Keeneland announces $4.6 million fall stakes schedule

Officials at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., have released the stakes schedule for the 2013 fall meet with just minor revisions from what has been standard fare for years.

A 17-race schedule worth more than $4.6 million is on tap for the 17-day meet, which runs Oct. 4-26. It begins, as usual, with a slew of important prep races for the Breeders’ Cup during the opening FallStars weekend (Oct. 4-6), when nine graded stakes worth $3.15 million will be run. Six of the stakes are Grade 1 events, and eight are Win and You’re In qualifiers toward the Nov. 1-2 Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita.

Purse modifications include moderate increases for the Grade 3 Phoenix, up $25,000 to $200,000; the Grade 1 First Lady, up $50,000 to $400,000; and the Grade 2 Fayette, up $50,000 to $200,000 because of new sponsorship from the Hagyard Equine Medical Institute.

There is just one minor scheduling change, with the Grade 3 Jessamine being run on Wednesday, Oct. 9, one day earlier than normal.

Per-day purses are expected to average about $600,000, among the highest in North America.