
- McErin: 4/12-maiden
- Lady Aurelia: 4/15-Giant’s Causeway Stakes
- Swift One: 4/15-claiming
- Spellker: 4/19-allowance
- Bound for Nowhere: 4/20-allowance
- Undrafted: 4/21-allowance
- Royal Asset: 4/26-claiming
- Nootka Sound: 4/27-maiden
Finally, the top owner went to Godolphin with 5 wins:
- Lido: 4/8-maiden
- Dickinson: 4/15-G1 Coolmore Jenny Wiley Stakes
- Watershed: 4/15-G3 Ben Ali Stakes
- Zennor: 4/15-allowance
- Tasteful:4/15-maiden
Congratulations and thank you to all of the success stories from this meet. I had such a great time at the races and I’m already looking forward to the Fall meet in October. Please, enjoy some of my hooves up and flying photos from this meet. Have a great KY Derby week and check back for Derby info at Thoroughbred U.
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I literally Dream of going to the Kentucky Derby race. On my bucket list for sure. Will probably not make it but one can dream!
I’ve entered several contests for Derby tickets but unless I win I’ll be watching from Keeneland. I hope we both make it some year soon!