Dates Committee approves Keeneland request for July meet

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Race Dates Committee of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission on Wednesday morning approved a special request by Keeneland Racecourse to run five live racing dates in July.

The approval gave the okay to an agreement between Keeneland and Ellis Park that will allow Keeneland to run spectator-free from July 8-12, overlapping dates that had been awarded to Ellis Park late last year, prior to the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Keeneland announced the agreement late Friday night, and the committee was widely expected to approve the request.

“Keeneland appreciates the quick response of the commission to our request, and we applaud all their work on behalf of Kentucky during these unprecedented times,” Keeneland President Bill Thomason said in a statement. “We also thank Ellis Park for their cooperation in this process and for making these non-traditional dates available to Keeneland.”

The full KHRC will still need to approve the request after the dates committee hearing. The KHRC typically approves any request that has already been endorsed by the Race Dates Committee.

Earlier this year, the KHRC approved an agreement between Churchill Downs and Ellis that gave Churchill the rights to five racing dates in early September so that the Kentucky Derby and its lead-up cards could be held. The Derby this year is scheduled for Sept. 5.

Keeneland, which canceled its spring meet outright earlier this year, plans to hold 10 stakes during the brief meet, including its traditional Kentucky Derby prep, the Grade 2, $600,000 Blue Grass Stakes. The race has been scheduled for July 11.