Autumn stakes run on Polytrack
Racing at Keeneland will not look the same when its synthetic Polytrack surface is unveiled this fall, but the track's stakes races will remain very similar to those from recent years.
Keeneland announced its fall stakes schedule on Thursday, and it differs little from last year's schedule. Nineteen stakes are on tap, with purses totaling $5.1 million, narrowly up from 2005's fall-meet total of $5,075,000. The 17-day meet runs Oct. 6-28.
The strength of the stakes schedule comes early in the meet with several preps for the Nov. 4 Breeders' Cup at Churchill Downs. The meet opens with "Fallstars Weekend," three days of racing featuring seven stakes worth a total of $2.5 million. The weekend is anchored by three Grade 1 events: the $600,000 Shadwell Turf Mile, the $500,000 Breeders' Futurity, and $500,000 Spinster.
In one of the other meet highlights, fillies and mares are spotlighted the following Saturday, Oct. 14, in the Grade 1, $500,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup.
Construction is ongoing at Keeneland to install Polytrack, a waxed blend of sand, carpet fibers, and rubber that its supporters believe is safer and more forgiving than traditional dirt tracks. A Polytrack surface was installed at Turfway Park last September, and one is being installed later this year at Woodbine. A synthetic surface similar to Polytrack, called Cushion Track, will be installed at Hollywood Park this summer.
2006 fall stakes schedule
| DATE | EVENT | CONDITIONS | DISTANCE | PURSE |
| Fri., Oct. 6 | Alcibiades (G2) | 2YO F | 1 1/16 miles | $400,000 |
| Fri., Oct. 6 | Sycamore Breeders' Cup (G3) | 3yo & up | 1 1/2 miles (T) | 150,000 |
| Sat., Oct. 7 | Shadwell Turf Mile (G1) | 3YO &up | 1 mile (T) | 600,000 |
| Sat., Oct. 7 | Breeders' Futurity (G1) | 2YO | 1 1/16 miles | 500,000 |
| Sat., Oct. 7 | Phoenix Breeders' Cup (G3) | 3yo & up | 6 furlongs | 250,000 |
| Sun., Oct. 8 | Spinster (G1) | 3yo & up, F&M | 1 1/8 miles | 500,000 |
| Sun., Oct. 8 | Woodford | 3YO &up | 5 1/2 furlongs (T) | 100,000 |
| Fri.,Oct. 13 | Perryville (G3) | 3YO | 7 furlongs 184 ft. | 200,000 |
| Sat.,Oct. 14 | Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) | 3YO F | 1 1/8 miles | 500,000 |
| Sat.,Oct. 14 | First Lady (G2) | 3yo & up, F&M | 1 mile (T) | 400,000 |
| Sat.,Oct. 14 | Thoroughbred Club of America (G3) | 3yo & up, F&M | 6 furlongs | 300,000 |
| Sun.,Oct. 15 | Bryan Station | 3YO | 1 mile (T) | 150,000 |
| Thur.,Oct. 19 | Franklin County | 3yo & up, F&M | 5 1/2 furlongs (T) | 100,000 |
| Fri.,Oct. 20 | Valley View (G3) | 3YO F | 1 1/16 miles (T) | 125,000 |
| Sat.,Oct. 21 | Raven Run (G2) | 3YO F | 7 furlongs | 300,000 |
| Sun.,Oct. 22 | Dowager | 3yo & up, F&M | 1 1/2 miles (T) | 150,000 |
| Thur.,Oct. 26 | Jessamine | 2YO F | 1 1/16 miles (T) | 100,000 |
| Fri.,Oct. 27 | Woodford Reserve Bourbon Stakes | 2YO | 1 1/16 miles (T) | 125,000 |
| Sat.,Oct. 28 | Fayette (G3) | 3yo & up | 1 1/8 miles | 150,000 |